Inkless Pet Paw Print Impression Keepsake Kit

Why we shortlisted it. Keepsake kits are an emotionally driven purchase and this one shows 50,000-plus orders at a 4.90 marketplace rating for around three dollars. It is one of the few items on our list bought for a reason other than utility.

What it is

A pad and card set that captures a paw print without ink touching the animal. The pad carries a clear reactive coating; pressing the paw onto it and then onto the treated card develops a dark print. Nothing visible transfers to the fur, which is the entire appeal over an ink pad. Clay impression kits are the other format in this category and produce a raised three-dimensional print instead.

What to check before you buy

• Inkless pad versus clay kit. They give completely different results. The pad gives a flat print on card; the clay gives a physical impression you can frame or hang. Listings sometimes blur the two.
• Number of cards. Most animals do not cooperate first time. A kit with a single card is a single attempt.
• Non-toxic declaration. The coating should be explicitly stated as non-toxic. Animals will lick the paw afterwards.
• Paw size. Check the card and pad dimensions against a large dog’s paw before ordering.

Where to buy one in Brandon today

PetSmart on 18th Street and Pet Valu at Keystone Village both carry keepsake and memorial products. Michaels at Corral Centre has clay impression kits, frames and shadow boxes if you would rather assemble something yourself. For a finished memorial piece, the downtown gift shops – I Want That Stuff, Ten Thousand Villages, and the AGSM Gift Shop – are worth a browse.

Doing it without upsetting the animal

Most of the difficulty here is the animal, not the kit. Work when they are sleepy rather than excited, have someone else hold and talk to them, and press the paw briefly rather than trying to hold position. If the animal is elderly or unwell and this is a memorial, veterinary clinics in Brandon will often take an impression for you at the time – worth asking, because doing it yourself at that moment is hard.