How to Look Like a Cat

Co-authored by Joseph Harwood

Last Updated: January 8, 2023 References

Looking like a cat is fun to do and easy to achieve. You can quickly make yourself look like a cat by applying makeup, wearing a costume, and behaving like a cat.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Applying Makeup

1
Apply cat eye eyeliner. Use black eyeliner to create a cat eye look on your eyelids. Line your eyelid with the eyeliner, and then add a small curved line extending beyond the outside corner of your eye.^{[1]
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- Draw a line on your eyelid starting from the inner corner of your eye and extending to the outer corner.
- Create a wing by drawing a small, slightly curved line extending out from the outer corner of your eye.
- Draw a line to connect the tip of the wing to the line on your eyelid.
- Color in the space between the two lines
2
Create a cat nose. Use the black eyeliner to draw a triangle on the tip of your nose. One corner of the triangle should be pointing down and the other two should point to the sides. Color in the triangle. Add whiskers by drawing straight lines on your cheeks starting at the edge of your nose and extending out onto your cheek.
- Draw 3 to 5 whiskers on each side of your nose.
- A face paint pencil can also be used in place of eye liner.
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3
Apply nude lipstick. You should have all the focus on your eyes and nose, so it’s important not to wear a colored lipstick. Wear a nude lipstick that blends with your lips to make people look at your cat eyes and nose.
4
Add other cat coloring with facepaint. If you'd like to take your cat look a step further, you can add coloring to give your whole face a cat-like look. Shade oranges, blacks, and browns around your eyes and mouth to give a contoured look.
- Color in a V shape on your forehead to give your eyes depth.
- Shade your upper lip and bridge of the nose white to make your cat nose more prominent on your face.
- For an especially convincing cat look, draw a line from your nose that goes straight down and cleft it in two directions, leaving your lower lip to just do whatever you want with.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Wearing a Costume

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Accessorize with cat ears. To look like a cat, you need to wear cat ears. You can get cat ear headbands or hair clips online or from costume stores, or you can make your own cat ears.^{[2]
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- Gather a black headband, black foam, a hot glue gun, a pen, and scissors together
- Draw two diamonds on the foam. Make the diamonds 2 inches wide and 4 1/2 inches tall.
- Cut the two shapes out of the foam.
- Glue the center of the diamond shapes on the underside of the headband. They should be spaced a bit apart and glued where you want the ears to be. The short edge of the diamond will be attached to the headband with the long edges sticking out.
- Fold the long sections of the diamond up and glue the front to the back triangular piece on each ear.
2
Wear a tail. Make a cat tail to wear as part of your costume. Attach it with safety pins to be able to wear it with any outfit.^{[3]
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- Get fleece material in the length you want your tail and about four inches wide.
- Fold the material in half lengthwise with the right sides together and cut a rounded tip to the end of the tail.
- Glue or sew the edges together leaving the top edge open.
- Turn the fabric so the right sides are out.
- Stuff the tail with stuffing. You can use filler, newspaper, or other fabric for the stuffing.
- Glue or sew the top together and attach it to your shirt with safety pins.
3
Make cat claws. Another way to look like a cat is to wear cat claws. There are several different ways you can make it look like you have a cat’s claws.
- Sew fabric claws onto gloves, and wear the gloves.
- Put fake nails on your nails, and file them into claws.
- Wear finger cuffs with claws on them.
4
Dress in a cat outfit. Depending on the type of cat you are trying to look like, you can choose from a variety of outfits to get a cat-like look.
- A tight fitting, black body suit and knee high black boots will help you look like catwoman.
- Wearing leopard or cheetah prints with leather moccasins will give an animalistic look and add to the cat-like ambiance of the rest of your costume.
- Wear neutral tone colors with fur trim and fur lined boots to provide a general cat-like look

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Behaving Like a Cat

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Meow, purr, and hiss. You can look like a cat by sounding like a cat. By understanding why cats make certain noises, you can start to sound like a cat.^{[4]
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Trustworthy Source
The Humane Society of the United States
National organization devoted to the promotion of animal welfare
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- Cats meow when they are greeting someone, commanding something, objecting to something, or announcing something.
- When a cat purrs, it means that they are happy and content.
- A cat will hiss when it is annoyed, frightened, angry, or aggressive.
2
Arch your back. Cats arch their backs many times throughout the day for a variety of different reasons. Walk with your shoulders held high and a slight bend in your upper back to create this effect. Use your arms to mimic the front legs of a cat and hold your elbows close to your body brining your hands to your face as if you were a cat grooming herself.^{[5]
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- Get down on all fours and scoop in your abdomen to raise your back up.
- Cats arch when they are stretching after a long nap.
- Cats also arch when they are frightened. This is sometimes combined with a hiss.
3
Rub up against things. Cats rub against things to mark their territories. When they rub against things it leave their scent marks on the item. Gently rub your cheek and neck against furniture or your friend to act like a cat showing what’s theirs.^{[6]
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Knead with your hands. When cats find a soft place to lay down, they repetitively push down with their paws making it look like they’re kneading bread. Find a blanket to use, and with your hands in a fist gently do a kneading motion on the blanket before laying down.^{[7]
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Play with cat toys. Cats are very playful animals. Two ways they like to play are batting at feathers or toys and pouncing on small rodent looking toys. Mimic this playful behavior with stuffed animals or balls in your house.^{[8]
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6
Adopt a cat's attitude. Cats are often seen as standoffish and independent. Embrace your inner feline by carrying yourself with an air of indifference. Flip your hair in arrogance as you walk away from people. Keep up the attitude by standing by yourself or eating alone in a corner.
- Affectionately rub against people you like.
- Hiss and swat your hands towards people that are not respecting your costume.

Community Q&A

Question

Can I get a pink felt marker and draw on the feet pads?

Community Answer

You can if it is a non-toxic marker that is safe to use on the skin. Check the label for warnings and directions.
Question

If I don't have eye liner can I use a pen or pencil?

Community Answer

Don't use a regular pencil or pen on your face. You can use a face paint pencil or crayon if you don't have eye liner.
Question

What make up should I use?

Community Answer

You can use winged eyeliner and mascara, and glittery white/gray blended eyeshadow. You can also use facial glitter. Use blush and lip liner for the nose.