Halloween is fast approaching and you are saddled with the responsibility of choosing the right costume for you and your cat this year. It is expensive, not to mention, uncomfortable to rent and wear scratchy Halloween costumes. Your cat probably feels the same way. DIY cat Halloween costume is the way to go.
Have you decided on the type of Halloween character you want your cat to emulate? We will help guide you on how to make the best costume for your cat. Comfortable, affordable, and pleasing to the eye are our objectives. Whether you’re a DIY expert or a newbie, you will find plenty of fascinating and refreshing Halloween cat costume ideas here.
In this article, we itemize the factors to be considered when choosing the right costume for your cat. We also list the supplies you will need and take you step by step through the process of making different types of Halloween costume for your cat.
Finally, we highlight some tips to take into consideration when coming up with your own DIY Halloween cat costume ideas. We hope you will keep referring to this article for many Halloweens to come.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Which Costume to Make for Your Cat
Cats are not as crazy about pleasing their human parents as dogs are. As such, you must consider some factors such as texture, color, and size to maximize the costume’s wearability for your cat and reduce the likeliness of a resistance.
#1: Ensure Comfort
Cats are not humans. We are created with the type of skin that does well being covered, but a cat has a covering already: fur.
If your cat is of a hairless breed like the Sphynx, Ukrainian Levkoy, or Donskoy, then a full getup may be appreciated by your cat. However, costumes on a long-haired cat is like wearing two layers of clothing on a hot day which is very uncomfortable.
Taking that into consideration, any Halloween costume you choose for your cat should be simple and minimalist.
A cat who is used to wearing a harness or a leash will be more tolerant to wearing costumes than one who has never had anything on her body. Nevertheless, make sure you find a comfortable, nonabrasive Halloween getup for your cat. Any costume must be comfy and non-irritating to your kitty.
#2: Budget Friendly
You don’t have to break the bank to win an Oscar with your cat’s costume. Try a getup that has a similar color to your cat’s fur. For example, a ginger cat can be a pumpkin for Halloween. Little effort, greater impact.
Small accessories usually cost less, so try to go with as few embellishments as possible. This also makes it safer for your cat. We don’t recommend adding small bells and whistles to your cat’s costume because they present a choking hazard.
#3: Be Creative
Let your creative juices flow; your cat can be any character for Halloween. Pick any character that catches your fancy—from funny, scary, to one that reflects your cat’s personality.
Preferably go for an outfit that focuses on the front view, for example, a costume that makes your cat look like a human from the front excluding her back legs. It is more comfortable for your cats and looks more relatable.
How to Make Popular Cat Halloween Costumes
There are many popular Halloween characters your cat can mimic. Some of these characters are scary, funny, wacky, weird, food-inspired, or even badass. The costumes below are quite simple to make, but they certainly leave a lasting impression:
#1: Bat Costume
This costume can either be bat wings only or the full bat costume with the head. If you want to be minimalist, you can stick with the wings only. You will need a few materials including needle, scissors, chalk, Velcro, some felt, and a measuring tape.
Here’s how you make it:
- Measure the dimensions and spacing between the arms (generally 14 inches in width, 9 inches in length, 5 inches between the arm, and 0.4-inch from neck to arm)
- Cut out the circles and the wings
- Sew on the Velcro which makes it easy to put the costume on your kitty
- Sew on the wings and voila!
#2: Witch Costume
This is a Halloween costume that is simple, easy to make, and usually black in color. You can tie the costume to your cat. The supplies you will need include black elastic fabric, two safety pins, different colors of tulle, paper, pen, pins, scissors, black felt, and a hot glue gun.
Here’s how you make it:
- For the skirt, the elastic fabric should be measured to fit your cat’s body and then connected with one of the safety pins
- Cut out a flat cone shape and a circle out of the paper for the witch hat. They should be the size of your cat’s head
- Pin on the black felt and cut out. Create the cone by gluing the parts together
- Attach the elastic band to the bottom of the hat so that you can put it on your cat
#3: Shark Costume
You can make a simple shark fin, and place it right on your kitty’s back. What you will need are fabric glue, felt (grey-colored), cardboard, needle and thread, pins, elastic, and paper.
Here’s how you make it:
- Draw the fin on the paper
- Cut out and pin in two pieces of felt
- Sew the edges and leave the bottom open
- Stuff in a cardboard piece before sewing shut
- Glue your fin on a rectangular foundation made of felt to serve as braces
- Make four holes at each corner of your rectangle brace
- Loop your elastic through the holes and knot tightly
No-Sew Cat Halloween Costumes
Sewing can be a put-off to DIY newbies. If you’re bad at sewing, you can try these costumes instead. The costumes below are made from creatively putting together repurposed knick-knacks.
