cast paw print animal print wild print cast print paw print paw print paw print paw prints cast impression make your own paw

A brass Pet-Paw made from Simon's paw print.

print clay paw print make a paw pet memorial pet paw print cast paw print clay paw print cast prints kit pet memorial pet

An aluminum Pet-Paw made from Zuzu's paw print.

 memorial pet memorial paw print paw print cast print

How do we make our Pet-Paws?

We start with a playdough impression of your pet's paw print. Click on the "impression process" page to learn more about how to obtain a good paw print impression. Once we receive your pet's impression we pour a special wax into it and let it harden. The wax will become the "pattern" for the metal Pet-Paw. After hardening, the wax is removed from the impression and the edges are trimmed around the outline of the paw print and carved smooth. If the order includes an inscription, it is hand carved into the back of the wax paw print. A mold is then made around the wax paw pattern using greensand. Molten metal is then poured into the sand mold and allowed to cool. The metal paw is removed from the mold. Excess metal is cut away and the paw is polished and finished.

Metal types

Our paws are cast in 4 different types of metal: brass, copper, bronze, or aluminum. Brass is a mixture of copper and zinc. It has a bright golden yellow color. Copper has a firey red glow. Bronze is a mixture of copper and tin. It is harder than brass. Bronze is commonly used to cast large outdoor statues and has a natural "antiquey" look to it. Our bronze varies slightly in color. It is predominantly brown with subtel hues of red or yellow. Aluminum is much lighter than the other 3 metals. It polishes into a bright silvery color. It is a good metal to use for making large Pet-Paws or if you want your Pet-Paw to be light in weight.

Cat Pet-Paws cast in 4 different metals
left to right: brass, copper, bronze, and aluminum.

Styles

Our Pet-Paws are created in 2 different styles: relief and imprint.

The relief style is the most popular. The paw pads are raised and the Pet-Paw looks just like the bottom of your pet's paw. It looks 3-D. You could consider it an "outy!" You can hold it in your hand and touch the pads as if you were really holding your pet's paw. After all, it is an exact life size replica!

The imprint style looks just like your pet's paw track that you would find on the ground. The paw pads are sunken into the metal (recessed) as if your pet walked across the metal when it was soft and left behind a paw print. Consider it an "inny!" Both styles are shown in the photos below. These two Pet-Paws were made from the same single paw impression taken from our dog, Sarah. Rest in peace girl, we miss you.

Relief style. "outy" Paw pads are raised.	Imprint style. "inny" Paw pads are recessed.

Pet-Paw inscriptions

We include a free personal inscription on the back of every Pet-Paw. If it can fit on the back of the Pet-Paw, we can inscribe it!

"Meow Ying" inscription on a small brass Pet-Paw.

"Flash" inscription on a medium brass Pet-Paw.

Sizes

Pet-Paws are catgorized into 3 general sizes: small, medium, and large.

Small Pet-Paws are made from small animals such as cats and toy breed dogs. Small Pet-Paw size measurements range from approximately 1-2 inches in length.

Medium Pet-Paws are made from mid-sized animals such as medium and large size dogs. Size range falls between 2 and 4 inches.

Large Pet-Paws are made from large animals such as horses. Paw or hoof size is over 4 inches in length.

The following is a list of animals for each Pet-Paw size. If you are unsure as to what size your pet's paw falls under, just ask us and we'll tell you.

Comparative paw sizes

Cat Small

Pigeon Small

Dog Medium

Chicken Medium

Cow Large

Pet-Paw weights

Pet-Paws are heavy duty and solid. Here are some average weight ranges for the 4 types of metals. Aluminum is lighter. It is about half the weight of the other 3 metals. A medium sized Pet-Paw in brass, copper, or bronze can weigh over 1 pound.

Order you Pet-Paw here!