Paw Print Keepsakes in China
Nose prints, hoof prints, tiny bird feet and big dog paws each need a slightly different approach. This page for China walks through them all, with published prices and no pressure.
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China
Paw Print Keepsakes in China: what to know
In China, as elsewhere, families increasingly keep a print even when they choose communal cremation or a simple burial. It's affordable, and it works whether or not ashes come home. If cost is a worry, start there: making one at home is cheap, and you can decide on finishing it, or not, much later.
Makers in China and abroad can turn a paw print into silver, glass, ceramic, embroidery or a tattoo, and most work from a photo or scan. That means you can keep the original safely at home and shop around. The only part that can't wait is taking the print itself.
We cover 2 communities in China, from Shanghai and Beijing.
Burial, cremation and paw prints in China
On cremation, China sits in the middle, at about 50%[1] of human deaths, and for many families the choice is shaped by faith as much as by cost. If your beliefs lean toward burial, or you're simply unsure how you feel about cremating a pet, a paw print sits comfortably with either path. It involves nothing more than a gentle press into clay or onto card, and it leaves your pet exactly as they were.
That China rate is a human statistic published by Wikipedia: Cremation by country (2019); there is no pet equivalent, so we use it as a signal of how families here already think.
Where the money goes: the print, then the finishing
Pet funeral providers across Asia usually sell packages, and some include a paw print, a fur clipping or a small keepsake. We haven't found reliable local prices for prints on their own. For context, a Tokyo memorial park charges JPY 22,000 for individual cremation of a pet under 5 kg[2]. Ask providers in China exactly what their package covers.
In some Asian cities, the public route leaves nothing behind. Hong Kong's government, for instance, advises owners that a bagged animal can go to a refuse collection point, from where it goes to landfill[3]. Any keepsake, including a print, then depends on you or a private provider. If cost is the worry in China, a home print costs very little and can be taken before you decide anything else.
| Place or item | Published price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tokyo, individual cremation, pet under 5 kg | JPY 22,000[2] | Tax included; ask about a print |
| Singapore, private cremation, cat under 5 kg | SGD 280[4] | Niches extra |
| Hong Kong, individual cremation, 1 to 5 kg pet | HKD 1,300[5] | Basic package |
| Paw print add-on (US median, for comparison) | about $32[6] | No published local price found |
If a number here surprises you, the primary material is PETMENTO (Hong Kong pet funeral provider) and Singapore Pet Columbarium; we only apply it to this.
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
What the law in China does and doesn't cover
Renters in China often can't bury a pet in the yard without the landlord's agreement, and even where they can, the grave stays behind when the lease ends. That's one reason portable memorials such as prints are so popular. The notes below set out what China allows for burial and scattering; whatever they say, a print moves with you to the next address.
In order: the print, the aftercare, the keepsake
- For a horse, have the farrier out beforehand to trim the hoof and tidy it up. Clean the sole thoroughly and let it dry.
- Press the hoof into a thick slab of clay resting on a board, or coat the sole in non-toxic paint and set it down on stiff card. Ask a helper to keep the leg still while you do it.
- Keep the last shoe and a length of tail or mane hair, which many horse owners have braided or set into resin.
- For a bird or a very small pet, use very soft clay or inkless paper and the lightest pressure. Tiny toes show best in clay.
- For a fluffy cat or rabbit, go inkless so nothing ends up on fur they'll wash later; for rabbits especially, clay captures the long, narrow foot well.
- Dry and store every print indoors, and photograph it so a maker can work from the image.
From paw print to pendant, frame or garden stone
If you'd like ashes and the print together without wearing them, an ashes-in-glass piece needs only about 1/8–1/2 tsp[8] of ashes, and the paw can be engraved on its base or a matching frame. Use our jewelry ash capacity guide to see how far your pet's ashes will go, and our ashes sharing planner if several people want a piece.
The services page compares what each option includes, the planning tools turn your animal's details into figures, and the poll results show what other families chose. All locations lists every region we cover.
Reader polls
What would you choose?
Vote anonymously and see how other readers answered. The results are live counts from people who visit this site, so they show real opinions, not a scientific sample.
