Who we are, and why a site just for rats, hamsters and mice
About 6 million[1] US households keep small animals, yet almost nobody publishes aftercare advice sized for a pet under a pound. We're an independent guide that tries to fill that gap honestly.
- Independent guide, not a crematorium
- Sources named for every figure
- Estimates clearly labeled as ours
Plain answer first
An independent guide and request service, not a crematorium
Rodent Cremation Services is a guide and request service for people whose hamster, rat, mouse, gerbil or degu has died or is nearing the end. We explain the aftercare options, publish the prices and figures we can source, and, if you ask, reply by email with aftercare choices near you.
We don't own a crematorium, drive collection vans or employ vets. The cremation itself is always carried out by an independent provider you choose, and you pay them directly. If anyone on this site ever seems to suggest otherwise, that's a mistake and we'd like to hear about it.
The gap we saw
Why rodent owners needed their own aftercare guide
Most aftercare information is written for dogs and cats. It talks about 50 lb weight bands, large urns and home euthanasia visits. None of that helps at 7 a.m. when a child finds their hamster still in the nest, or when a rat keeper is facing a third loss this year.
Hamsters are far from rare. Among US small-animal households in the American Pet Products Association's 2025 survey, rabbits lead at 37%[2], but 18% keep a hamster. In UK vet records analysed for the VetCompass hamster study, most hamsters seen were Syrians, with a median age at death of 1.75 years[3]. Europe alone has about 24.7 million[4] pet small mammals. Yet crematoria almost never quote a price for a pet this size, and vets rarely explain the choices.
If you contact us
How a request works, step by step
- You fill in the short form: your pet's species, roughly where you live, and what you're considering.
- We look at the small-animal options in your area, such as crematoria that accept owner drop-off, communal and private choices, and any published prices.
- We reply by email with what we found and the questions worth asking each provider.
- You decide whether to contact anyone. There's no obligation, and you're welcome to choose home burial instead.
We can't promise a specific provider will have space or a particular price, because those change and belong to the provider. You can read more about what we can and can't help with on our contact page, browse our local pages, or start straight away with the form at the top of this page.
Where the numbers come from
How we research prices, lifespans and ash amounts
Every figure you see with a footnote comes from a named source: veterinary studies such as VetCompass, consumer research, regulator reports and published price lists. Our research page lists them. We prefer primary sources and say where a fact comes from, such as a UK finding, so it isn't stretched into a US claim.
Good rodent data is thin, and we'd rather say so than invent it. For example, one of the few regulator reports to look at vet websites, the Competition and Markets Authority's provisional decision, found that only 2%[5] of UK practice sites showing prices listed cremation prices at all. That's why so much of our advice is about which questions to ask, not about quoting a number that may not exist. Our questions to ask a provider grew out of that gap.
37%[2]
37% of US small-animal-owning households have a rabbit, 23% a guinea pig and 18% a hamster.
1.75 years[3]
UK pet hamsters had a median age at death of 1.75 years (range up to 3.65 years); 73% of hamsters seen were Syrian (golden) hamsters.
2%[5]
In a CMA targeted review of UK vet practice websites showing prices, only 2% listed cremation prices.
Our own math
What "our estimate" means on this site
Sometimes the useful number doesn't exist anywhere, like how many grams of ash a gerbil leaves. In those cases we calculate it from published inputs, show the working, and label the result our estimate. The ash table on our home page is a good example: typical adult weights multiplied by the standard 3-5% ash rule. Another: comparing published median lifespans, by our estimate an average UK cat lives about 6.7x[6] as long as a pet hamster (11.74 years against 1.75), which is why we write so much about repeated loss.
Estimates are a starting point for your conversation with a provider, not a promise. If a provider tells you something different about your own pet, trust the person who will actually handle them. Our tools use the same openly stated formulas.
When we update an estimate, for instance because a better weight range is published for gerbils or degus, we change the figure everywhere it appears and note the review date at the bottom of the page.
What we won't do
Our editorial standards, in plain words
- No fake reviews, star ratings, testimonials or invented customer stories.
- No claims to be the biggest, the first or the most recommended.
- No pushing private cremation when burial or communal cremation would serve you just as well.
- No jokes about rodents. People love these animals, and their grief deserves respect.
- No medical advice. For questions about your pet's health or euthanasia, talk to a vet who treats small mammals.
We review pages regularly and note the date at the bottom. If you spot something wrong or out of date, let us know. You can also see what other readers are choosing on our live poll results.
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.
Which little companion are you remembering or planning for?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
What would you expect to pay for private cremation of a medium-size dog?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
What was the hardest part of losing your pet?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Questions people ask
Are you a pet crematorium?
No. We're an independent guide and request service. We don't operate cremation equipment, collection vehicles or clinics. When you ask for options, we email you information about providers who may serve your area, and any booking is between you and them.
Who writes the information on this site?
Our editorial team researches and writes each page using named sources such as veterinary studies, regulator reports and published price lists. We don't publish author personas or credentials we can't back up. Where we do our own calculations, we label them clearly as our estimates.
Why don't you list exact cremation prices for hamsters?
Because very few providers publish one. Most price lists start at a band that covers pets up to around 30 lb, and a small-animal rate, if it exists, is often only given on request. We show the closest published figures and encourage you to ask for a written small-pet price.
Is this a school or classroom pet program?
No. We publish guidance that teachers and parents may find useful, including a classroom goodbye guide, but we aren't connected to any school, curriculum or education authority. Teachers should follow their own school's policies on animals and on talking with pupils about death.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] About 6 million US households keep small animals such as rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters. American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 National Pet Owners Survey release, 2025.
- [2] 37% of US small-animal-owning households have a rabbit, 23% a guinea pig and 18% a hamster. American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 National Pet Owners Survey release, 2025.
- [3] UK pet hamsters had a median age at death of 1.75 years (range up to 3.65 years); 73% of hamsters seen were Syrian (golden) hamsters. O'Neill DG et al. Demography, disorders and mortality of pet hamsters under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2016. J Small Anim Pract, 2022 (PMID 35732354), 2022.
- [4] Europe has about 24.7 million pet small mammals such as rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters. FEDIAF European Pet Food, Facts & Figures 2025 (2023 data), 2023.
- [5] In a CMA targeted review of UK vet practice websites showing prices, only 2% listed cremation prices. UK Competition and Markets Authority - Veterinary services for household pets, Provisional decision report Part A (Oct 2025), 2025.
- [6] An average UK cat lives about 6.7 times as long as an average pet hamster (11.74 vs 1.75 years). Our estimate: 11.74 / 1.75. How we calculate.
Ask us about aftercare 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.