It’s only September, but already, the spooky Halloween season is descending upon us.
Soon we’ll all start decorating our homes with fake cobwebs, plastic spiders, and flying bats in the window, picking out our costumes (or making them from scratch), and deciding what to carve on our pumpkins! If you’re like us and you love Halloween, you may already be brainstorming ideas for your Halloween costume and your Jack o’ lantern.
In anticipation of All Hallows Eve, why not consider a cat pattern this year? Cats are a quintessential part of the Halloween spirit, as they’re notoriously associated with witches. However, these days, cats have become beloved companions suitable for many types of people, not just those cooking up a brew or flying a broomstick. So if you’re a cat lover, feel free to pick amongst any of these fun cat pumpkin carving ideas or patterns! In fact, why not carve a whole litter of them on your pumpkins and have a running theme of cats!
There are 20 cat pumpkin stencils to choose from, and they range from beginner to more advanced skills. The links to the free stencils have been provided, you just gotta print them off and tape them to your pumpkin!
Here’s a quick tip: if you haven’t already bought your pumpkin yet, have a look at these stencils and consider picking one out first! That way, you can buy your pumpkin based on the design you know you’re going to carve. Many of these stencils are well-suited to tall, slender, or round pumpkins that stand up-right.
If you’ve already purchased your pumpkins for the season, though, then be sure to pick a stencil that will compliment your gourd’s shape! It will make carving much easier! Happy carving we hope you have a blast!
Scaredy Cat, Scaredy Bat
Our first favorite on the list is a classic black cat silhouette, perfect for any spooky pumpkin or cat lover! Surrounded by bats flying overhead, this cat with its back arched and curved and hair standing on end will be sure to get you in the Halloween spirit!
The cat’s twisted tail and whiskers add some fun details that will make carving him a tad tricky if you’re not the most proficient carver but a good one if you’re at an intermediate level. You can find the free downloadable image at the link here for easy printing!
Fish Fry Skeleton
The second on our list of pumpkin carving ideas is this adorable cat holding up a fish skeleton! It mixes together the spooky elements of Halloween like black cats, skeletons, and skulls with those iconic cat themes like fish!
This would be a great pumpkin carving stencil if you have a cat who loves fish and you want to honor them with your design! It also doesn’t have a lot of intricate details, so it would be a fairly easy stencil to tackle with an adorable end result! Find the saveable pattern at the link here.
Carve a Creepy Kitty
For a creepy and truly spooky pumpkin face check out this Creepy Kitty pattern! The cat’s menacing face is the focus of this stencil, which is sure to leave a lasting impression once you put a candle behind it! It would be a terrific and terrifying addition to your porch to welcome trick or treaters walking up to your door.
The free pattern also includes a step-by-step instructional guide on how to carve the creepy kitty face so you can get the best results. It’s definitely on the more complex side of this list of pumpkin carving ideas but it’s a fun one if you’re willing to take on the challenge! Get the template and guide here.
Pumpkin Carving Ideas Cat, Simple Silhouette
For a cuter and simpler pumpkin carving stencil, check out this adorable little design! You’ll see a fluffy kitty with a happy face! It’s also a pretty straightforward template to follow where you just make sure you have your details drawn out in the center then carve around them to reveal your tiny cat silhouette and his little happy face.
This a good pattern for a beginner to follow and the end result is a cute kitty to all the little kids are on your street will love! You can find the image for this kitty stencil here and save it or print it directly.
Hissing Cat Silhouette
Our next pick on the list is a true classic Halloween carving stencil that will get you into the Halloween spirit! Have a look at this spooky hissing cat template! Its arched back, twitching tail, and open mouth to reveal its sharp pointed teeth are the epitome of Samhain imagery!
It also isn’t a totally complex design so anyone with intermediate carving skills could give this a whirl and end up with a really cool and really spooky pumpkin that you’ll be proud to display! Get this frightfully cool template here.
