Paw print keepsakes in Novi: timing, methods and costs
By our estimate, about 25,000 households in Novi share their home with a dog or cat. Every one of those paws can be pressed into clay or ink, ideally long before goodbye. Here's how.
- Home kit or vet-taken: your choice
- Tips for heat, humidity and cold
- Ideas for jewelry, engraving and art
Novi, Michigan
Arranging a paw print around Novi
Before placing an outdoor marker in Novi, read your homeowners association's rules, since some limit what can go in front or side yards. In the back garden, a solid stone or cast bronze piece will outlast Michigan winters where resin figurines or painted concrete flake apart. A few inches of compacted gravel underneath keeps it from tilting. Place it where you'll see it from indoors.
Families in Novi come from many backgrounds, including a large and growing Asian community, and memorial customs vary widely. Some prefer a simple engraved box, others a bed of spring bulbs, and others a digital album shared with relatives overseas. Fur clippings and nose prints have to be taken before cremation happens, so bring them up as soon as you contact a provider.
Supplies are easy to find even in a small town. Air-dry modeling clay, a washable non-toxic ink pad, card stock and baby wipes are enough for a first print. A purpose-made kit is kinder for fluffy paws and cats, but it may take days to arrive, so buy one while your pet is still well rather than waiting until you need it urgently.
Novi is home to about 67,319 people, the 17th-largest of the 63 Michigan communities we cover. Detroit, roughly 25 miles off, is the closest larger centre, and a share of the providers who cover Novi run from there.
Novi sits within easy reach of Farmington Hills (6 miles), Livonia (8 miles) and Southfield (12 miles). A provider based in any of them will usually collect from Novi; ask what the mileage adds to the bill.
Our estimate
25,000
Estimated dog- or cat-owning households in Novi
How we calculated this
67,319 ÷ 2.5 = 26,928 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 25,000. A household with several pets counts once.
Our estimate
2,050
dog and cat deaths per year in Novi, our estimate
How we calculated this
25,000 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 2,050 a year. Treat it as a minimum.
53%[1]
53% of US households own a dog, which is about 71 million households.
12.69 years[2]
US dogs have an average life expectancy at birth of 12.69 years.
39%[3]
39% of US households own a cat, which is about 53 million households.
11.18 years[4]
US cats seen at Banfield hospitals have an average life expectancy at birth of 11.18 years.
Sources for the statistics above: American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry and Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science.
How Michigan thinks about cremation, and why prints matter
Cremation has become steadily more common in Michigan, now chosen for about 69.5%[5] of those who die there, and newer pet aftercare providers have arrived with it. Some offer a 3D scan of the paw or a digital print file alongside the clay. If a provider mentions this, ask whether you'll receive the file itself, in a standard format, so you can take it to any maker later rather than only through them.
The Michigan figure comes from NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024). It describes people, not pets, so read it as a sign of local attitudes rather than a pet statistic.
Heat, humidity, cold and drying times
Clinics and crematories in and around Novi often keep pets in cold storage before cremation, especially in January, February, March, November and December when collection runs can be delayed by weather. That doesn't prevent a print, but it helps to ask before your pet goes into the cooler. A quick print while the paw is still soft is far easier than one taken later from a cold, stiff paw.
Indoor heating in January, February, March, November and December makes the air in Novi homes very dry, which is its own problem for clay. A print left near a radiator, wood stove or forced-air vent can shrink unevenly and split along the thin toe edges. Dry it in a cooler room, away from heat sources, and lay a slightly damp cloth loosely over it for the first day to slow things down.
What paw print keepsakes cost in Novi
Engraving is the add-on that surprises people. By our estimate, name-and-dates engraving adds about 36%[6] to the price of a mid-priced wooden urn, and a paw print costs extra again. Before you pay for either in Novi, check your pet insurance: some wellness add-ons reimburse end-of-life costs, and one plan's add-on could pay up to $650 toward cremation, burial and keepsakes[7]. Read the policy wording, then ask for an itemized quote.
Rather than repeat the price table on every city page, we keep one for Michigan: Michigan costs. What each service includes is on the services page.
