RIPT
The best cat shirts are funny, nerdy or artsy, and they make easy gifts for cat people. This guide lists 20 cat t-shirts from RIPT's independent artists in those three groups, with the artist for each, men's tees from $22.95, sizes and shipping, plus the film, music and art references explained and how to keep cat hair off a printed tee.
These are shirts for people, not cats. Every design was live and in stock on 27 October 2026, and each cat-day date was checked against the charity's own page where one was open.
Quick picks
- For a cat's whole personality on one shirt, pick Cat Hobbies.
- For a bad Monday, pick Monday Cat.
- For movie fans, pick Jonesy the Space Cat.
- For music fans, pick Bohemian Catsody.
- For art lovers, pick Purrfect Starry Night.
- For anyone who lives with a cat, pick Cats in a Box.
by kg07
by tbs.fnsc
by sachpica
by turborat
by vptrinidad
by vptrinidad
Cat shirt styles at a glance
| Style | What you get | Designs |
|---|---|---|
| Funny cat shirts | Cat habits, jokes and cat-owner humor | Cat Hobbies, House Cat Service Manual, Monday Cat, Cats in a Box, Cat Hoarder, Meow Obey |
| Pop culture cat shirts | Cats dropped into films, bands and cartoons | Bohemian Catsody, Game of Cats, Jonesy the Space Cat, Sith Yin Yang Cats, Pawtera, Skelemeow, Hoo-Man and the Meowsters of the Universe, Indiana Cat |
| Artsy cat shirts | Illustration you would hang on a wall | Samurai Cat, Koi Fish Cat Irezumi, Yakuza Cat, Purrfect Starry Night, Cat Noir, Library Kittens |
Cat days: when to wear or give a cat shirt
Cat days run all year, and two of them land in the last week of October. Here is when each one is, and who started it.
| Day | Date | Who started it |
|---|---|---|
| US National Cat Day | 29 October, a Thursday in 2026 | Pet lifestyle expert Colleen Paige, first celebrated in 2005, per Wikipedia; the day encourages adoption |
| UK National Black Cat Day | 27 October | Cats Protection, launched on 27 October 2011 |
| International Cat Day | 8 August | Created in 2002 by the International Fund for Animal Welfare, per UPI; International Cat Care now runs it |
| Black Cat Appreciation Day | 17 August | Observed every year since 2011, per FOUR PAWS, which names no founder |
| Japan's Cat Day | 22 February | Set in 1987 by the Japan Cat Day Establishment Committee, and chosen because "ni" sounds like "nyan," the Japanese cat sound, per Fun Japan |
The black cat days have a practical reason. Cats Protection started its day after finding that black cats in its care took about a week longer on average to rehome than cats of other colors, and FOUR PAWS says black cats wait much longer for adoption.
Funny cat shirts
Artist kg07 charts the "hobbies of the domestic cat" in Cat Hobbies, with twelve cats and their pastimes, including gravity researcher, kneading biscuits, packaging engineer and 3 AM parkour. In House Cat Service Manual, artist alex.pawlicki styles a cat as a machine, with a yellow "Type 40 House Cat Service Manual" cover, a cat washing itself and the note "Self Cleaning Unit. Includes 3AM Alarm & Hyper-Drive."
Artist tbs.fnsc draws a tired cat in a tie, with a to-go coffee and the word "MONDAY," in Monday Cat. Artist eduely scatters cats through cardboard boxes in Cats in a Box, under the line "May you always be happy as a cat in a box." Dooomcat heaps cats around a grinning owner in Cat Hoarder, with "This is my" above the pile and "happy place" below it, so it suits anyone with one cat too many. Artist clingcling gives a wide-eyed cat the street-poster treatment in Meow Obey, with a red bar that reads "MEOW."
Pop culture cat shirts
Artist turborat's Bohemian Catsody arranges four famous cartoon cats in a diamond, in a pun on Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody." Freddie Mercury wrote the song, and Queen released it as a single in the UK on 31 October 1975, according to Wikipedia. Artist sachpica puts an orange cat in an astronaut helmet in Jonesy the Space Cat, with "Nostromo Crew" lettering. Jones, nicknamed Jonesy, is the ship's cat on the Nostromo in Alien, a ginger cat who survives with Ripley, per Wikipedia.
