Getting A Tattoo of Your Cat: Everything You Need To Know

Welcome to the Wednesday Cats of Catster! Every week, we share a story from one of our cat-loving Catsters. This week is about Isabel and her sassy rescue, Milly.

Getting a tattoo should never be an impulsive decision. Getting a portrait tattoo is even more so a decision that should be thought through long and hard. Why? Because if the face on your skin doesn’t end up looking like the face on the reference photo, you just end up having a random face on your skin… Forever.

It’s no secret that tattoos are permanent (yet so many people make the same impulsive mistake) and the tattoo removal process is a lot more painful and complicated than getting the actual tattoo, which is already a pretty hefty endurance.

I decided to get a portrait tattoo of Milly because she is my soul animal. The bond between Milly and me is something that I haven’t experienced before. I’ve formed many beautiful bonds with cats and other animals in the past. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and growing up with around 17 cats, 9 dogs, and around 20 bunnies (not all at once), but what Milly and I have is magical.

I think it’s because it was the first time it was my decision alone to be an animal’s guardian, with no parental guidance. As some of you may recall, our paths crossed while I was a student. She was born in the back of my favorite bar, Die Mystic Boer (The mystic farmer). You can read that whole story here.

Also just having her around as a kitten while being a student was a blast. She lifted every gloomy cloud and comforted me while I was away from home and navigating becoming an adult. Being her caretaker, protector, and companion helped me in many ways. I will cherish those memories forever.

I can go on and on about how much I love Milly but that’s not why we’re here today. Let’s get back to the tatts.

The design

The first step is to research and visualize your design. Are you going for a realistic or artistic portrait? Or maybe you just want something more abstract like their paws or an animated outline of a unique feature or their fur pattern. Whatever it is you’re going for, make sure to get lots of inspiration and ideas that you like for the tattoo artist to create your design.

I wanted to get a semi-realistic portrait of Milly that reflected her personality and aura. She’s graceful yet quirky, wise but lazy, and a phenomenal hunter of flies and small defenseless animals. She is soft yet fierce, adorable yet sassy, and just downright mystical. She comes from the streets, so you definitely don’t want to mess with her, but she is also fully aware of how exquisite she is. Oh, and she doesn’t care about your problems.

My inspiration came from an AI-generated image we used for a cat star signs video on YouTube. Although Milly is technically a Purries (Aries), it was the Scorpurrio (Scorpio) image that caught my eye. I was mesmerized. The moment it jumped out on my screen I thought, “It’s giving Milly”. And the idea for the tattoo was planted!

The reference photo

The reference photo is very important. It has to encapsulate your cat perfectly. It truly needs to be the picture that speaks a thousand words.

I went through multiple photos every day trying to look for the right photo of Milly that would capture the right vibe. After careful consideration, I found it. It was a gorgeous photo that Milly’s dad took of her. It was perfect.

The size

Next up, pick your size. I can’t really help with anything here. This is 100% up to you. But remember, the smaller the tattoo, the less detail will be able to fit in. Tattoo lines have a natural tendency to thicken slightly over time so tattoo artists (good ones, anyway) will recommend the right detail-to-size ratio for your design.

Mine is 12.5 cm or just below 5 inches from top to bottom and 9cm or about 3.5 inches across.

The placement

Once you have your size you can start thinking about placement. This is low-key one of the most important steps. A bad placement can ruin a good tattoo. Also, there are other factors to consider: does your work allow visible tattoos, are you planning on getting pregnant soon (if yes, avoid tattoos on your stomach or back where the skin is prone to stretching, etc.).

Since it’s a tattoo of your beloved cat, I would imagine that you’d want it in a spot where you can see it and admire it frequently. You didn’t spend all that time, money, and pain management to not see it, right?! However, something else to consider here is the tattoo pain chart. Some types of skin and parts of the body are more sensitive and therefore more painful to get tattooed.

I got mine on the top outer part of my right arm, just below my shoulder. It took about 3 and a half hours to complete and the pain was (for me) like a 5.7/10 overall. Of course, some parts were more painful than others like the little umbrella that is over the beginning of my shoulder bone (very painful) and the shading of the darker parts like the eyes was also more painful because it needed to be “colored in” technically.

I have other tattoos so I knew what to expect but if this is your first tattoo, it’s hard to know how you’ll experience it. Some people have a higher pain tolerance than others, but overall it will be sore to some degree. It is little needles penetrating the skin over and over again at top speed for prolonged periods. It ain’t gonna be a walk in the park. But you’ll be fine!

The tattoo artist

The not-so-low-key most important part of this process.

Research, research, research. If you’re going with a portrait, look for someone who specializes in portraits, or more specifically, pet portraits. If you’re doing something more symbolic or abstract, you can just look for an experienced artist that matches the vibe you’re going for. Tattooing is an art form and it takes a lot of practice to become really good, especially with everyone’s skin texture being unique. Make sure the artist you choose has at least a couple of years behind the belt.

You’ll want to inspect their portfolios and past work carefully. Take your time here. Go through at least 5-10 different tattoo artists’ portfolios. Today, many artist’s work can be found online.

Once you’ve found your artist, contact them and express your interest. Have all your info on hand:

The price is subjective to what you think it’s worth at the end of the day. Some tattoo artists charge by the hour. This will vary from artist to artist but in most cases, it’ll be around the $100-$300 mark for a “good” artist. Some still rock it old school with pricing based on size and detail requirements.

For small tattoos, you’d probably be looking at $50-$300. For medium-sized tattoos, you can expect to pay anywhere from $300-$600 and for large tattoos (of course, depending on exactly how large you’re talking about) it can be anywhere from $600-$1000 and upwards.

Keep in mind, that these are rough estimates and your price will depend greatly on the location, artist, and design.

Final thoughts

I hope you find a good artist that can bring your ideas to life. Please share your tattoos with us if you do! We’d love to see your pet tatts and the stories behind them!

I’m incredibly happy with my tattoo of Milly. I literally couldn’t have asked for a better Milly portrait from Micheal Angelo himself. I love looking down my shoulder and seeing her little face. It brings back so many fond memories and reminds me of all the beautiful times we’ve had the pleasure of sharing.

I also boop her little nose to send air kisses to her when I’m on holiday and she’s with the sitter.

May your pet tattoo bring you as much joy as mine does to me! I’m so happy to have an eternal tribute to Milly, the Thunderkitten. I will lovingly carry her with me until the end of my days.

Catch you next month with another exciting cat parenting story. You don’t want to miss this one.

Spoiler: I’m sharing the story of when Milly accidentally got pregnant and had 5 little Milly’s during lockdown. It was wild and amazing.

Cheers vir eers!
(Cheers for now)