In this guide
What are the best gifts for cat lovers?
The best gifts for cat lovers are about their own cat. A hand-painted oil portrait from a favourite photo comes first: it takes 21 to 28 days to paint, comes in sizes from 40 x 50 cm to 100 x 150 cm, and can show up to four cats or people. Cat paintings, canvas prints and gift cards fill the gaps.
Cat owners are hard to buy for. They already have the scratching post, the novelty mug and the tea towel with a cat on it, usually several of each. What most of them do not have is a proper painting of the cat that actually runs the house, hung where visitors will see it.
This guide covers four kinds of cat gift, in the order most people should consider them: a custom portrait of their cat, a ready-made cat painting, a canvas print, and a gift card when time or photos run short. Each comes with real sizes, make times and the dates to work to for Christmas.
A quick word on what you are buying. Every painting we sell is 100% hand-painted in oils on canvas by professional, university-trained artists. Nothing printed is sold as a painting. Our prints are printed, stretched and framed in Melbourne, and they are always labelled as prints.
How does a custom cat portrait from a photo work?
You upload a photo of the cat, choose a style and a size, and pay a 20% deposit to start. An artist paints the portrait by hand in oils, and before anything is sent you receive a photo of the finished painting to approve. Changes before approval are unlimited and free, and the balance is charged only once you are happy.
The Oil Painting Portrait from Photo comes in three styles. Realism gives a lifelike result that captures fur texture and eye colour, which matters with cats more than most pets. Impressionist uses looser, visible brushwork. Pop Art uses bold, flat colour and suits a modern apartment or a cat with a big personality.
A few things cat owners often do not realise they can ask for:
- Up to four subjects on one canvas, so two cats, or a cat with its owner, works well.
- Photos can be combined. Cats rarely sit together on cue, so two cats photographed on different days can share one painting.
- Backgrounds can be changed: the sunny windowsill, the favourite armchair, or a plain colour that suits the room.
- Collars, bells and harnesses can be left out.
Cats are tricky to photograph, so the photo matters. Our guide to which photos work best for an oil painting covers light, angle and resolution. The custom cat portraits page shows finished cat portraits in each style.
Which cat paintings and cat wall art make good cat gifts?
When the gift has to be a surprise and you cannot get a photo without giving the game away, a ready-made cat painting is the next best thing. Choose by the person's taste first. Someone with a bright, modern home will enjoy pop art; someone with a cottage or a book-lined study will prefer something quieter.
All of our cat paintings are hand-painted in oils to order, so the artist paints the size you choose rather than enlarging a small image. That is also why they take 21 to 28 days, the same as a custom portrait.
- Princess Cat is a neon pop art cat portrait in portrait format, offered from 50 x 60 cm to 135 x 200 cm. It suits a bedroom, a teenager's room or a colourful living room.
- Feline is a stylised folk art cat in square format, from 60 x 60 cm to 175 x 175 cm. It works in a kitchen, a hallway or a child's room.
Cat art prints for a quicker gift
Canvas prints are made in 10 to 14 days, so they are the answer when Christmas is close. Green-Eyed Tabby Gaze is a detailed tabby cat drawing printed on canvas, from 40 x 60 cm to 135 x 200 cm. Prints come "Stretched Ready to Hang (FREE)", so they arrive ready for the wall.
The wider animal art collection holds more paintings of cats, dogs, horses and birds, the canvas prints collection has thousands more prints, and living room wall art helps if the piece is going above a sofa. Already have a great photo of their cat but no time for a painting? Print Your Own Image on Canvas turns it into a stretched canvas print in 10 to 14 days.
What size cat portrait or painting should you choose?
Size depends on where it will hang and how many subjects are in it. One cat curled up looks right at a modest size, while two cats with their owner need more room so that no face ends up smaller than a fist. Use this table as a starting point.
| Where it will hang | Custom portrait size | Ready-made painting size |
|---|---|---|
| Desk, shelf or narrow wall | 40 x 50 cm | 50 x 60 cm or 60 x 60 cm |
| Hallway or above a side table | 50 x 70 cm or 60 x 90 cm | 60 x 90 cm or 75 x 75 cm |
| Above a bed or sofa | 90 x 120 cm | 90 x 120 cm or 110 x 110 cm |
| Feature wall, or three to four subjects | 100 x 150 cm | 100 x 150 cm or 150 x 150 cm |
For one cat, 50 x 70 cm or 60 x 90 cm suits most homes. For three or four subjects, start at 90 x 120 cm. Our size guide explains each canvas shape, and the free See it in your room tool places a painting on a photo of the actual wall, to scale, before you order.
Frames add to the outside size. A floating frame adds about 2 to 3 cm per side. Every ready-made painting and print in this guide comes "Stretched Ready to Hang (FREE)", with Gold, Black, Silver, Natural and White Floating Frame as options.
When should you order cat lover gifts for Christmas?
Hand-painted work takes 21 to 28 days to make, and the weeks before Christmas are our busiest, so make times can run longer. With a custom portrait, approving the finished photo quickly also helps. Delivery is free Australia-wide with no minimum order.
Here is the order-by guidance we give Christmas shoppers. These are recommendations, not delivery promises, and our Christmas order-by dates page has the detail.
- Custom cat portraits: order in October if you can, so there is time for any changes.
- Ready-made cat paintings: order by about 10 November.
- Canvas prints, including your own photo on canvas: order by late November.
- Gift cards: any time.
If you are reading this after the portrait date, the Direct Art Gift Card is the honest answer. Cards range from $50 to $2,000, and the recipient can order their cat's portrait in January with a better photo and no rush. Our Christmas art gift guide has more on timing.
What if the cat has passed, or you cannot get a photo?
A portrait of a cat that has died is one of the most meaningful gifts we paint. Older photos and phone snaps can often be worked from, and the artist can combine several pictures to get the eye colour and markings right. Our guide to pet memorial gift ideas covers how to approach it gently, and the pet memorial portraits page shows examples.
If you cannot get a photo without spoiling the surprise, give a gift card with a note that says what it is for. The owner then chooses the photo, the style and the size themselves. Our gift certificates page explains how cards are sent.
Whatever you choose is covered by our 30-day money-back guarantee, custom portraits included. The details are on the guarantee page, and you can cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.
Questions people ask
What do you buy a cat lover who has everything?
Buy a hand-painted portrait of their own cat. Owners who have every toy and gadget rarely have a real painting of their pet, and it is the one gift nobody else can duplicate. If you cannot get a photo, a gift card lets them order one themselves.
Can you paint a cat portrait from a phone photo?
Yes, as long as the cat's face is sharp and well lit. Natural daylight near a window works best. If one photo shows the eyes and another shows the markings, send both and the artist can combine them.
Can two cats go in one painting?
Yes. The portrait takes up to four subjects, cats, dogs or people, and photos taken at different times can be combined into one scene. For two cats choose 60 x 90 cm or larger; for three or four, 90 x 120 cm or larger.
What cat gifts can I still order for Christmas if I am late?
A canvas print, made in 10 to 14 days, or a gift card, available any time. A card from $50 to $2,000 lets them commission their own cat portrait after the holidays.
Related guides
- Gifts for Dog Lovers: Portraits and Dog Art They Will Keep on Show
- Pet Memorial Gift Ideas: 7 Ways to Remember a Dog or Cat
- Oil Painting from a Photo: Which Photos Work Best
Next step: upload a photo of their cat and start a hand-painted cat portrait with a 20% deposit. You approve the finished painting before you pay the balance.