The rest are mashups for fans. Fernando_Sala seats a stern cat on a throne built from balls of yarn in Game of Cats. Artist krisren28 curls a dark-gray cat in a Darth Vader-style helmet and a white cat in a stormtrooper-style helmet into a yin-yang circle in Sith Yin Yang Cats. Artist koalastudio sets a guitar-shredding cat under metal-band lettering that spells "PAWTERA" in Pawtera. Obvian turns a skull-faced cat in a purple hood into a Masters of the Universe villain in Skelemeow, with "MyAAOW!" in a comic bubble, and artist vptrinidad draws a muscled, blond hero with a cat's face in Hoo-Man and the Meowsters of the Universe, in a Masters of the Universe-style logo. Zascanauta crouches a cat in a fedora on a mossy ledge in front of a temple wall in Indiana Cat, reaching for a golden idol. More crossovers are in RIPT's pop culture mashup shirts and cartoon graphic tees.
Artsy cat shirts
Artist vptrinidad draws three of the six artsy designs. Samurai Cat frames a headbanded cat with a katana against a sunset circle, with a pagoda and palm trees behind. Koi Fish Cat Irezumi stretches an orange cat diagonally down the shirt, with a koi fish and waves tattooed down its back. Irezumi is the Japanese word for tattoo, and the decorative style grew in the Edo period, from 1603 to 1867, according to Wikipedia. Purrfect Starry Night places a black cat with amber eyes under a swirling night sky. Van Gogh painted The Starry Night in June 1889 at an asylum near Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, and MoMA has owned it since 1941.
Artist tbs.fnsc draws a hairless cat with orange tattoo-style artwork across its torso and flank in Yakuza Cat, framed by a gold ring and the character for cat. Eoli Studio makes a poster of a cat detective in a fedora, goggles and trench coat in Cat Noir, with a spider icon at the bottom. French critic Nino Frank applied the term film noir to Hollywood films in 1946. TaylorRoss1 tucks small cats between the rainbow rows of a bookshelf in Library Kittens.
Cat dad, cat mom and gift ideas
Cat people are a big group. The American Pet Products Association's 2026 Cat Report says 53 million US households owned a cat in 2025, about 39 percent of all households, and that men are 43 percent of US cat owners.
Every design above comes as both a men's tee and a women's tee, so any of them works for a cat dad or a cat mom. Match the joke to the person. For the person who talks about their cat all day, Cat Hobbies is the safe pick. A film fan will like Jonesy the Space Cat or Indiana Cat, and a metal fan will like Pawtera. An art lover will keep Purrfect Starry Night or Samurai Cat, and a friend with too many cats needs Cat Hoarder. If you can only pick one, pick Cat Hobbies: twelve cats, twelve pastimes, and every cat owner will spot their own.
Living with cat hair: keep a cat shirt wearable
We found no test that shows which tee color or fabric picks up the least cat hair, so treat the color tip below as a rule of thumb. The rest comes from vets, charities and cleaning guides.
- Brush the cat. The ASPCA says frequent brushing reduces shedding. WebMD says one or two brushings a week suit most cats, while VCA Animal Hospitals says daily brushing can help keep your home fur and dander free. Sources differ, so match it to your cat's coat.
- Pick a color near your cat's coat. Hair shows most when it contrasts with the fabric.
- Lift hair off the shirt. Great Pet Care suggests a lint roller, masking tape, damp hands, which clump the hair so it wipes away, or a damp rubber glove.
- Remove hair before you wash. Shake it out and tumble the shirt for about 10 minutes on no heat. Consumer Reports says the mix of water and pet hair forms clumps that can clog the washer's drain pump, and a Speed Queen spokesperson told it that water makes pet hair harder to remove.
- Then wash for the print. Printful's care guide says to wash a printed tee inside out at 30 C (86 F) or below, skip fabric softener and tumble low or hang dry.
