Little Crochet Cat Pattern

This little crochet cat is about 9 cm (3.5 in) tall, with a soft pear shaped body, small ears, slim arms and legs, a long tail and eyes set in colored irises. Choose any body and eye colors you like and make a whole family.

This free amigurumi cat pattern has every round written out below. The body is worked around a chain, so it grows into a gentle oval rather than a ball. Prefer paper? Download the free printable PDF at the end.

Materials

• About 30 g of 100% cotton DK yarn (50 g, 125 m) or sport yarn, in your body color
• A little yarn in your eye color for the irises
• A crochet hook that suits your yarn (1.75 mm or 2.0 mm)
• A yarn needle and a sewing needle
• Fine mercerized cotton thread for the nose, and embroidery or sewing thread for the whiskers
• 6 mm safety eyes or button eyes, plus black sewing thread to sew them on
• Polyester fiberfill

Skill level and size

This is an intermediate pattern. The body starts around a chain and its shaping moves the increases to the sides, so you need to count carefully in a few rounds. Everything is in single crochet.

With cotton DK or sport yarn the finished cat is about 9 cm (3.5 in) tall.

Abbreviations (US terms)

New to the magic ring or to working in the round? Our free crochet stitch guide shows both with step by step photos.

Pattern

The number in brackets at the end of each round is your stitch count. If you use safety eyes, crochet the irises before you start the body: you need them in round 10.

Body

1. Round 1Ch 9. Starting in the 2nd ch from the hook: inc, sc 6, 3 sc in the last stitch, then turn and work along the other side of the chain: sc 7. From here, work in a spiral. (18)
2. Round 2Inc 2 times, sc 6, inc 3 times, sc 6, inc. (24)
3. Round 3(sc, inc) 2 times, sc 6, (sc, inc) 3 times, sc 7, inc. (30)
4. Round 4(sc 2, inc) 2 times, sc 6, (sc 2, inc) 3 times, sc 8, inc. (36)
5. Round 5(sc 3, inc) 2 times, sc 6, (sc 3, inc) 3 times, sc 9, inc. (42)
6. Rounds 6 and 7Sc in each stitch around. (42)
7. Round 8Sc 4, inc, sc 20, inc, sc 16. (44)
8. Rounds 9 and 10Sc in each stitch around. (44)
9. EyesIf you use safety eyes: push each eye through an iris, then insert the eyes between rounds 9 and 10, 7 stitches apart.
10. Round 11Sc 5, inc, sc 21, inc, sc 16. (46)
11. Round 12Sc in each stitch around. (46)
12. Round 13Sc 6, inc, sc 22, inc, sc 16. (48)
13. Round 14Sc in each stitch around. (48)
14. Round 15Sc 7, inc, sc 23, inc, sc 16. (50)
15. Rounds 16 to 20Sc in each stitch around (5 rounds). (50)
16. Round 21Sc 7, dec, sc 23, dec, sc 16. (48)
17. Rounds 22 and 23Sc in each stitch around. (48)
18. Round 24Sc 7, dec, sc 22, dec, sc 15. (46)
19. Round 25Sc in each stitch around. (46)
20. Round 26Sc 2, (dec, sc 3) 3 times, sc 8, (dec, sc 3) 3 times, sc 6. (40)
21. Rounds 27 and 28Sc in each stitch around. (40)
22. Round 29(sc 3, dec) 8 times. (32)
23. Round 30(sc 2, dec) 8 times. (24)
24. Round 31(sc, dec) 8 times. (16)
25. StuffStuff the body firmly, but do not make it too round.
26. Round 32Dec 8 times. (8)
27. FinishAdd a little more stuffing if you need to. Cut the yarn, leaving a long tail, weave it through the front loops of all 8 stitches and pull tight to close. Hide the tail inside.

Tail

1. Round 1Make 6 sc in a magic ring. (6)
2. Rounds 2 to 23Sc in each stitch around (22 rounds). (6)
3. FinishFasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Arms (make 2)

1. Round 1Make 6 sc in a magic ring. (6)
2. Round 2(sc 2, inc) 2 times. (8)
3. Rounds 3 to 9Sc in each stitch around (7 rounds). (8)
4. FinishDo not stuff the arms. Fold the arm flat and crochet 4 sc through both sides to join them. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Legs (make 2)

1. Round 1Make 6 sc in a magic ring. (6)
2. Round 2(sc, inc) 3 times. (9)
3. Rounds 3 to 8Sc in each stitch around (6 rounds). (9)
4. Round 9Sc 4, inc, sc 4. (10)
5. Round 10Sc in each stitch around. (10)
6. FinishDo not stuff the legs. Fold the leg flat and crochet 5 sc through both sides to join them. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Ears (make 2)

1. Round 1Make 4 sc in a magic ring. (4)
2. Round 2Inc 4 times. (8)
3. Round 3(sc, inc) 4 times. (12)
4. Rounds 4 and 5Sc in each stitch around. (12)
5. FinishDo not stuff the ears. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Irises (make 2)

1. Round 1In your eye color, make 6 sc in a magic ring and slst. (6)
2. FinishDo not pull the rings too tight: the eyes go through them. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Assembly

1. Sew on the ears.
2. Sew the arms on rounds 14 to 16.
3. Sew the legs on rounds 23 to 26.
4. Sew the tail at the center of the back, at about round 25.
5. Embroider the nose on round 10, 2 stitches long.
6. Eyes: they sit between rounds 9 and 10, 7 stitches apart. For button eyes, gently widen the holes with a tapestry needle or the end of your hook, line up the holes in the body with the holes in the irises, then sew the eyes on over the irises.
7. Fix each iris with a few stitches around it, then embroider the whiskers.

Tips for a perfect cat

• Mark the start of each round: the body is worked in a spiral and its increases move to the sides.
• Stuff firmly but keep the gentle pear shape; do not round it out like a ball.
• Pin the ears, arms, legs and tail before sewing and look from the front.
• Try a contrast color for the ears, arms and tail, like grey on a cream cat.

Questions

Is this cat pattern good for beginners?

It is an intermediate pattern. It uses only single crochet, but the body starts around a chain and its increases move to the sides, so you need to follow the counts closely.

How big is the cat?

About 9 cm (3.5 in) tall with cotton DK or sport yarn and a 1.75 mm or 2.0 mm hook.

Can I use safety eyes or buttons?

Both work. Safety eyes go in through the irises during the body, between rounds 9 and 10. Button eyes are sewn on over the irises at the end.

Can I sell the cats I make?

Yes. You are welcome to sell the finished cats you make from this pattern, and a credit to Crochet Simplified with a link to crochetsimplified.com is appreciated. Please do not share, copy or sell the pattern itself.

Is there a printable version?

Yes. The free PDF has the whole pattern. Download it, open it on your phone or print the pages you need.

Using this pattern

This pattern is for your personal use. You may not copy, share, translate, resell or publish this pattern or its photos, in print or online, in whole or in part, free or paid.