A cool idea would be to do two pumpkins with a hissing cat facing opposite directions and do the third pumpkin with a monster face. that sits in the middle
Boo Kitty Cutout
This cute kitty face would make for a fun pumpkin that you could show on your porch, that WON’T scare the trick or treaters away! Although its days say “boo” it’s not a frightful sight! And if you’re looking for pumpkin carving ideas with cats that use words, this would be the perfect design for that!
This cute kitty is sticking his tongue out for a playful look so it would be great if you’re expecting a lot of small children at your door on Halloween night. Find the Boo Kitty Cutout template here.
Big Kitty Face
Another cute kitty face that you’ll get a kick out of can be found here. This kitty pumpkin carving stencil is super simple and easy with a big pattern and no complicated details. It also looks like a pretty forgivable pattern with how big and blocky it is so you can fix your mistakes easily if you’re worried about your carving abilities.
This would also be a great template for a beginner who wants to make a cat pumpkin! This stencil would look so cute on a nice round, plump pumpkin too!
Cat on the Crescent
Nothing says Halloween like a cat against a night sky and a big ole’ crescent moon in the background! Or in this case, a cat on the crescent moon! Super fun and simple pumpkin carving stencil this kitty template is all sorts of witchy and cute!
This template is easy to follow but requires some different types of carving for the moon. In this case you might scrape away layers of the pumpkin rather than cut the whole thing out so that kitty is perfectly perched on the moon…and not falling through. Get the stencil at the link here.
Bubble Bubble, Toil, and Trouble
If you’re feeling especially witchy this Halloween then you might consider this awesome witch and black cat pumpkin stencil, complete with a cauldron. This image is a little more elaborate but it tells a story of a witch, in her pointy hat, hunched over her cauldron while her faithful and curious cat peers inside.
While black cats are no longer just witches cats, you can’t deny the way they go hand-in-hand. This template is perfect for witchy cat lovers or anyone who loves a good witch film around Halloween.
The overall silhouette of this template is fairly simple it’ll just take more time. Be sure to get along, wide pumpkin for this design! Find it at the link here.
Silly Kitty, Happy Kitty
A silly kitty fun is perfect for your pumpkin this year! This sort of abstract template features a cat’s grinning face and paws up in the air like he is peering inside the window! Maybe he is looking for candy? Perhaps he is hoping to get some treats? With his sharp teeth, he could munch just about anything!
Either way, he has an awfully brig grin and a curious expression about him. Getting his funny face illuminated with your LED candles will be a real treat to see at the end! Find this cute and fun stencil here.
Cat Skully and Fish Bone
Going back to our theme of fish skeletons, this hilarious and adorable cat with a fish cross bone is too cute to pass up! You could make a whole row of pumpkins with this fish skeleton theme and really go all out on it!
A favorite of ours on the list because it’s unique from any other pumpkin stencil we’ve seen this carving pattern is so sweet and cute with just a hint of spooky! It also gives off major emo vibes, so if you’re a former emo kid cat lover this might be the template for you! Find it here.
Fly High into the Sky
Another favorite of ours for its unique take is this kitty on a broomstick! You’ve heard of witches flying on broomsticks well how about her cat? The cat in this stencil looks awfully happy to be flying up, up, and away so perhaps she is going off to do her own trick or treating this year!
Or maybe she is off to find more fish to eat! This super cute and fairly simple pumpkin carving idea is courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens. Find it here but you can find it here to download and print.
We’re All Mad Here
If you’re a cat lover who also happens to be a fan of Alice in Wonderland, then check out this giant Chesire Cat face pumpkin stencil! His obnoxiously big smile and crazy eyes would make the best Jack o’ lantern face for sure!
Alice in Wonderland is also a great theme for Halloween because it includes its own creepy and demented elements. Consider a whole row of Alice-inspired pumpkins and be sure to include the Chesire Cat. You can find him here.
Cat on a Fence Post
Bringing back the scaredy-cat silhouettes again here is another version where a cat is perched on a fence! While there are lots of variations of this template out there, we chose this one because it’s simple and easy to do, with little fuss involved.