#1: Daddy Long Legs
Inspired by the internet cat called Sam Has Eyebrows. You will need a pair of old skinny jeans, tights or leggings, and a pair of cute boots.
Here’s how you make it:
- Put the leggings on your cat. Cover all of his rear legs and leave the rest of the leggings dangling
- Add some boots at the end
- Take a picture because you know your cat can’t walk in it
#2: Bread Costume
You will need scissors, white felt, a piece of brown cardboard, and glue. The cardboard will serve as a stiff center support.
Here’s how you make it:
- Glue the white felt on both sides of the brown cardboard
- Cut out the bread shape and a space right in the middle for your cat’s face to stick through
#3: Spider Web Costume
If you don’t have any spider web decoration, you can buy it at any local store. Other supplies include two safety pins and a pair of scissors.
Here’s how you make it:
- Use scissors to cut out the middle
- Attach the black elastic band around it using the safety pin
#4: Open-Mouthed Shark Costume
This is a shark costume that has your cat‘s head in between its jaws. If you want something more dramatic than the shark fin, then this will be ideal.
Here’s how you make it:
- Search out a soft hat that is grey-colored or knit one.
- Sew on the shark’s eyes by using buttons
- Stitch on the fins made up of grey felt at the back
- Finish off with the menacing white pointy teeth using felt as well
#5: Flower Costume
Not your conventional Halloween costume but there are no strict rules for the season. You will need two colorful felt material, scissors, cardboard, and glue.
Here’s how you make it:
- Glue your felt onto the cardboard for support
- Cut out the shapes of sunflowers on the two felt materials at different sizes
- Glue your two sunflowers together
- Create an opening in the middle for your cat’s face
#6: Bandit Costume
Appropriate for a no-nonsense feline that you can dress up as a bandit or a robber. This is the easiest do-it-yourself Halloween costume for your cat. All you need is a bandana that you tie around your cat’s neck, and he/she will already look dangerous.
You can also put a hat on him to complete the look, but make sure it’s a mini hat so it wouldn’t slide down and cover your cat’s eyes.
- See Also: How Do Cats See
#7: Three Blind Mice
This works great if you have more than one cat. Three will be the perfect number. Adorn your feline trio with glasses made from black construction paper covered with film negatives cut out in the shape of sunglasses.
Paper and strings will create the perfect rounded ear headband that will finish of the look. The only thing missing may be the carving knives, and you do well to keep them away from that.
Tips for Coming Up with Your Own Unique DIY Cat Halloween Costume
Of course, the list we provided for you above was far from exhaustive. The sky is the limit when it comes to creativity, and the same can be said for the DIY cat Halloween costumes that you can create. When allowing the creative juices to flow, however, be sure to exercise caution:
- Cats use all their senses to exist. Be careful so that none of the Halloween costumes you make hinders their senses. For example, make sure hats don’t cover your cat’s eyes. Also, a cat’s tail is sensitive, so make sure the costume won’t be pulling on anything and making your cat feel uncomfortable.
- Don’t over-embellish the costumes or adorn them with ornaments that have small parts that your cat could accidentally swallow. You don’t want to cause intestinal obstructions which could make your cat ill.
- Use PetPaint if you intend to paint your cat to mirror a character. It is a non-toxic paint that can be washed off with soap and water.
Wrap Up
No, your cat may not like the idea of dressing up for Halloween as much as you do. Yes, your cat may look like she is planning your demise. Still, for that special occasion, you can make your kitty look good in any of the listed DIY Halloween costumes mentioned above.
Before the big night, have many dress rehearsals with the choice costume and see your cat’s reactions to it, before concluding on the right Halloween costume. Reward your cat with a treat after each successful dress up session. That way, she will get more receptive to the experience, and you can be less worried about a no-show on Halloween night.
If you cat is freaking out from having to wear a costume regardless of her sweet patience during dress rehearsals, please take the costume off. You may need to get her used to the idea of wearing a costume slowly. There’s always next year’s Halloween to look forward to, so it’s not worth stressing your cat out this year.
Take care to keep your cat on a leash or a harness if you are going outside for trick and treat. Your cat may try to escape from all the noises and festivities. Keep your cat by your side as much as you can or leave her indoors where you can be sure of her safety.
- See Also: How to Teach a Cat to Walk On a Leash
DIY allows you to put your own spin on a classic creation. Don’t forget that any character can be used as Halloween costume inspiration. Enjoy letting your creativity loose and bonding with your cat.
There are many other beautiful Halloween costumes for your cat that we may have omitted in this article. Feel free to comment below. We would like to hear your feedback and suggestions. If you enjoyed making a Halloween costume for your cat and would like to try your hand at other DIY projects, our article on DIY cat bed should be perfect for you.
