Introduction: Cozy Sweater for Cat or Dog
Materials needed:
- Old sweatshirts
- scissors
- measuring tape
- lace or other trim
I hit up Goodwill, yard sales and other thrift stores for gently worn large and extra large sweatshirts. My kitty weighs a little over 6 pounds so the large is perfect. If your pet is bigger, go with a bigger size sweatshirt. For this project you are only using the arms of the shirt. You can use the rest of the shirt for dust cloths or to wash the car with!
Step 1: Cutting the Sleeves
Lay out your sweatshirt, smooth out the arm. I cut it right where it meets the body of the shirt. That way I don't have to work around a lot of material when I'm actually measuring the length I need for the sweater. My cat is measure's 8 inches long from the base of her neck to her back legs. I like the top of the sweater to cover her hips but not interfere with her walking so I measured her back from neck to tail, it's 14 inches long. The original under arm seam of the sleeve will be on the belly of the animal so, you want your short measurement there and then angle your cut up to your long measurement. The wrist will be the neck.
Step 2: Leg Holes
You'll need to measure on your pet how far it is from the base of their neck to their front shoulders. With my cat it's about 3 inches. Cut out a round hole for their legs. This material doesn't tend to fall apart when it's cut so there's no need to worry about sewing this hole.
Now if you are in a hurry or want a plain sweater, you're done. However, if you want decoration, then proceed to the next step.
Step 3:
For my little girl and for the Christmas season, I wanted to add some red ribbon with lace to her new sweater dress. I simply pinned the lace around the bottom edge of the sweater and then sewed it on using a simple straight stitch and matching thread. Since this part of the sweater doesn't stretch I didn't have to use a stretch stitch. I wanted to add a matching bow but the lace was a bit to much. I trimmed the lace off the center ribbon, sewed it in between the front legs (where the shoulder blades are) and then tied it in a bow.
For a larger animal, you would need to use a larger size. For kittens or puppies you could use a child's size sweatshirt.
Hope you enjoy it, I look forward to your feedback. Remember, keep your furfaces warm this winter!

Finalist in the
Ugly Sweater Contest

Participated in the
Sew Warm Contest

Participated in the
Holiday Contest
8 Comments
9 years ago on Introduction
Awwww...how sweet.
I thought your furry friend was a dog because it's sooo hard to play dress up with cats (well, at least it is with my cats).
Bonus points for having a cooperative cat...voted!
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
Ahhh thanks! :) She's my 20 year old cat. She fights it sometimes, but with her age she actually likes wearing clothes because they keep her warm. She has health issues and one of them is staying warm because she doesn't have a lot of body fat. Store bought clothes either swallow her or are to small. She's got quite the wardrobe of clothes now thanks to thrift stores and lace I've had laying around.
7 years ago
This is beautifully done and yet so simple! Amazing, thank you for the great instructable. Your kittt is also very adorable =^.^=
Reply 7 years ago
Thank you so very much. She was the light of our lives. We lost her the summer of 2014 after loving her for 21 years. In the end she wore the dress to help keep her body temp, you know how little old ladies tend to get cold all the time. :) She was an amazing cat who is very much missed.
8 years ago on Step 2
Thanks a lot for the simple cat sweater project,but I'm worried on how to put in on my reckless little cat.I mean,how do I manage to put it on her?
Anyway,I liked the article and it will really help me.It's sooo simple!!
Reply 8 years ago on Step 2
I found it really easy to just hold my kitty close to my body with one arm holding her in place and bunch the sweater up and slip it over her head. Then one front leg in at a time. I've added some pictures to help show how to do it.
9 years ago
Voted!
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
Thanks!