There are many reasons why your cat may need a onesie. For one, onesies are a great way to keep cats from scratching wounds and stitches, especially after surgery. Instead of an inflatable pillow, you can simply stick your cat in a onesie. Not only is this better for us, but it is also more comfortable for the cat.
However, there are other purposes for cat recovery suits, as well. For instance, some cats may have hot spots on their stomach or back that they may scratch at. Onesies can prevent them from scratching these areas while they recover.
We’ve searched through many plans to find the best options for your needs. Most of these designs are pretty easy and don’t assume any prior knowledge.
The 8 DIY Cat Onesies
1. Minimalistic Onesie by Epbot
| Materials: | T-Shirt |
| Tools: | Marker, Scissors |
| Difficulty: | Easy |
If you need a onesie for after your cat is spayed, then this is the option for you. While it wouldn’t be useful for many other purposes, it is very useful after cats are spayed if you don’t want to use one of the other onesie designs. It is minimalistic and only covers the necessary parts, so your cat can still clean the rest of their fur just fine.
We recommend using an older T-Shirt, however, you could theoretically purchase a new, plain T-Shirt if you wanted to.
2. Kitten Onesie by Cole & Marmalade
| Materials: | Two Tall Socks |
| Tools: | Scissors |
| Difficulty: | Easy |
Compared to other plans, this onesie is quite small. Therefore, it works best for kittens. However, because kittens are often spayed or neutered, this fancy sock onesie is a great option for many cat owners.
Cones often don’t fit these smaller cats. However, this onesie plan will. All you need to two tall socks and some scissors. Simply put, but cutting leg holes in the sock, you can make an outfit for your kitten that covers everything. Therefore, you can utilize this plan for most surgeries and injuries.
3. Newborn Onesie by She Knows
| Materials: | Newborn Onesie |
| Tools: | Sewing Kit, Scissors, Pencil |
| Difficulty: | Medium |
Most people with children have a newborn onesie laying around unused. Children are only in the newborn stage for a month, so they quickly outgrow these clothes. Luckily, you can reuse one of these onesies for your cat.
Technically, this plan was written for smaller dogs. However, with some edits, you can use it for larger cats. We don’t recommend it for very small kittens, as the newborn onesie will be quite large. You do have to do some sewing, as well.
4. Post-Surgery Onesie by Instructables
| Materials: | T-Shirt |
| Tools: | Safety Pins, Scissors |
| Difficulty: | Low |
This straightforward plan was made for cats after surgeries specifically. Therefore, it works pretty well for most surgeries. It is made out of a simple T-shirt like most plans on this list, which most people should have lying around. For this reason, it is one of the easier plans to make.
However, it is pretty similar to other options on this list. It does cover a wide range of body parts and it works well for many different surgeries and injuries.
5. Cat Sock Onesie by WikiHow
| Materials: | Sock |
| Tools: | Scissors, tape measure |
| Difficulty: | Medium |
For kittens and smaller cats recovering from surgery, this cat sock onesie plan from WikiHow is easily made with just a sock. You can adapt it for larger cats if you use a bigger sock, but it all depends on how well the fabric stretches and how accurate your measurements are. There’s no sewing needed for this plan, but it would be useful to repair any mistakes you make.
6. DIY Cat Onesie by Epbot
| Materials: | Zipper baby onesie |
| Tools: | Scissors |
| Difficulty: | Easy |
Yet another modified baby onesie design, this new plan from Epbot is easy to follow to clothe your cat to prevent overgrooming. The creator also notes that snap onesies are a no-go, and you need one with a zipper that you can secure to keep the onesie on after you cut the right holes. This plan could also be adapted to work with bigger onesies and larger cats or as a postsurgical outfit.
7. DIY Cat T-Shirt Onesie by Small Breed Dogs
| Materials: | Two T-shirts, craft paper, stretchy fabric |
| Tools: | Sewing machine, scissors, marker/felt pen |
| Difficulty: | Advanced |
If you’re a dab hand with a sewing machine and have a lot of old clothes, convert two worn-out shirts into a custom-fit cat onesie. The design will depend on the fabric you have on hand, but the same steps apply. You could also substitute a sewing machine for needle and thread, which makes the plan more beginner friendly and approachable.
8. Kitty Sock Sweater
| Materials: | Old tube/knee-high sock |
| Tools: | Scissors |
| Difficulty: | Easy |
Visual learners will appreciate this short and sweet Youtube tutorial, showing you exactly how to make a kitty sock sweater. It’s not exactly a onesie, but it’s close enough. The video recommends making sure the sock isn’t too loose, which can cause uncomfortable bunching around sensitive areas. It also mentions that your cat’s claws should be trimmed before donning the sock onesie, or you could gouge tears along your new creation.
Conclusion
You no longer have to rely on uncomfortable cones to care for your cat after surgery. Instead, you can design a onesie at home that will cover the sensitive stitches and prevent your cat from picking at them. These onesies can be made from many materials, though an old T-shirt is the most common.
We’ve included multiple options on this list, so you should find a plan that works for you and your cat. Most of these plans are pretty straightforward and don’t even require any sewing. Therefore, most people can throw them together pretty easily as long as they have an older T-shirt lying around.
Featured Image Credit By: hammad-khalid, Pexels