We liked this stencil overall because its silhouette is very attractive, clean, and neat with nice curved lines. If you live with a scaredy-cat, you may be all too familiar with their arched back and frantic posture so this template should be a piece of cake! Download it here.
Cat O’ Lantern
Are you a cat lover who also wants to do a more typical Jack o’ lantern face this year? Then look no further than this cat pumpkin face stencil, the perfect combo of both! You’ll get that spooky classic Jack o’ lantern face with the jagged, upturned smile, the pointed nose, and the silly eyes but in cat form!
This Cat o’ lantern face is also a great one for beginners and intermediates to try, just go slow and follow your outlines. This is truly spooktacular among all the cat pumpkin carving ideas because it marries both worlds. Get this wickedly cool stencil here.
Scaredy Cat with a Bushy Tail
We can’t get enough of these scaredy-cats so we’re adding another to this list but this time with a super bushy tail! In all the others the cat stencils had more defined silhouettes and beautifully curved tails, but in this stencil, it’s less pristine and refined. Still, it’s one of the best cat pumpkin carving ideas out there because the scared, hissing cat is so iconic!
You could even carve some other pumpkins to compliment this one and tell trick or treaters what he is scared of! Is it Frankenstein? a vampire? Or something else?? This particular template gives you more instructions on how to carve and with its simple design, you’ll have fun doing it! Find this scaredy-cat template the link here.
Scary Cat Not Scaredy Cat
This cat doesn’t look afraid so much as he looks like something to be afraid of! If you’re thinking your cat pumpkin stencil should be on the menacing side for Halloween this year, then this might be the perfect pattern for you!
This ferocious kitty is standing atop a hill surrounded by creepy-looking trees. His eyes are glowing bright and he is ready to go in for the kill. To find this creepy-cool template check the link here.
A Feminine Feline
If a Jack O’ Lantern cat pattern could be sexy, it would be this one, according to Squawk Fox, the provider of this amazing stencil! We love this cat pumpkin carving pattern for its crisp, clean lines, bold shapes, and fierce face.
This is the perfect pattern for cat lovers who want to show off the power of their furry friends in a non-traditional way. While it still looks great for Halloween, it’s not your usual hissing cat face. Find the stencil for this feline here.
A Pretty Little Tomcat
Like many of us, we love our male cats, whether they’re Tomcats or just your regular sleepy boy, they make great companions! Why not show that off in this simple and beautiful tomcat stencil. This Tomcat pattern is similar to all the hissing cats with their fur standing straight up and their backs arched and tails twitching, but this cat is much more calm and relaxed than that.
You’ll still get a gorgeous cat silhouette but without the fright for this pattern. This stencil would look great on a rounded pumpkin but a tall one with enough width would be good. Find this lovely pattern here.
Funny Cat with an Arched Back
The last on our list is a fun cat pumpkin carving ideas pattern that requires time and patience, according to the instructions provided by the template guide. It’s a simple outline that just takes some focus to achieve, but once you’ve got it you’re sure to love the result.
This cat stencil is whimsical, with a cute face, curved tail, and sort of abstract body. He doesn’t really fit in with the other designs as much but he will definitely put a smile on your face and one else who meets him this All Hallows Eve. Find this lovely pattern here.
Conclusion
Halloween is such a magical time of year as we enter into a new season and the calendar’s end. We get to celebrate, be festive, dress up in crazy costumes, decorate, eat sweet treats, and of course carving pumpkins! Did you know the original Jack O’ Lanterns were carved out of turnips? They were used to light one’s way through the night on Halloween.
Now with pumpkins being more popular but far too big to carry, they have made the perfect decor for our patios. And who knows, maybe back when they were using turnips, someone had the bright idea to carve a cat face into theirs! We hope you enjoyed our carefully curated list of cat pumpkin carving ideas and we hope you find one you love! If you did please comment below we’d love to see your kitty creations! Happy Halloween!