25 Purr-fect Origami Cats, Fur Real, I’m not Kitten…

We’re setting the record for the most puns in a post title with this one!

Origami cats are a curious thing. I’ve come across a lot of really fantastic origami lion and tiger models. Even some panthers, leopards, and other large cats.

House cats, on the other hand, are much harder to find. I don’t really know why that is, but my theory is that it must be much harder to make natural-looking origami cats than it is to make origami versions of other animals.

That being said, there are some really great cat and kitten models out there. It just took a while to collect enough for a post. You’ll also see some lions, tigers, and other giant cats thrown in here, too.

Simple Cat, Designed by Nicolas Terry and Folded by Florent Fabre

Let’s start this post with an adorable origami cat by Nicolas Terry. It’s a simple model to fold, and a nice chance to try an easy design from this French origami artist.

Lucky Cat (Maneki Neko), Designed by Oriol Esteve and Folded by Florent Fabre

This is a low-intermediate model with a smooth, enjoyable folding sequence. A good fit for beginners with some experience who are ready for a bit more challenge.

Cat, Designed by Katsuta Kyohei and Folded by Eyal

This is probably the most famous house cat model designed by Katsuta Kyohei.

Smilodon, Designed by Satoshi Kamiya and Folded by Matthew Groves

Satoshi Kamiya’s Smilodon model is still one of my all time favourites and I hope to manage to fold it myself one day.

Cat, Designed by Katsuta Kyohei and Folded by Agnieska (Agne) Mackonyte

This is Katsuta Kyohei’s cat again but folded by a different artist with different paper for a very different look.

Kittens, Designed and Folded by Joseph Wu

Here are two very cute little origami kittens designed by Joseph Wu.

Instructions not available.

Lion, Designed and Folded by v.coeurjoly7

This lion is probably the most unique origami lion I’ve ever seen. I love the pose it’s in with the raised paw.

Instructions not available.

Playful Kittens, Designed and Folded by József Zsebe

Here are two more absolutely adorable little kittens.

Instructions not available.

Black Panther, Designed by Kunsulu Jilkishiyeva and Folded by Luc MARNAT

Kunsulu Jilkishiyeva designed a fantastic black panther and here it is doing some hunting.

Tiger, Designed and Folded by Gen Hagiwara

Here’s possibly the best origami tiger design I’ve seen by Gen Hagiwara.

Cat, Designed and Folded by Hiroaki Kobayashi

This is another really excellent origami cat design by Hiroaki Kobayashi.

Instructions not available.

Lion, Designed and Folded by Nicolas Terry

I think this picture of an origami lion after a hunt is adorable. The lion and the carcass it’s eating are folded from the same sheet of paper.

Instructions not available.

Cat, Designed by Katsuta Kyohei and Folded by Eric Vigier

Here’s another take on Katsuta Kyohei’s cat by a different folder.

Smilodon, Designed by Satoshi Kamiya and Folded by Emre Ayaroglu

Here are two beautiful looking origami Smilodons.

Siamese Cat, Designed and Folded by gabrixx_

This is a fantastic design that really captures the essence of a Siamese cat.

Instructions not available.

Winged Cats, Designed and Folded by Joseph Wu

This next photo is a bit different from everything else here because they’re not actually real cats since they have wings. They still look really paw-some though.

Instructions not available.

Lion, Designed and Folded by Hoàng Tiến Quyết

Hoàng Tiến Quyết’s lion is easily my all-time favourite origami lion. I absolutely love the curves and the lack of sharp edges that are signatures of Vietnamese origami artists.

Instructions not available.

Tiger, Designed by Hideo Komatsu and Folded by Philippe Landrein

I love Hideo Komatsu’s tiger design, especially how it uses two coloured papers and folds to make the individual stripes.

Black Cat, Designed by Sebastien Limet and Folded by Luc MARNAT

Here’s a more cartoonish cat design.

Black Panther, Designed and Folded by Quentin Trollip

Next is a much scarier black panther. I especially love the claws on the feet and the teeth.

Instructions not available.

Tiger, Designed by Quentin Trollip and Folded by 簡單的度過-2

Quentin Trollip has also designed a fantastic tiger that also makes excellent use of two coloured paper to form the tiger stripes.

Cat, Designed by Katsuta Kyohei and Folded by Alexander Krupnikov

The little ball of yarn in this photo is a really nice touch.

Cat, Designed and Folded by Seth Friedman

Seth Friedman has designed one of the best origami cats I’ve seen. He’s really captured the spirit of a real cat with the shape of the model and its pose.

Cat, Designed by Gilgado Gomez and Folded by Luc MARNAT

Here’s another excellent more cartoonish looking cat.

Cat, Designed by Katsuta Kyohei and Folded by Yery J. Astroña (yeryco)

Here’s one more rendition of Katsuta Kyohei’s excellent origami cat.

Tiger, Designed by Gen Hagiwara and Folded by Andrés

This is Gen Hagiwara’s tiger again folded by a different artist. It looks quite playful.

Just After Birth, Designed and Folded by Nicolas Terry

Our final model for this post is this absolutely fantastic and adorable mother lion with a cub. Both lions are folded from the same sheet of paper.

Instructions not available.

 

That’s it for this post, and there probably won’t be another post with origami cats for a long time. I still have lots of lions, tigers, and those types of cats to feature, but this is pretty much it for house or pet cats.

Be sure to visit each of these artists as well and let them know you like their work!