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
Burial, scattering and prints in Michigan
You don't need anyone's permission to take your pet's paw print, and prints, casts and ashes jewelry can be kept, posted or carried anywhere. The rules that matter in Michigan are about burial and scattering. If you plan a home burial, take the print before you begin; if you plan to scatter, keep some ashes back for a print pendant first.
To find your county or city office in Michigan, start with the official Michigan local government directory.
The Michigan page sets out who oversees pet cremation and what the state says about burial and scattering. Novi's own bylaws can sit on top of that, so ask before you dig.
What to do first, and what can wait
- 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, choose the softest clay or an inkless sheet, and barely press at all. Clay picks up tiny toes best.
- 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, then take a photo so any maker can use the picture, not the original.
Keeping the print and the memory close
Novi's newer homes and townhouses often have little garden space, so memorials here are usually indoors: an urn on the mantel, a framed pawprint, or a pendant with a pinch of ash. Many families moved here for work in the auto and tech industries and may move again, so a memorial you can pack in a box makes sense. Take whatever time you need before deciding.
use the free tools before you ring anyone, browse in-depth guides or recent articles, or see what other families chose in the poll results, The services page is the place to compare what is included. You can also browse every city in the United States. Nearby, we also cover Ann Arbor, Detroit, Warren and Lansing, and every city in Michigan.
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.
When did (or will) you take your pet's print?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
What worries you most about taking a print yourself?
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?
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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
Will I have to travel to Detroit to arrange things?
Not usually. Providers based in Detroit (roughly 25 miles from Novi) collect from here as a matter of routine, and the paperwork is done by email or phone. If you want to be present for a witnessed cremation, that is when the drive matters.
When is the hardest time of year to arrange a burial in Novi?
January, February, March, November and December: average lows are below freezing then, and frozen ground makes a home grave slow or impossible until it thaws. The other pressure point is July, when highs around 84°F mean a body needs cooling and collecting quickly.
Which nearby towns can I compare with Novi?
The closest communities we cover are Farmington Hills (about 6 miles), Livonia (about 8 miles) and Southfield (about 12 miles). Providers based in those places often serve Novi too. Ask each one for a written total that includes collection, so the distance is priced in.
Why does the Novi page quote a human cremation rate?
Because it is the best local signal we have. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024) reports about 69.5%[5] of Michigan residents are cremated. There is no official pet equivalent, and inventing one would be worse than quoting a real, clearly labelled number.
Can I get a print if my pet is being cremated near Detroit?
Yes. Many crematories take a print at intake and return it with the ashes. But if the crematory is some distance from Novi, it's easier to take the print locally, either yourself at home or through your vet before collection. That way you can check it's clear and redo it if needed.
How much does a paw print keepsake cost in Novi?
The print itself is usually inexpensive. US crematories list paw-print add-ons from about $10 to $76, with a median of about $32[8], and some include one in the cremation package. Finishing costs more: engraved paw prints on urns typically add $20 to $35, and paw or nose print pendants start at about $100. Ask providers in Novi what's already included.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] 53% of US households own a dog, which is about 71 million households. American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry, 2025.
- [2] US dogs have an average life expectancy at birth of 12.69 years. Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science - Banfield Pet Hospital life expectancy tables (13.3 million dogs, 2.4 million cats, 2013-2019), 2023.
- [3] 39% of US households own a cat, which is about 53 million households. American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry, 2025.
- [4] US cats seen at Banfield hospitals have an average life expectancy at birth of 11.18 years. Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science - Banfield Pet Hospital life expectancy tables (13.3 million dogs, 2.4 million cats, 2013-2019), 2023.
- [5] The NFDA projected Michigan's cremation rate at 69.5% for 2024. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage), 2024.
- [6] Name-and-dates engraving adds about 36% to the price of a mid-priced wooden pet urn. Our estimate: midpoint engraving $32.50 ($25–$40) / midpoint wood urn $90 ($30–$150). How we calculate.
- [7] Embrace's Wellness Rewards add-on could reimburse up to $650 toward cremation, burial and keepsakes. Pet Insurance Review - Does Pet Insurance Cover Euthanasia? (Dec 2023), 2023.
- [8] 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.
Ask who takes paw prints in Novi
Tell us what you need and where you are. We'll reply by email with clear options and prices so you can decide in your own time.