20 Cat Halloween Costumes, Ranked by How Much Your Cat Will Judge You

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I love seeing cats and dogs dressed in adorable costumes, but based on our past experiences with Thelma and Louis, we’re lucky if they wear something for longer than it takes to get a good photo (if that!). Some cats will wear hats or collars for a minute, some cats will stand there while you dress them head-to-tail… you won’t know which type your cat is until you try.

Have you ever tried to dress a cat that didn’t want to be dressed? You don’t. My Maine coon loves to wear sweaters and bandanas and dresses. My tortie tried to kill me when I put a bow on her.

— via Reddit.com

We have yet to try a full costume on Thelma and Louis. Our one attempt at putting an “accessory” on Louis was a Santa scarf, and it lasted for all of 1 minute, which I was sort of impressed with at the time. I’d love to try a costume made for cats, especially those Chucky ones! LOL

With all of that in mind, below you’ll find 20 costumes on Amazon that are made for cats or smaller dogs. I’ve organized them starting with those that will require the least from your cat (i.e. hats) and work my way up to wings, collars, capes and eventually to full costumes for the laid-back cats in the world. There are NO costumes that include shoes or a full mask. In some cases there will be other parts to a costume (i.e. an eye patch or glasses) that I would not use. Before you select one, you’ll want to check a few things for fit and safety, which are covered in the next section.

What makes a costume cat-friendly

The ASPCA says not to put your cat in a costume unless you know they love it (or ok with it….will a cat really love it?), since costumes can cause stress for some pets. If you do, never dress your cat in anything that limits their movement, vision, breathing or ability to meow.

The Animal Humane Society in Minnesota offers these additional pet costume tips: make sure your pet’s ability to walk, meow, see or hear is not compromised in any way by their costume. Stay away from any dangling sequins, beads or other small decorations your pet could potentially chew off and swallow. Masks and footwear are also best limited, as they can be uncomfortable and restrict movement.

Before making your costume purchase, it’s a good idea to make sure it will actually fit your cat properly. A costume that doesn’t fit right could get twisted or caught on something and injure your cat. Most costumes will have the neck measurement it fits, and many also provide a chest measurement. Measuring these areas of your cat with a soft tape measure will help you get the correct size before making your purchase. Also try the costume out before Halloween to make sure it fits properly. Look for costumes with closures that make dressing your cat easier: velcro and ties are better than costumes you have to pull over your cat’s head.

Hats and headpieces

Another sensible place to start is hats. There’s only one piece and they can be removed quickly if your cat isn’t enjoying it as much as you are. (Besides, if they don’t like the hat it won’t take them long to remove it themselves!)

1. Lion mane

This fluffy brown wig goes ’round your cat’s head like a mane (duh!) and even has teeny-tiny ears on top! The wig is made of faux fur and polyester. The mane fits cats with 10-12 inch neck circumferences. Hand wash in warm water with a mild soap and allow to air dry. This would be cute for a quick picture but does cover your cat’s ears, so I wouldn’t leave it on for long.

2. Pumpkin hat

This cute orange plush pumpkin hat comes with a green leafy collar. This one leaves your cat’s ears uncovered and has a hook and loop closure in back that adjusts from about 9.8-11 inches.

3. Frog bonnet

This cutie pie is a cotton knit bonnet in bright green with huge frog eyes on top. The eyes alone are almost too cute not to order it! The bonnet ties under your cat’s chin. The listing says it’s made for cats 5-16 lbs with a head circumference up to 11 inches. It looks a lot like a wee bonnet that your granny wears and that just adds to the cuteness/comedy factor for me.

4. Banana hat

We’re going to have to reserve the silliest hat honor for Vehomy’s take on a banana for your cat to wear. This one is yellow and made out of a soft plush. It’s also super lightweight and will secure on with hook-and-loop tape. This one should fit cats with a head circumference between 11.4-13″.

5. Unicorn hat

This one is from NACOCO. Your cat can be a unicorn with this fleece bonnet that lets their ears sit comfortably in the holes provided. It has a gold horn and rainbow colored mane. The white fleece hood portion will fit cats with neck sizes ranging from 8.6″-11.8″. This one has a hook-and-loop closure but with a wider piece for easy adjusting.

