Cats have been in art for about as long as there has been art. The ancient Egyptians painted and sculpted them. Japanese printmakers filled whole sheets with them. The internet, when it arrived, turned out to be mostly made of them. If you love cats, you are in very old and very large company.
The problem with cat decor is that so much of it is twee: cartoon paw prints, puns, pastel kittens in teacups. It doesn't have to be. Here is how to put cats on your walls, or give them as a gift, with a bit of style.
Why cats work so well in art
- The shape. A sitting cat is a clean, graphic silhouette: two points for ears, a curve for the back. It reads at any size.
- The eyes. Large, forward-facing and reflective. A cat looking out of a picture holds your attention.
- The attitude. Cats look as if they are thinking something and choosing not to share it. That gives a picture personality without a story.
- The range. A cat can be elegant, funny, mysterious or menacing. The same animal suits a calm bedroom and a neon gaming room, depending on how it is drawn.
Four moods, four cats
The funny one: Laser Cat
Laser Cat is a fluffy black-and-white cat staring straight at you, with two beams of light firing from its eyes, against a soft mint-green background. It knows it is ridiculous. This is the piece for someone who sends you cat videos. Humour in art works best when the picture is well made and plays it straight, and it suits a games room, a home office or a hallway where it will make visitors smile. It comes as a canvas, a framed poster and a pin.
The playful one: Lofi Cat Meow
Lofi Cat Meow is a pink cartoon cat in sunglasses, with the word MEOW underneath, on a background that fades from teal to hot pink. It is bright, bold and cheerful, with the colours of a vaporwave poster. It suits a desk, a teenager's room or anywhere that needs a jolt of colour. Available as a poster, a desk mat and a keychain.
The dapper one: Grey Tabby
The Grey Tabby is a tabby cat dressed in a wide-brimmed hat and a coat, drawn in a single shade of denim blue. It has the look of an old portrait photograph, which is the joke. It is the most stylish of the four, and the quiet colour makes it easy to place. It comes as a canvas, a framed poster, a desk mat, a keychain and a pin. There is also a Grey Tabby in a Sunhat poster.
The moody one: Spooky Cat in Tree
Spooky Cat in Tree is a black cat sitting on a branch, in a forest lit in deep amber and orange. It is seasonal in October and an atmospheric autumn scene for the rest of the year. It is the most grown-up cat piece we make, and the one most likely to suit a room that isn't otherwise cat-themed. See Halloween wall art that still works in November for more on that idea.
How to hang cat art without it taking over
The difference between a home with a cat picture and a cat-themed home is restraint.
- One piece per room. A single cat canvas is charming. Six cat things in one room is a theme.
- Treat it as art. Hang it at the right height, in a proper frame or on canvas, with space around it, the way you would any other picture.
- Match the mood of the room. The funny piece in the room where you entertain, the quiet one where you rest.
- Mix it in. A cat piece looks sophisticated in a gallery wall next to landscapes and abstracts. Our guide to building a gallery wall shows how.
- Use colour to tie it in. Pick up one colour from the artwork in a cushion or a throw.
Where it works
- The home office. A cat watching you work is company, and a desk mat is where a real cat will sit anyway.
- The hallway. A funny piece is a good greeting.
- The reading corner. Cats and quiet go together.
- The spot above the cat's favourite chair. If you like a joke.
One practical point for cat owners: cats climb, scratch and knock things off shelves. Hang art securely and out of jumping range of a favourite perch. A canvas has no glass to break, which makes it the safest format in a home with an athletic cat. A tapestry that hangs within reach may be treated as a climbing wall.
Cat gifts by budget
Prices are approximate, at the time of writing.
- Under $10: a cat pin.
- About $15: a cat keychain. A good small gift for a new cat owner, or a colleague with cat photos on their desk.
- $20 to $40: a cat desk mat or a poster.
- $45 and up: a canvas or a framed poster.
Choosing for someone else
- They are funny. Laser Cat.
- They love colour, or they are young. Lofi Cat Meow.
- They have a tabby, or a dry sense of humour. The Grey Tabby.
- Their home is stylish and you don't want to disturb it. Spooky Cat in Tree, or a keychain.
- They have recently lost a cat. Be gentle. A small, quiet piece with a kind note can mean a great deal, but only if you know them well enough to judge.
Beyond cats
If your household leans toward other animals, there is plenty more: foxes, owls, crows, wolves, lions and a cosmic deer. We wrote about what the fox has meant through history in fox symbolism in art, and about the wider group in celestial animals as wall art.
Every piece is made to order, so allow 2 to 7 business days for production before it ships. Browse the canvas, poster and desk mat collections to find your cat.