RIPT's product FAQ lists the men's basic tee as ring-spun cotton, and its designs are printed on demand in the USA.
How to choose a cat shirt
- Pick the cut first. The men's tee is a classic fit. The premium men's tee is a retail fit with unisex sizing. The women's tee has a slightly tapered women's cut, and RIPT's product FAQ says women's styles are not traditional unisex tees.
- Think about the back. On the zip-up hoodie, the design is printed on the back, so check the product picture before you order one.
- Pick a joke you will still like. Pop culture mashups are funniest to people who know the original. Cat Hobbies and Cats in a Box work for any cat person. For more on cuts and fabrics, see how to choose a graphic tee.
- Not every design comes in every style. The design page lists the styles it comes in. Youth tees and hoodies, for example, are only on some designs.
Cat shirt prices and sizes
- Most of the designs above: the men's tee is $22.95 to $28.95 depending on size. The premium men's tee is $24.95 to $28.95, the women's tee $22.95 to $25.95, the tank top $24.95 to $26.95 and the crew neck sweatshirt $29.95 to $34.95.
- Five designs cost more: Cat Hobbies, Meow Obey, Jonesy the Space Cat, Sith Yin Yang Cats and Cat Noir. Their men's tee runs $25 to $31 ($30 on Jonesy the Space Cat), and their crew neck sweatshirt is $40 to $45, about $10 more than on the others.
- Sizes: the men's tee goes up to 6XL on most designs (5XL on Jonesy the Space Cat and 3XL on Skelemeow), and the women's tee goes from S to 3XL. Skelemeow's men's tee therefore tops out at $25.95. The size chart says the premium tees run small, so size up if you are between sizes.
- Shipping: almost all apparel orders ship within 5 to 7 business days, and delivery time comes on top of that. It can take longer if a vendor is delayed. Design pages list shipping from $5.49 and free shipping over $69. See shipping and returns.
- Returns: new, unworn and unwashed items within 30 days of delivery. RIPT does not pay return shipping. If RIPT made the mistake, such as the wrong size, the wrong color or a misprint, you do not need to send it back: email photos and RIPT reships it.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I buy funny cat shirts?
RIPT Apparel sells cat t-shirts from independent artists, from cat-owner jokes to film and music parodies. The list above has 20 that were in stock on 27 October 2026, and each design page names the artist.
Are these shirts for people or for cats?
For people. They are tees, tank tops and sweatshirts in men's and women's sizes, with youth tees on some designs, not clothes for cats.
Do these come in women's and men's cuts?
Yes. All 20 come as a men's tee and a women's tee, and the women's tee has its own cut, so check the size chart.
What is a good gift for a cat lover?
A shirt that matches their sense of humor. Cat Hobbies and Cats in a Box suit anyone who lives with a cat, Jonesy the Space Cat suits a fan of Alien, and Purrfect Starry Night suits an art lover.
When is National Cat Day?
US National Cat Day is 29 October, a Thursday in 2026. Pet lifestyle expert Colleen Paige started it, and it was first celebrated in 2005 to encourage cat adoption.
How do I get cat hair off a shirt?
Use a lint roller or masking tape, or wipe the shirt with damp hands, which clump the hair so it wipes away, or a damp rubber glove. Brushing your cat also reduces how much hair reaches your clothes.
How do I wash a shirt covered in cat hair?
Remove as much hair as you can first, then tumble the shirt for about 10 minutes on no heat before washing, because wet hair clumps and can clog the drain pump. For a printed tee, also wash it cool and inside out and skip fabric softener.
Who is Jonesy the cat in Alien?
Jones, nicknamed Jonesy, is the ginger ship's cat on the Nostromo in the 1979 film Alien, and he survives with Ripley.
What is irezumi?
Irezumi is the Japanese word for tattoo, and the elaborate decorative style grew in the Edo period, from 1603 to 1867.
How long does shipping take?
RIPT prints to order, and almost all apparel orders ship within 5 to 7 business days, plus delivery time.