Wings, collars and capes

If your cat hates having anything on its head (many do), try a Halloween costume for cats that just covers the body.

he loved his wings too, i was afraid he’d be uncomfortable but it was like he wasn’t even wearing nothing, and he looked ADORABLE running around in them although his brother was suspicious of his new drip

— via Reddit.com

6. Bat wings

Black bat wings made of felt attach around your cat’s neck and chest. They’re made for cats with neck sizes that range from 9-14″ and chest sizes 14-17″. The costume weighs just 1.1 oz. Bat wings are one of the first things that come up when you search for a cat Halloween costume, probably because they leave the head uncovered. These would be cute on a black cat!

7. Halloween bandana collars

According to the ASPCA, if your cat does not care for wearing costumes, try dressing them up with a festive bandana. This set comes with two: one says Trick or Treat and one says BOO!. They’re adjustable and fit cats with necks that are 8-12″, have a break-away clasp, and come with a bell and pumpkin/ghost charm that can be removed (I would recommend removing the bell and charm, since the Animal Humane Society warns against small dangling pieces your cat could chew off and swallow).

8. Vampire cape

Made of black satin with red trim, this little Dracula costume for your cat has a stand-up collar. It’s super easy to put on/take off, which matters with a cat who doesn’t love being dressed. It closes only at the neck bow, with hook-and-loop. According to the description the costume is roomy enough to not inhibit jumping/walking.

9. Purple witch hat and cape

Next we have a cute purple witch costume for cats. It comes with the black witch hat with a purple band and an elastic strap to help secure it to your cat’s head. It also comes with the matching black hooded cloak with purple lace, fastened under the neck with ribbons. The witch hat measures 5.5″ x 5.5″ x 4.3″ and the cloak is 16″ x 24″. This could also be an option if your cat is not up to wearing a hat on Halloween, as the cloak would look cute on its own.

10. Ghost cape and witch hat

This little ghost costume by Piemow comes with the black pointed hat as well as a white ghost cape with the wavy edges at the bottom and the cute little ghost face. The hat and the cape just slip on your cat and can be tightened with the drawstrings. The neck opening is approximately 4.33 inches wide and it’s listed as being best for kittens and small/medium adult cats. It is hand washable.

11. King’s cloak and crown

Last in this group, we have this cute costume for those cats who act like they rule the roost! This little outfit comes with the crown as well as the matching royal red cape with white trim with black specks. The listing recommends it for medium and large cats, and it fits a neck size of 9-15 inches. There are two straps that go under the neck to fasten the cape and there is an adjustable strap for the crown as well. The brand of this costume is GOYOSWA.

Sets with a little extra

With these, you don’t necessarily have to use all of the pieces included, if that would cause your cat any distress or discomfort. For example, according to the ASPCA, you shouldn’t costume your cat in anything that impairs their sight.

12. Wizard cape with glasses and tie

This costume includes a black, hooded wizard’s cape emblazoned with a school’s crest, a pair of round glasses and a tie. Together, they create the illusion your cat attends (or attended) wizard’s school. You may want to skip using the glasses, or use them for one quick pic, but I wouldn’t risk keeping them on for more than that. Size M fits 7.7-16.5 lb. cats.

13. Pirate hat and bandana

This set includes a pirate’s hat (with elastic strap and all-important skull), a bandanna (skulls!) and an eye patch. I wouldn’t recommend using the eye patch, as I don’t think you should cover one of their eyes. The other pieces will definitely create your pirate.

14. Chef hat and bow tie

This set includes a chef’s hat (with elastic band) and a red bow tie collar (ties around your cat’s neck). This costume would be fun to match with you, if you decided to dress as a chef! Sizes: S (fits cats with 8.3-9.8 inch necks and 6.6-11 lbs. in weight) and M (fits cats with 9.8-11.8 inch necks and 11-15.4 lbs. in weight).

