How to Draw a Cat (Easy Step-by-Step for Kids)

To draw a cat, start with a round head and two pointy ears. Add big eyes, a small nose, a smile and three whiskers on each side. Finish with a sitting body, front legs and a curly tail.

Finished cartoon cat sitting, orange with darker stripes, a white muzzle, chest and paws, a pink nose and pink inner ears
The finished cat
Steps
6 easy steps
You need
  • Pencil
  • Eraser
  • Black marker
  • Orange, dark orange and pink crayons

Updated

Teaching this to a class?

Show one step at a time on the board and wait for the class before the next. The directed drawing for kids page explains how to run it.

How to draw a cat step by step

  1. A round circle for the cat's head

    Step 1 of 6: Draw a round circle for the head.

  2. Two pointy triangle ears on top of the head, each with an inner ear line

    Step 2 of 6: Add two pointy triangle ears on top, each with a smaller line inside.

  3. Two big round eyes with shine dots, a small triangle nose, a smile and three whiskers on each side

    Step 3 of 6: Draw two big round eyes, a small triangle nose, a smile and three whiskers on each side.

  4. A rounded sitting body under the head with two front legs and round paws

    Step 4 of 6: Add a rounded sitting body with two front legs and round paws.

  5. A long tail curving up beside the body with a curl at the tip

    Step 5 of 6: Draw a long tail that curves up beside the body and curls at the tip.

  6. The cat colored orange with darker stripes, a white muzzle, chest and paws, a pink nose and pink inner ears

    Step 6 of 6: Color the cat orange with darker stripes, and leave the muzzle, chest and paws white.

Tips for little artists

  • Tip: Press lightly with the pencil first. Trace the lines you like with the marker, then erase the rest.

  • Tip: Leave a small white dot in each eye before you color it black. The shine makes the eyes look bright.

  • Tip: Draw the stripes as short curved lines that start at the edge and point inward.

Make it yours

  • Black cat

    Color the whole cat black and give it big yellow eyes for a Halloween drawing.

  • Sleeping cat

    Draw the eyes as two curved lines and wrap the tail around the paws.

  • Cat with a ball of yarn

    Draw a round ball of yarn next to the paws with a loose string going to the tail.

Common mistakes and easy fixes

  • The ears look like horns

    Start each ear on the head line and make it wide at the bottom. Tilt the tips a little outward.

  • The whiskers come out of the eyes

    Start the whiskers on the cheeks, below the eyes and level with the nose.

  • The tail floats in the air

    Start the tail at the bottom of the body. Then curve it up and curl the tip.

Fun facts about the cat

  • Cats have 32 muscles in each ear. These muscles let a cat swivel its ears 180 degrees. (Source: Britannica)

  • A cat's whiskers are sense organs of touch. Four rows of stiff whiskers grow on the upper lip on each side of the nose. (Source: Britannica Kids)

  • Cats purr when they are content, but they also purr when they are afraid or sick. (Source: Britannica)

Questions grown-ups ask

How do you draw a cat easy?

Draw a circle for the head and add two triangle ears. Add a face, a sitting body and a curly tail. The 6 steps above follow that order.

How do you draw a cute cat?

Give it a big round head, big eyes with shine dots and a tiny nose. A small smile and round paws finish the cute look.

How do you draw a cat step by step?

Start with the head, then the ears, the face and whiskers, the body and front legs, and the tail. Color it last.

If the ears came out different sizes, that's fine. Your cat has its own look. More easy drawings for kids are on the home page.

Step 1 of 6

A round circle for the cat's head
Draw a round circle for the head.