Cat Pumpkin Carvings

Are you a cat lover? You’re in luck, below we’ve compiled some of the best cat pumpkin carvings to inspire your next pumpkin carving!

Whether you want to make a realistic looking cat, a cuddly kitten pumpkin, or a cat jack o lantern, we’ve got you covered. Keep reading for tips to make these cute designs!

If you love cats, make sure to check out our list of black cat quotes! You could even carve one onto your pumpkin if you like.

If you want some ideas for non-feline related pumpkins, make sure to check out this list of pumpkin carving ideas these mini pumpkin planters for succulents, and these jack o lantern coloring pages.

Cat jack o lanterns

If you want to start making cat pumpkin carvings, the best place to begin is with cat jack o lanterns. Cat jack o lanterns are similar to the original jack o lantern design, with a feline twist!

They are a great beginner pumpkin carving idea, because they have a simple carving pattern. The key features of this design are the eyes, nose, mouth and whiskers.

You can add cat ears like the photo above, it’s easy to do! Carve you entire cat pumpkin design, being especially careful when you cut out the eyes.

Then, take the triangles you cut out for eyes, and attach them on top of the pumpkin with toothpicks.

Need a way to use your leftover toothpicks? Check out our tutorial for making turkey cookie place card holders for Thanksgiving.

Even though we associate pumpkin carving with Halloween, it’s important to know that pumpkins are actually one of the six main symbols of Thanksgiving.

Cat jack o lantern

While a cat jack o lantern is easier to make than a detailed cat pumpkin carving, it’s still a good idea to trace out the design you’d like to carve.

Take a look at the whiskers in the photo above. If you look closely you can see the pen marks used to outline the whiskers.

Once you have your outline, use your carving tool to trace that outline. You can start softly, and then apply more pressure, as you get more used to the tools you’re using. When you have it outlined, it’s time to carve the pumpkin!

If you like the spooky vampire fangs this cat pumpkin has, make sure to check out our the recipe for our vampire cocktail with a licorice spider garnish.

While the cat jack o lantern is a more simple version of the cat pumpkin carvings in this list, you can still customize it so that it looks the way you like.

For example, look at the two pumpkins above. They are both cat jack o lanterns, but look very different!

The one at the top of the photo has more detail around the eyes, and nose area. It’s face is also closer together in general. This makes it look more cat-like.

The carving at the bottom of the photo has a more spread out face, which makes it look more like a traditional jack o lantern.

Looking to get in the Halloween spirit? Check out our list of 75 Halloween quotes – some are spooky, some funny, and some inspiring!

Cat face pumpkin

In the two photos of cat face pumpkins above, you can see how the ears are on the outside of the pumpkin.

However, you can also carve the ears into the pumpkin, and make them part of the carving design. Which way do you prefer? Let us know in the comments below!

The photo above also relies on a heavily geometric design, which looks amazing. A square for a nose, circles for eyes, and triangles for ears!

Making this design would be good for a beginner, because it doesn’t require intricate cuts, they’re all fairly large lines.

For another simple pumpkin design, make sure to check out this DIY pumpkin drink holder. It’s not a cat jack o lantern, like the pumpkin carving ideas above, but it is a neat addition to any Halloween party!

Cat pumpkin design

If you want to make a cat pumpkin design that more realistic than a traditional cat jack o lantern, try using real life inspiration when making your design.

You can carve a pumpkin in the likeness of your own cat! If your cat has distinctive features, it will really make your pumpkin stand out!

Don’t forget to get a photo of your cat sitting next to the pumpkin!

If you don’t have a cat to model a pumpkin after, but still want a source of inspiration, try carving a pumpkin that looks like Garfield the cat.

Did you know, Garfield is so popular, he has his own national day called National Garfield the Cat Day?

Kitty pumpkin carving

Once you’ve mastered the art of making cat jack o lanterns, try one of these more advanced cat pumpkin carvings.

The cat pumpkin carving above looks spooky because it has a menacing posture. The cat’s arched back makes it look ready to attack!

In Scottish and Irish mythology there’s an ominous creature called cat sìth, which is a giant black cat with a white patch on its chest. It is often depicted in a similar stance.

This cat pumpkin carving has a super skinny tail and legs which remind me of Jack Skellington, another Halloween themed character.

Speaking of legs, check out this list of witch leg decor ideas. You can put them outside of the house with your cat pumpkin carvings.

Cat pumpkin carving

To make a cat pumpkin carving with a witchy vibe, try carving a crescent moon on the pumpkin as well as a cat!

While full moons are frequently thought of as a symbol of Halloween, full moons on Halloween are actually pretty rare.

They only occur approximately once every 19 years. There will only be six full moons on Halloween in all of the 21st century!

If you’re interested in lunar (or lunisolar) facts, make sure to check out our guide to the Chinese zodiac signs.

Cat carvings on pumpkins

This next photo in the list of cat carvings on pumpkins is great because it has a youthful, cartoon-like style of appearance.

It would look great with an assortment of other pumpkins carved to look like animals. You could make a dog pumpkin, an owl pumpkin, and a bat pumpkin!

Speaking of animals, if you need a cute and festive dessert, check out our recipe for these Halloween owl cookies.

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Cat pumpkin carving ideas

No matter which of these pumpkin carving ideas you choose, your cat pumpkin carving will look great!

If you want to go all out while carving one of these cat pumpkin ideas, you could even wear a DIY cat costume. Find an easy tutorial in this post filled with DIY adult Halloween costumes.

Let us know in the comments below which idea you like best!

Don’t forget to share these cat pumpkin carving ideas on social media with your friends!

Here’s a tweet to get you started:

Are you a cat lover? Head to Always The Holidays for our list of cat pumpkin carving ideas - from cat jack o lanterns, to more realistic designs! 🎃 🐈‍⬛ Click To Tweet

If you’re looking for some no-carve pumpkin ideas, make sure to check out our tutorials for DIY scrap paper pumpkins and white chenille pumpkins.

If you enjoy drinking wine and have extra corks, try making these wine cork pumpkins. Don’t forget to check out our wine temperatures guide after you’re done, which has a section with ways to recycle wine corks if you have any left over.

Cat national day

Since you’ve found your way to this post, it’s pretty safe to assume you like cats! Did you know, cats are such lovable animals that they have several national days of the year dedicated to them?

National Black Cat Day – This day was created to raise awareness about adopting black cats. Check out more info on the day, and fun facts about black cats.
Cuddly Kitten Day – Head to this post for some cute kitten photos, facts about kittens, and more info on the day!
Black Cat Appreciation Day – Learn more about this day specifically created for appreciating black cats.
National Cat Day – This national day falls in October. Make sure to celebrate if if you’re a cat lover!

There’s also Carve A Pumpkin Day that falls on October 31. Use that day to pick one of the kitty pumpkin carving ideas from above to try!

Interested in learning more about national days? You’re in luck – there are close to 2000 national days in the year and over 150 of them are celebrated in October.

To see them all, have a look at this post to discover more about the national days in October.

For puzzle fans, head to our October word search printable of national days for a fun word find puzzle.

Pin these cat pumpkin carvings for later

Would you like a reminder of this post featuring these creative cat pumpkin carvings? Just pin this image to one of your Halloween boards on Pinterest so that you can easily find it later.

About the author

Since graduating from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Jess has been living and working in Los Angeles, CA. She is a freelance writer, specializing in content related to fashion, food and drink and film industry topics. Find out more about Jess here.