Full costumes for the easygoing cat

These next few costumes are meant for a cat who will already let you dress them in a harness or sweater. Also be sure to take measurements as these costumes wrap around their body.

15. Pumpkin hat and cape

ANIAC has this pumpkin costume that consists of a pumpkin hat (there are holes for their ears to stick through) as well as a pumpkin cape with green leaves and a giant smiley face. Both the cape and hat close with hook-and-loop (think Velcro) and the measurements for the hat is a head measurement of 13-15″ while the cape has a neck measurement of 11.8-13″ and a chest measurement of 18.5-20″. This costume is machine washable.

16. Spider

How scary and cool is this spider costume?! It attaches around the neck and chest of your cat with Velcro and then there are 8 furry legs (they have a wire in them so that they can bend however you’d like) attached to the felt spider body which lays on the back of your cat. Trust me, seeing your cat walk around with this will crack you up! Chest measurement is adjustable from 12.6-16.5″ and the neck size ranges from 7.9-12.6″.

17. Shark

Next is NACOCO’s Shark Costume. This little number is basically a hoodie for your cat complete with fins and a tail! This one closes with buttons and the hood has teeth. This costume is made out of velvet which is very soft but it is quite warm (it’s double layered) so probably better for a quick photo opportunity instead of wearing for the duration of the party. The extra small has an 8.3″ neck, 12.2″ chest, and a 7.9″ back so be sure to check out their sizing chart to see what would best fit your little terror!

18. Bee

The Selena bee costume consists of a yellow and black striped bee hoodie with a flannel lining (which is pretty thin) and bendable antennae attached to the hood. On the back there’s also a small hook for attaching a leash. The listing says sizes can be off by an inch or so, so if your cat falls between sizes, go with the larger one.

19. Glow-in-the-dark dinosaur skeleton

The dinosaur skeleton is pretty easy to slip on your cat. This one comes in two parts: the white dinosaur head (plush) that goes over your cat’s head like a hood and a cape for their back with a skeleton design. There aren’t any buckles or straps to attach, making it an easy process for everyone. It also glows in the dark! This means that you can expose the costume to the light, wait a few moments and then turn the lights off for some spooky photos.

20. Chucky-style killer doll

This one is pictured on a cat in the listing. It’s SEIS’s take on the killer doll from the Chucky horror movies. It includes the red/white striped sleeves and the blue overalls, an orange plush wig, and the stuffed arms with a fake knife. It’s made of flannel and cotton, can be washed with water, and has two elastics to fit around the chest/neck area. I would totally put this on my cats first before any of the others! Just be sure to measure your cat’s neck size before you order. It runs kind of large, as the small is for a neck size of 13-23.6″ and a chest size of 9.5-20″, and thirteen inches is on the big side for a lot of cats.

How to get your cat used to a costume

Keep costume trials short at first, and try not to dress your cat for the first time on Halloween, advises the Animal Humane Society. Let them smell it and get comfortable wearing it. Offer lots of treats.

I really want to put these bunny ears (it is a bonnet/hat that covers back of head and velcros under chin) on my Dilute Torti because it matches her fur. I’m letting her smell and play with them first. If she does that would be adorable, otherwise I could be bleeding out from multiple lacerations,

— via Reddit.com

Many cats will freeze when something is placed on them for the first time. If your cat doesn’t seem eager to move around in their getup, coax them with treats or a feather toy, suggests the Animal Humane Society.

Lol I had a cat that would do the same thing. Anytime I put something on him he just flopped over and refused to move.

— via Reddit.com

Keep a close eye on your costumed cat, as costumes can mask feline body language. Watch their tail, ears and posture. Never leave a costumed cat unattended. Remove the costume if it makes your cat unhappy.

On Halloween night, it’s best to keep all but your most social cats in another, comfy room away from the flurry of activity at the door, the ASPCA recommends.

Some cats hate costumes. That’s ok too. The ASPCA suggests leaving those cats uncostumed or dressing them in a cute Halloween-themed bandana.

Have you tried dressing your cat in a costume before? How did they do? Do you have anything fun planned with them for this year’s holiday? Let us know in the comments section below!