How Much Extra to Get My Pet’s Ashes Back?

The ashes come with individual cremation

There isn’t a separate ‘ashes fee’ you add on — getting the ashes back is what defines an individual cremation. That’s the choice that costs more: roughly R1,100–R2,000 for a cat or small dog, up to R5,500 for giant breeds, versus R400–R2,200 for communal, which returns nothing.

So the ‘extra’ to get ashes back is really the gap between communal and individual pricing for your pet’s size — often R700–R2,000.

What the ashes come in

A basic urn or scatter box is usually included in the individual price, with nicer wooden or ceramic urns costing extra. If you plan to scatter or bury the ashes, the basic container is all you need — don’t feel pressured into an upgrade.

Ashes keep indefinitely, so there’s no rush to decide what to do with them.

Making sure they’re really your pet’s

Ask the crematorium how they tag and track each pet through the process, and get ‘individual’ confirmed in writing. It’s the one thing you can’t verify afterwards, so it’s worth asking about clearly.

Getting it arranged without the guesswork