What worries you most about taking a print yourself?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Where would your pet's print live?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
If you had to decide today, which aftercare would you choose for your pet?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Free tools to help you plan
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
Paw print keepsake chooser
Match a print method to your pet's size, fur and the keepsake you want to keep.
Jewelry ash capacity guide
How much ash fits in pendants, rings and glass, and how many pieces one pet can fill.
Questions people ask
How much does a paw print cost in China?
Published prices for prints alone are scarce, because most are sold within a cremation package or quoted on request. As a benchmark, a US crematory network lists a clay paw print at $76[9], and a UK studio casts a small dog's paw in resin from about £120[10]. Ask local providers for a written price.
Can children help make a paw print?
Often, yes, and many find it helps. Let them roll the clay, pick the frame or add their own handprint next to the paw. When the print is made after death, a vet or another adult can take it privately and show them the result. There are age-by-age ideas in our children's print-making guide.
What do other owners in China choose for a paw print keepsake?
We don't publish made-up figures on that. We do run short, anonymous polls on what readers chose, from clay discs to engraved jewelry, and you can see the live results. They count one vote per person and aren't a scientific survey, but they give a feel for how other owners decided.
What if my pet is cremated far from home?
In rural parts of China, pets are often cremated in a larger town some distance away. Take the print locally before collection, yourself or through your vet, so you can check it. Many crematories also take one at intake as a backup and return it with the ashes.
Can my vet in China take a paw print before cremation?
Almost always, if you ask in time. Mention it when you book the appointment or the cremation, ask for it on the aftercare form and ask to see it before your pet leaves. If the vet can't, the crematory can usually take one at intake. After cremation, it's too late.
Are there rules about paw prints in China?
No. You can take, keep, post and display a paw print, cast or ashes pendant freely. The rules in China cover burial and scattering, which matter if you plan a garden stone set with the print or want to scatter ashes after keeping a pinch for jewelry.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] China's cremation rate passed 50% for the first time in 2019. Wikipedia: Cremation by country, 2019.
- [2] Tokyo Animal Memorial Park charges JPY 14,300 for communal and JPY 22,000 for individual cremation of a pet under 5 kg (tax incl.). Tokyo Animal Memorial Park (東京動物霊園) - Price list, 2026.
- [3] Hong Kong's government advises owners may bag a dead animal marked 'dead animal' and take it to an FEHD refuse collection point, from where it goes to landfill. Hong Kong Government 1823 - How to handle the body of dead animal?, 2025.
- [4] The same Singapore provider lists private cremation at SGD 280 for a cat under 5 kg and SGD 480 for a 10-20 kg dog; columbarium niches start at SGD 300 for the first year with SGD 180 yearly renewal. Singapore Pet Columbarium - Prices, 2026.
- [5] A Hong Kong provider lists basic individual cremation at HKD 1,300 for a 1-5 kg pet and HKD 3,000 for a 20-30 kg dog. PETMENTO (Hong Kong pet funeral provider) - Pet funeral price list, 2026.
- [6] Paw-print add-ons at US crematories have a median price of about $32, from $10 to $76. Our estimate: median of [$10 clay (AGP), $15 laser engraving (AGP), $49 ink (Final Gift), $76 clay (Final Gift)]. How we calculate.
- [7] Around 765,000 U.S. families a year are likely open to a personalized pet keepsake. Our estimate: 1.5M pet cremations x 51% interest in personalized memorials. How we calculate.
- [8] Ashes-in-glass pet memorials use only about 1/8 to 1/2 teaspoon of ashes. Funeral.com – Ashes in Glass for Pets, 2026.
- [9] Final Gift charges $49 for ink paw prints, $76 for a clay or silver-clay paw print, $111 framed, and $133 framed with a fur clipping; a fur clipping alone costs $23. Final Gift Pet Memorial Center – Memorial Products, 2026.
- [10] Brighton Body Casting in the UK charges from about £120 to cast a small dog's paw pads in resin; medium and large breeds cost about 1/5 and 1/3 more. Brighton Body Casting – Pets, 2026.
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