Dressing Up Your Cat: Dos And Dont’s

From trending videos to Instagram posts, the urge to dress up your cat can be tempting. Cute outfits, themed Halloween costumes, and fun clothes are easier than ever to buy, making it that much harder to fight the urge. But should you dress up your cat?

While we believe that every cat owner needs to make the best decision for their cats, we’ll share our opinions on dressing up cats, dos and don’ts, and everything else you need to know about dressing up cats.

Is it OK to Dress Up a Cat?

Generally speaking yes, it is OK to dress up a cat. However, don’t rush to put a cowboy hat or tutu on your cat — there are things you should know before you try and put clothes on your cat.

While cats can wear clothes (some cats even enjoy them), many cats prefer to walk around with just their fur coat on. If you’re trying to force clothes on a cat, you could make your cat mad at the very least. Even worse, clothes could restrict your cat’s natural movements, and your cat could get hurt struggling to get the clothes off or trying to maneuver with restrictive clothes.

If you think that your cat would be comfortable with clothes, consider the dos and don’ts of dressing up cats to avoid disaster.

What to Do When Dressing Up Your Cat

Before putting clothes on your cat, consider the following tips to make the process go smoothly.

Buy clothes designed for cats

Never try to put clothes designed for dogs, people, or other pets on cats. Not only will the fit be completely off, but loose or tight fitting clothes could make your cat incredibly uncomfortable. Be sure to purchase clothing designed specifically for cats.

Start small

While you might be tempted to put a full pirate costume on your cat, start small and see if your cat enjoys wearing a bandana. Avoid putting anything on your cat that will cover its paws — while Kitten Mittens seem cute, your cat will have no traction and will feel uncomfortable walking around. 

Pay attention to your cat’s reactions

Your cat will tell you everything you need to know about whether it’s happy wearing clothes or not. Our cat, Azula, enjoys it when we put a bandana on her, making a point to strut around with her tail straight up in the air. However, after some time, it becomes pretty clear that she’s done wearing the bandana. While it’s usually loose enough for her to slip out, we take the bandana off her if she’s feeling uncomfortable. 

Ease into cat clothes

Cat bandanas are one thing, but full cat clothes and costumes are another. The more you add to your cat, the more likely they are to feel restricted or uncomfortable. On the other hand, some cats enjoy wearing clothes, whether it be for warmth or comfort. Regardless, don’t try to jump into a full cat costume early on.

See what works

Does your cat enjoy wearing a hat but hates anything around its neck? Then stick with that! Your cat should dictate what clothes it wears (if any), so stick with what you know works with your cat.

What Not to Do When Dressing Up Your Cat

Again, before trying to put clothes on your cat, make sure you don’t do any of the following.

Force clothes on your cat

Never force clothes on your cat. Not only could this cause a setback in your cat’s trust in you, but you could hurt your cat trying to force clothes on it while it struggles. If your cat isn’t interested in clothes, don’t force it! It’s that easy. 

Buy clothes that don’t fit loosely

Anything you put on your cat should fit loosely. For example, you should be able to easily slip two fingers under your cat’s collar to make sure it isn’t too tight. The same goes with cat clothes. Never put clothes on your cat if it isn’t loose enough for your cat to move, but don’t buy long, loose clothes that your cat might trip over.

Dress your cat then walk away

Never put clothes on your cat then leave! Your cat depends on you to get clothes on and off, and they could get into trouble if they can’t freely move in their clothes. Monitor your cat the entire time they wear clothes, even if they are having fun.

Ignore your cat

If your cat hates wearing clothes, take the clothes off your cat! Don’t ignore your cat and their needs just because you want to take a cute picture or match for Halloween. It isn’t worth it.

Should You Dress Up Your Cat?

After exploring the dos and don’ts of dressing up your cat, you’ve probably decided whether you should dress up your cat or not. Our opinion is that yes, you can dress up your cat, but specifically for short periods of time and only under supervision. Some cats, including Azula, like some clothes some of the time. If your cat resists wearing clothes, then you should stop trying to dress up your cat.