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The First Christmas Without Your Pet

Gentle ways to keep a dog or cat in your Christmas after they have died, from a stocking to a candle to a few written words.

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If this is your first Christmas without your dog or cat, we are sorry. The house may feel wrong in small ways. There is no one at the tree, no one waiting by the door when the guests leave, no one hoping for a bite of dinner.

There is no right way to get through it. Some people want their pet in every corner of the day. Others need the day to be quiet. Both are fine, and you can change your mind on the morning itself.

Here are a few small ideas, for you or for someone you love. Take what helps and leave the rest.

Let them still have a place

Hanging the decorations can be the moment you notice who is missing. One answer is to give them a place on purpose.

A printed stocking with their name on it can hang with the others, whether or not you fill it. The Custom Pet Christmas Stocking is soft flannel with your pet's name across the front, $29.

An ornament does the same job on the tree. The Custom Pet Christmas Ornament is a round ceramic ornament with your pet's portrait, $25.95. You design it from your own photo, and what you see in the editor is what we print.

If more than one pet is gone, you can add each photo to a single design at no extra cost.

A candle, and somewhere to put the words

Some people want one quiet thing to do on the evening itself. You can light a candle for your pet for $5. It is a virtual candle, so no real wick burns. It stays lit on our candle wall for a year, with a page of its own where family and friends can light a candle beside yours, free.

You choose whether their name is shown at all, and you can keep it private. We do not promise any outcome from a candle. It is a way to mark that they mattered, and to say their name.

If you would like a real candle at home, the Pet Memorial Candle is a 9 ounce soy candle with their photo on the jar and a light cotton scent, $23.95. Light it on the evenings when the house is too quiet.

You may also find yourself wanting to tell the story of how they came into your life, or to write to them directly. The Pet Memory Journal is a hardcover notebook with your pet's photo around the cover and 150 lined pages, $22. There are no prompts and no stages to work through, just room for whatever you need to put down.

If you would rather make something to share at the table, the free memorial card maker lets you add their name, their years, a short verse and a photo. It is made in your browser, so the photo stays on your device. You can print it at home as a 5 by 7 inch card.

For a friend, and for yourself

A friend who has lost a pet may not want to be asked how they are doing, but they will notice that you remembered. Two ideas that ask nothing of them:

To send a gift straight to a friend, enter their address at payment. We cannot include a gift message yet, so put your words in a card.

We are not counselors, and a stocking will not do the work of grief. If the holidays feel too heavy, our pet loss support page lists free support groups run by trained people, along with journaling prompts you can use whenever you are ready. If you are ever in crisis, call or text 988 in the US.

Questions

Is it okay to hang their stocking? Yes. There is no rule against it. Hang it, leave it empty, tuck a note inside, or take it down next year. It is yours to decide.

How long do keepsakes take to arrive? Each item is made to order. US orders are made and delivered in 3 to 18 business days, depending on the item. Other countries take up to 34 business days. Your cart shows the window for your items and country before you pay. Candles ship nothing and are lit as soon as you pay.

What if it arrives damaged or not as I designed it? We remake it free. Tell us within 30 days of delivery, with a photo, at [email protected]. We cannot take returns for a change of mind, because every piece is made from your own design.

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