Getting a tattoo of your cat: Everything you need to know

Welcome to Wednesday Cats of Catster! Each 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 of 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 image, you’ll just end up with 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 much 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 I haven’t experienced before. In the past I have formed many beautiful bonds with cats and other animals. I have had the pleasure of knowing and growing up with about 17 cats, 9 dogs and about 20 rabbits (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 to be an animal’s guardian alone, without parental guidance. As some of you may remember, our paths crossed when I was a student. She was born in the back of my favorite bar, Die Mystic Boer. You can read the whole story here.

Also just having her around as a kitten while she was a student was a blast. She lifted every dark cloud and comforted me while I was away from home navigating adulthood. 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 tats.

The design

The first step is to research and visualize your design. Are you looking 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 coat pattern. Whatever it is you’re going for, make sure you get plenty 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 is graceful yet whimsical, clever yet lazy, and a phenomenal hunter of flies and small defenseless animals. She’s soft yet tough, adorable yet sassy, ​​and just downright mysterious. She’s from the streets, so you definitely don’t want to mess with her, but she’s 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 zodiac video on YouTube. Although Milly is technically a Purries (Aries), it was the Scorpurrio (Scorpio) image that caught my eye. I was fascinated. The moment it popped up on my screen I thought, “It gives Milly”. And the idea for the tattoo was planted!

The reference image

The reference image is very important. It should enclose your cat perfectly. It really has to be the picture that says a thousand words.

I went through several photos every day trying to find the right image of Milly that would capture the right mood. After careful consideration I found it. It was a beautiful picture that Milly’s father took of her. It was perfect.

The size

Next, choose 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 ratio of detail to size for your design.

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

The location

Once you have your size, you can start thinking about placement. This is quietly one of the most important steps. A bad placement can ruin a good tattoo. There are also other factors to consider: does your job allow visible tattoos, are you planning to get pregnant soon (if so, avoid tattoos on the stomach or back, where the skin is prone to stretching, etc.).

Since it’s a tattoo of your beloved cat, I imagine you’ll want it somewhere you can see and admire it often. You didn’t spend all that time, money and pain management not seeing it, did you?! But something else to consider here is the tattoo pain chart. Some skin types and parts of the body are more sensitive and therefore more painful to be tattooed.

I got mine on the upper 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 had to be “colored in” technically seen.

I have other tattoos so I knew what to expect, but if this is your first tattoo it’s hard to know how you will experience it. Some people have a higher pain tolerance than others, but generally it will be sore to some degree. These are tiny needles that penetrate the skin again and again at top speed for long periods of time. It won’t 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 are 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, just look for an experienced artist to match the mood you’re going for. Tattooing is an art form and it takes a lot of practice to get really good, especially with everyone’s skin texture being unique. Make sure the artist you choose has at least a few years behind them.

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

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

Price is subjective to what you think it’s worth in the end. Some tattoo artists charge per hour. This will vary from artist to artist, but in most cases it will be around $100-$300 for a “good” artist. Some still rock the old with pricing based on size and detailing requirements.

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

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

Final thoughts

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

I am incredibly happy with my tattoo of Milly. I literally could not have asked for a better portrait of Milly from Micheal Angelo himself. I love looking over my shoulder and seeing her little face. It brings back so many good memories and reminds me of all the beautiful times we have had the pleasure of sharing.

I also bop her little nose to send her air kisses when I’m on vacation and she’s at the babysitter.

May your pet tattoo bring you as much joy as mine does to me! I am 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 Millys during lockdown. It was wild and fantastic.

Cheers for first!
(Cheers for now)

This article features Isabel and Milly in our Wednesday Cats of Catster series.