Ginger the Cat shares her tips for choosing a safe, comfortable Halloween costume for your fuzzy feline.
Ginger Grrrl here.
So, you want to try a costume on your cat?
Silly people, you’ve been suckering us into dressing up ever since you learned to bribe us with food. In the 1400’s, King Charles VIII of France had robes made for his dog and pet marmot. In the 1800’s, England’s Queen Victoria dressed her dog in a jacket and trousers.[1]
Thinking about dressing up your cat?
Before choosing a costume, make sure it is comfortable, safe, properly fitted, and free of loose pieces your cat could chew or swallow. Never force a cat to wear a costume, and always supervise her while she’s dressed up.
I’z cute and comfy, too.
Today, thanks to social media, you humans are more determined than ever to dress us up. However, if you use costumes irresponsibly, you will have one angry cat on your hands. The key is to respect your pet and work with her.
Should you force your cat to wear a costume? No, dear human! Don’t be mean! That said, there are ways to help your cat not mind wearing a costume.
Here are some recommendations from me, Ginger the Cat.
How Do I Choose a Halloween Costume for my Cat?
When choosing a Halloween costume, here are my suggestions:
- Make sure the costume is made ofpet-safe materials.
- Never use paint or cosmetics.
- Avoid masks or shoes.
- For God’s sake, avoid dangling accessories that we could choke on.[3]
- Be wary of headpieces, especially if they are plastic or heavy. I tolerated the light, fabric Wonder Woman crown here for 60 seconds, then it was off for good.
Me wearing my Wonder Woman crown (for 60 seconds).
How Should I Introduce a Costume to My Cat?
We cats need to check out the new costume. Don’t just slap it on us. Present it to your cat. Let us paw it, bite it, push it away, whatever we want. The important thing is that your cat is familiar with it, feels respected, and has a sense of control.
How Can I Get My Cat Used to a Costume?
Watch Uli try a comfortable lion Halloween costume.
As with new bedding and scratching posts, we cats need time to adjust to the odor of a costume. Our sense of smell is highly sensitive, and those polyester costumes reek.
Have a new costume? Stick it next to the cat when he’s sleeping. Then just leave it on his bed for a few days. Eventually, your cat may curl up and sleep on it. Pretty soon, the costume will smell just like us.
How Do I Make Sure that the Costume Is Comfortable?
Of course, we cats are more likely to wear costumes that are comfortable. I don’t mind wearing light, soft capes, but I will not tolerate a heavy costume or a plastic head piece. I was shocked that Uli didn’t mind his lion’s mane costume (see above), but he said the mane was soft and light. Once he spent a week sitting on it and became used to its odor, he barely knew it was there!
Which Halloween cat costume do you like best?
How Long Can a Cat Wear a Costume?
Keep our costume sessions short!
Good gracious, always have have the camera and background ready to go, and get it over with! Don’t make your cat suffer through a long photoshoot.
Some cats don’t mind wearing costumes for longer than a few minutes. However, even if your cat appears relaxed, always stay with her when she’s in a costume and keep an eye on her body language for signs of discomfort.
What are signs that my cat is uncomfortable?
Your job as a cat guardian is to keep us cats feeling safe and respected.
Cats are showing you physical or emotional distress if they:
-
- freeze or show tense posturing crouched low to the ground
- keep their tail tucked low to the ground
- have wide, dilated pupils[4]
- flatten their ears
- try to escape
- try to hide
- otherwise struggle [2, 3]
If your cat shows any of these signs of distress, the costume comes off! Your cat is not comfortable.
What If My Cat Hates Wearing a Costume?
If your cat does not like wearing a costume, perhaps he’ll tolerate a cute, Halloween-themed collar or tie instead.[3]
IF ALL ELSE FAILS…
Respect your cat’s wishes.
If your cat still balks at any costume or collar, wait a year or two. Kwazi and Uli wanted no part of wearing costumes when they were young cats. Now that my stepbrothers are over older, costumes don’t seem to bother them.
By Ginger Grrrl with a little help from Mewla Young Sept2026
Thank you for visiting MewlaYoung.com.
See these REFERENCES for more suggestions:
- Coats, Collars, and Capes: Royal Fashions for Animals in the Early Modern Period,” in Medieval Clothing and Textiles, Vol. 12, (2016), pp. 61-94. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781782047698.005
- https://www.thedrakecenter.com/services/cats/blog/national-dress-your-pet-day
- https://www.animalhumanesociety.org/resource/seven-tips-safe-pet-costumes
- https://www.chewy.com/education/cat/health-and-wellness/is-your-cat-stressed
Agree, cat parents have to be mindful to respect cats and go at the cats pace.
Cats are independent and don’t like any one directing their lives when it comes to costumes. I am glad Ginger took the time to remind cat parents to be mindful of their cat’s sensitive nature and preferences when it comes to dressing them up. We all love adorable cats in cute costumes but not at the expense of their emotional and physical wellbeing.
Very nice article. That lion costume is the cutest thing in the world!