What would it cost to preserve your pet, and how long would it take?
One industry report puts freeze-drying at USD 1,000–2,000[1], but a hamster and a Labrador sit at opposite ends of that range and beyond. Pick a method, size and pose to see your own estimate.
- Price range and waiting time together
- Freeze-dry, taxidermy and partial pieces
- Sources shown; unsourced ranges labelled
Freeze-dry & taxidermy cost estimator
Preservation is a personal choice and a long process. See what to expect for cost and waiting time.
Estimated cost (US)
$2,000–$2,600
Typical wait
3–8 months
- Freeze-drying keeps your pet's natural body, fur and features, slowly removing moisture over months.
- A curled, sleeping pose often looks the most natural.
- Keep your pet cool or frozen and contact a studio quickly; the sooner they receive your pet, the better the result.
Prices shown in US dollars; prices in your currency vary.
Source: Astute Analytica via GlobeNewswire — Global Pet Preservation Services Market to Hit USD 112.7 Million by 2032 (Apr 2, 2024); Animal Family Pet — Pet Preservation Pricing & Shipping
Next step: Get exact quotes from preservation studios →
Using the estimator
How to use the estimator in under a minute
- Choose a method. Freeze-drying keeps your whole pet in a resting pose; traditional taxidermy fits the tanned skin over a sculpted form; partial covers a paw or tail, or a head-and-shoulders mount.
- Enter your pet's weight. For freeze-drying and taxidermy, weight is what drives the price (partial pieces skip this step), so use your pet's last weight from the vet if you have it. A kitchen-scale guess is fine for small pets.
- Pick a pose. Sleeping or curled, sitting or lying alert, or standing. More upright poses take more work.
- Read both ranges. The estimate shows a low-to-high price and a waiting time in months.
Run it more than once. Most people find it useful to compare a full-body piece with a single paw, or a sleeping pose with an alert one, before they decide what to ask for. If your pet has only just died, freeze them first; the numbers will still be here. The steps are on our home page.
Transparency
How the estimate is calculated
Freeze-drying estimates are built from two published sources. The first is an industry report's typical range of USD 1,000–2,000[1]. The second is one US studio's published price list, which is useful because it's priced by weight: USD 650[2] for a pet under a pound, then USD 2,095 + USD 49/lb[3] for cats and dogs of 6 to 19 lb, with a higher rate above 20 lb. The estimator uses $650 to $1,000 under a pound, the industry range from 1 to 6 lb, and from $2,000 up to the studio's per-pound figure for 6 to 19 lb. From 20 lb it runs from the lower per-pound formula to the higher one.
Waiting times come from published turnaround figures: freeze-drying takes 3–6 months (small pets)[4], rising to seven months or more for large dogs and up to a year for the biggest animals. The estimator shows 3 to 8 months under 20 lb, 7 to 12 months up to 60 lb, and up to a year or more beyond that. The studio above quotes four to six months for pets under a pound[2] and six to eight for small cats and dogs[5].
Taxidermy and partial pieces have little published price data, because artists quote case by case. One US price guide puts traditional taxidermy at $800–$2,500[6] for a cat or small dog, and a UK studio charges from £2,300 for a domestic cat[7]. The estimator's taxidermy ranges are $400 to $1,200 under 5 lb, $800 to $2,500 up to 30 lb and $1,500 to $4,000 above, with a 6 to 12 month wait. Partial pieces run $150 to $600 for a paw or tail (2 to 6 months) and $600 to $1,500 for a head and shoulders (4 to 9 months). Both are deliberately wide and labelled as typical rather than sourced. Treat it as a way to see the rough shape of the cost, then ask for written quotes.
An example
Worked example: freeze-drying a 10 lb cat
Take a 10 lb domestic shorthair in a curled sleeping pose. Using the studio's list, the base price for a cat of that size is $2,095, plus $49 per pound[8]. If the per-pound charge applies only to the weight above the 6 lb starting point, that's four extra pounds; if it applies to every pound, it's ten. That gives a range of USD 2,291–2,585[9], our own estimate from the published list. The estimator itself shows a wider $2,000 to $2,600 and a 3 to 8 month wait, because it uses $2,000 as the floor for every pet from 6 to 19 lb and rounds the top up.
| Line | Low reading | High reading |
|---|---|---|
| Base price, 6 to 19 lb | $2,095[8] | $2,095 |
| Per-pound charge at $49 | 4 lb = $196 | 10 lb = $490 |
| Estimated total before shipping | About $2,291 | About $2,585 |
| Expected wait | 6 months[5] | 8 months |
Compare that with cremation: the average pet cremation costs about USD 250[10], so freeze-drying the same cat costs many times more. That gap is one reason most owners choose cremation: in a US survey of 2,043 dog and cat owners, 68% had made cremation decisions for a pet. Add return shipping, a display dome and any vet costs in the memorial budget planner to see the full total.
What the numbers mean
Reading your result: what a wide range is telling you
A narrow range means the inputs map neatly to published prices, as with a small, curled cat. A wide range usually means one of three things: your pet is large, you've chosen taxidermy or a partial piece, or you've picked a demanding pose. It's the estimator being honest about uncertainty, not a flaw.
