Reaching out to a friend who lost a pet is a welcome gesture even though, let’s admit it, grief is such a solitary experience. It can be difficult to express how sorry you feel for someone who just lost a pet and close companion. If you’re not much of a talker, a gift basket is a wonderful gesture to someone grieving a pet.
A card can only say so much, but a small curation of pet keepsakes can be a great gift for someone who has lost a pet. If you plan to do a DIY pet loss gift basket, include some personalised items or trinkets to remember your friend’s pet by. Alternatively, help your friend cope with their sorrow with comfort food or practical gifts for their other pets.
Gauge your friend’s personality and relationship with their pet before curating your gift box. To give you an idea of what’s available in the market, here are some items you can gift to someone who has suffered the loss of a pet.
What To Include In A Pet Loss Sympathy Gift Basket
Personalised Pet Keepsake Box
Anything personalised can make someone feel loved and appreciated. If your friend just lost a beloved pet companion, you can give him or her a personalised pet keepsake box.
You can gift this custom keepsake box as it is or use it as your “basket” to create a hamper of additional gifts to give your friend. You can have the pet’s picture made out of clay as a momento on the lid. A keepsake box can easily be displayed on a bookshelf or a bedside table, so your friend will always be reminded of their companion.
Make sure you give a decent lead time to order this personalised keepsake box, as every one of them is hand-made. Additional consolation is that each box is sustainable and forestry-certified!
Pet Memorial Candle
A candle is also a great item to gift someone who has just lost a pet. To make it extra special, you can go for a personalised memorial candle to add a touch of sentiment to this gift.
Similar to having a personalised keepsake box, you can add the pet’s photo, a quote, or a message here. A pet memorial candle is a perfect addition to the funeral service for the pet, but it can also light the nights when your friend gets lonely. Some people also find the scent of candle flames soothing.
Photo Frame & Photo
A fast and easily accessed gift idea is to print a photo of your friend and his or her pet. You can handpick a nice frame to suit your friend’s personal style and choose a fun and adorable picture of the companions. You can get creative with photo printing by having a photo collage framed or even opt to have the photo printed on canvas.
This simple but thoughtful gift can suit any household. Your friend can keep the photo in their bedroom and let it serve as a gentle and welcome reminder of their lost pet.
Pet Loss Book
There might be no one better to talk to than people who have experienced the same loss as you. If you have never experienced losing a pet before, it might be better to get your friend a book about pet loss and how to cope with it. Of course, still, be there for your friend; but on days when you can’t, and your friend is left alone with their thoughts, a book is the next best option.
There is a range of book options available, so be mindful and read the synopsis or review of the book before purchasing it. You don’t want to upset an already grieving friend by choosing a book inappropriate to their situation, so be cautious with your choice.
Memorial Planter & Succulent
Plants, like spring, signify new and hopeful beginnings. Planting flowers or a tree can be a meaningful way to memorialise a pet, giving your friend something to nurture and a special place to remember their departed companion.
This special pet loss planter recognises how difficult it is to say goodbye to your best friend, and will be a touching gesture for any grieving pet parent. You can even get customised wrapping for this planter set. Just tell them the occasion and maybe the message you want to give your friend.
Custom Pet Portrait
Nothing captures a memory better than photos and portraits. If you’re unsure about getting a planter or a candle, a custom pet portrait is always appreciated by someone who has lost a pet.
What’s great about a custom drawing or painting is that many artists can not only copy an existing photo but also interpret and customise it differently – whether you want just the pet or the pet and the owner captured in their happy moments!
You also have the option to pick the art style and the medium—a modern watercolour painting, a realistic oil or acrylic painting, or a simple charcoal portrait. Try to put some effort into finding the right art style that your friend will love most if you plan to give them a custom pet portrait.
Memorial Keepsake Jewellery
Jewellery is a beautiful pet keepsake to give someone whose pet has just passed away. You have plenty of options with jewellery, such as a necklace with a pendant or a bracelet with a charm that can remind your friend of their pet. It is always comforting to have a memory of a pet carried around in something close to you, like jewellery.
You have various options here, such as hair-infused jewellery, ash-infused diamonds, and paw print impressions on a pendant or charm. Some sellers even create pendants or charms in the image of the pet.
Keychain
A small trinket like a keychain can be brought with you anywhere, so it makes for an excellent pet loss gift that can be kept close by for comfort. By capturing the memory of a lost pet in a keychain, you are showing your friend that their pet will always be remembered.
You can easily upload a photo of your friend’s pet that has passed away, and artisans can copy the pet’s likeness in a polished steel keychain.
Comfort Food
Nothing says ‘I’m thinking of you’ and ‘I love you’ quite like a sweet treat. If you can’t be with your friend in these trying times, an excellent way to show that you care is to send him or her some comfort food. Chocolates, cakes and other kinds of sweet desserts are great comfort foods to console a grieving friend and add some cheerfulness into their day.
Edible Blooms provide unique and fun food packages to send a friend. They offer chocolate flower bouquets, doughnut boxes, chocolate buckets and other kinds of dessert gift boxes. Though not directly related to the loss of a pet, they offer sympathy packages that will nonetheless be appreciated and enjoyed by your grieving friend.
Gifts/Treats For Other Pets
If your friend has other pets, they will also be grieving the loss of their family member. It would be thoughtful to get them something to comfort them as well, and help your loved one spend treasured moments with their other pets. Your friend, and their grieving pet, would both appreciate a practical gift to ease their other pet’s grief. You can opt for a toy, pet food, a warm blanket or a cosy and comfortable bed.
RELATED QUESTIONS
What Should I Write in a Card When a Pet Dies?
A personalised message is always welcome for someone grieving a pet that has recently passed away. Though a card with a quote is a good start, try to also include a personal message consoling your friend’s loss. You can say things like their pet will always be remembered and that if they ever need someone to listen, you’ll be there for them. This is a good place to recall any special moments you shared with their pet as well.
What Can You Send for a Sympathy Gift Instead of Flowers?
Keepsakes are good gifts for someone who has lost a loved one, and they last much longer than flowers. These memorial gifts include boxes, candles, jewellery, or a keychain. Personalised ones (especially those with a name or photo) are always more thoughtful than generic ones.