The waiting time deserves as much attention as the price. Months of waiting can be hard while grieving, and our guide to grief while preservation work takes months is there for that. If the wait or the cost feels like too much, see the lighter options in taxidermy, freeze-dry and hybrid alternatives. If the wait itself weighs on you, the free Tufts Pet Loss Support Helpline is a kind place to talk it through. The poll results show how long other readers were willing to wait.
How do you feel about waiting months for a preserved pet to come home?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Honest limits
What the estimator can't tell you
- Whether your pet can be preserved at all. That depends on how quickly they were frozen and their condition. See our suitability checks.
- How good the result will look. Skill varies enormously; only a portfolio of finished pets tells you that. Our article on what a freeze-dried pet looks like sets realistic expectations.
- Local prices. Studios set their own rates, and prices outside the US don't track these figures. Our locations pages cover regional differences.
- Extras. Shipping, cases, rush fees and deposits are quoted separately by most practitioners.
For the questions that fill those gaps, read questions for a pet preparer.
From estimate to quote
Next steps once you have a number
If the estimate is within reach, the next move is real quotes. Send us your pet's species, weight and location and we'll email back practitioners who take pets like yours, with their prices and current waits. Keep your pet frozen and wrapped while you compare.
If it isn't, you still have good choices. A single preserved paw, a paw cast you make yourself, or cremation with a keepsake all leave you with something to hold. The services page compares every option on cost and wait.
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.
How do you feel about waiting months for a preserved pet to come home?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Which pose feels most like your pet?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
What surprised you most about the cost of pet aftercare?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Questions people ask
Why is freeze-drying so expensive?
It's slow, skilled work that ties up expensive equipment for months. Each pet is thawed, groomed, posed by hand and then held in a vacuum chamber until all the moisture is gone, which can take most of a year for a big dog. That chamber time and labor is what the per-pound pricing reflects.
How long does freeze-drying a cat take?
Usually around six to eight months for an average-size cat, based on one studio's published turnaround[5], and sometimes longer if a studio has a long queue. Very small pets can be ready sooner, while the largest animals can take up to a year[4]. Ask each practitioner for their current wait, not just their standard estimate.
Is taxidermy cheaper than freeze-drying?
Not necessarily. Traditional taxidermy is priced by each artist, and published figures are scarce. For small pets it can be similar to freeze-drying; for complex poses or large dogs it can cost more because of the sculpting involved. Get written quotes for both methods if you're undecided.
How much does preserving just a paw cost?
Partial pieces cost a fraction of full-body work, because only a small part of your pet is preserved and the rest can be cremated. Prices are set per practitioner and rarely published; the estimator's typical range for a paw or tail is $150 to $600. Remember to add the cremation cost for the rest of your pet when you compare totals.
Does the estimate include shipping?
No. Shipping a frozen pet to a studio, usually overnight in a cooler with dry ice, and returning the finished piece are quoted separately by most practitioners. Add both to your budget, along with any display case you'd like.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] Freeze-drying a pet typically costs USD 1,000–2,000. Astute Analytica via GlobeNewswire — Global Pet Preservation Services Market to Hit USD 112.7 Million by 2032 (Apr 2, 2024), 2024.
- [2] One U.S. pet preservation studio charges USD 650 to freeze-dry a pet under 1 lb, with a 4–6 month turnaround. Animal Family Pet — Pet Preservation Pricing & Shipping, 2026.
- [3] The same studio charges USD 2,095 plus USD 49 per lb for 6–19 lb dogs and cats, and USD 2,781 plus USD 69 per lb for pets over 20 lb, with a 6–8 month turnaround. Animal Family Pet — Pet Preservation Pricing & Shipping, 2026.
- [4] Freeze-dry preservation takes 3–6 months for small pets, 7+ months for large dogs and up to a year for very large animals. Astute Analytica via GlobeNewswire — Global Pet Preservation Services Market to Hit USD 112.7 Million by 2032 (Apr 2, 2024), 2024.
- [5] An Ohio pet preservation studio charges $1,250 to freeze-dry a 1–2 lb pet and $2,095 for 2–6 lb, with 6–8 month turnaround. Animal Family Pet Preservation – Pricing, 2026.
- [6] Memorials.com puts traditional taxidermy at $800–$2,500 for a cat or small dog and $1,500–$5,000+ for a medium to large dog. Memorials.com – Pet Taxidermy Guide, 2025.
- [7] Taxidermy UK charges from £2,300 to preserve a standard domestic cat, excluding cremation fees. Taxidermy UK – Pets policy, 2026.
- [8] An Ohio pet preservation studio prices freeze-drying for pets over 20 lb at $2,781 plus $69 per pound, and 6–19 lb pets at $2,095 plus $49 per pound. Animal Family Pet Preservation – Pricing, 2026.
- [9] Freeze-drying a 10 lb cat at one published price list would cost about USD 2,290–2,590. Our estimate: Low: 2,095 + 49 x (10-6) lb; High: 2,095 + 49 x 10 lb. How we calculate.
- [10] The average pet cremation cost about USD 250 (Foresight Companies, 2020). The Foresight Companies — Industry Spotlight: The Pet Business (2020), 2020.
Get real preservation quotes for your pet
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.