35 Cat Nail Designs for the Cutest Mani Ever!
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Are you a little cat crazy? Who isn’t?
We love cats! And it’s not just our beloved furry feline family at home that we love; we also love cats on everything — clothes with cat prints, cat-themed accessories, and even cat nail designs!
After all, cats are very in vogue as both a fashion accessory and mani inspiration.
That’s why we’ve looked everywhere to find our favorite cat nail designs.
With these, you won’t have to settle for just one cat manicure — you can do cat nails every day of the week!
If you love cats and kitschy nails as much as we do, this list is definitely for you. Check out our favorite ideas for cat-inspired nails.
Table of Contents
Nail Art Essentials
Before we get to our list of designs, let’s make sure you have everything you need to create cat nail art designs (in addition to the essentials like your base coat, top coat, cuticle pushers, files, and nail buffers.)
Here are 10 of our must-have nail art essentials to create the cat nail designs:
1. Nail Polish Pens
Nail polish pens give you more precision and make it easier for you to doodle and draw directly on your nails.
Examples of the best ones include the Kalolary Graffiti Nail Art Pens and the Saviland Nail Art Pens.
2. Polish Correcting Pens
You’re bound to make mistakes, and while going past the lines in life is fine, you want to keep your polish on your nail beds and prevent them from getting all over your skin.
A polish-correcting pen like the OPI Nail Polish Corrector Pen or the Stylo Corrector Nail Polish Remover Pen ensures your mani stays clean.
3. Nail Art Brushes
If you prefer brushes to pens, make sure you have a good arsenal of nail art brushes, including a thin brush for designs with fine lines like cat whiskers.
Try the Artdone Nail Art Brushes or the Winstonia Nail Art Brushes for sets of brushes that fit your needs.
4. Striping Tape
If you are creating lines or squares with multiple colors on each nail plate, striping tape can help you achieve clean and gorgeous lines.
Some great striping tapes include the Fandamei Nail Striping Tape and the Metallic Nail Striping Tape.
5. Dotting Tool
If you want to create dots on your nails or circle patterns to complement your cat nail art, you need a dotter tool to make it easier.
The Glamne Stainless Steel Dotting Tools or the Dotting Tools and Embossing Stylus are excellent choices for dotting tools.
6. Embellishments
Embellishments can really help you glam up your nails.
Get rhinestone nail gems like the Artdone Nail Rhinestones, Gems, and Studs or charms of your favorite cat characters like the Dreamynini Kawaii Hello Kitty and Sanrio Nail Charms, and more!
7. Nail Glue
If you want to use cat nail charms and other embellishments, having nail glue will help you stick these charms to your nails.
Some nail techs use resin, but nail glue like the Makartt Nail Rhinestone Glue for Nail Art or the Modelones Rhinestone Glue for Nails is a good go-to for a quick fix.
8. Transfer Foil
Transfer foil is an elegant option for cat nail designs. The foil allows you to leave traces of metallic foil on your nails.
Try Metallic Foil Nail Transfer or Holographic Nail Transfer Foil.
9. Nail Glitter
Glitter nail polish is always eye-catching, but it’s good to have loose glitter handy in case you want to sprinkle some on your design.
The Fandamei 48 Colors Nail Glitter Set and the Holograhic Nail Art Sequins Glitter are superb examples of sparkly, high-quality glitter flakes.
10. Nail Wraps and Stickers
If you want to do nail art but don’t have the skills (or patience) for intricate nail designs, nail wraps and stickers give you an easy way to beautify your nails quickly.
Some of the best cat-themed ones include the Phogary Cat Nail Design Stickers, AM Nails Black Cat Nail Art Transfer Stickers, and the Nailog Black Cat Wraps.
35 Awesome Cat Nail Designs To Try Now!
With your nail art tools in tow, you’re ready to try all the purr-fect cat nail designs you can imagine.
Get some inspiration from our 35 favorite feline-inspired manis.
1. Marvelous Marie
A fun way to do a cute kitty cat nail design is to feature your favorite cats from pop culture, like Marie from the beloved Disney classic “The Aristocrats!”
Make your mani extra feminine and flirty by pairing one nail with the Marie design with pink polish, pink French tips, pink glitter ombré tips, rhinestones, 3D floral charms, and large glitter flakes on the rest of your nails!
2. The Aristocats!
More of a fan of Duchess and O’Malley from “The Aristocats?”
Get this bold and beautiful mani with intense matte purple nails with hearts and musical notes that tell the love story of Duchess and O’Malley.
3. Black Magic
Halloween, but make it adorable and fab? Easy!
This mani features a stunning gunmetal gray base, silver glitter, golden stars, and a black cat perched atop a curved white line. It’s sexy and subtle.
4. Cat Memes and Polka Dots
Want a cheeky cat nail design?
This adorable mani has short square nails in white that look sweet and sassy with mini black and pink polka dots and accent nails with everyone’s favorite meme: a white cat raising his middle fingers.
5. Halloween Kitty Nails
Black cats on white nails and white ghosts on black nails are perfect for the spooky season (and any season, actually!).
Amp them up more with moons and stars for the full Halloween look.
6. Frenchies and Kitties
If you are looking for cute cat nail art, this simple but stunning manicure is perfect!
Pair eye-catching oval nails with classic French tips, and add cute black cat nail art to your accent nail.
7. Full-On Fabulous
If you love cats but also adore full-on intricate 3D nails, get the best of both with this mani idea!
This manicure has pretty pink-and-blue ombré nails that flaunt pearls and 3D moon and ribbon charms along with glitter, golden stars, and black and white Sailor Moon-inspired cat designs!
8. Spooky, Smoky, and Silver
There’s just something special about black, cats, and gray.
This mani combines all these elements beautifully — gray sky nails, scary forests, white ghosts, white sparkles, black cat silhouettes, and black accent nails with an eerie smoke effect.
9. Deep Purple
Purple is a stunning choice if you want to add some color to your black cat nail art.
These pale purple square nails look stunning with a deep purple ombré, glittery purple French tips, and the captivating art of a pensive cat on a moon.
10. Pretty Kitty Tips
Delighted by cat nail designs but intimidated by intricate nail art?
Try simple cat nail art, like drawing a Hello Kitty face on perfect white French tips. Add a pink bow charm to each tip for that adorable Hello Kitty style.
11. Ombré and Platinum
Go mysterious and luxe with smoky black ombré nails, black circles, and a bloodred accent nail with an iconic silver cat-on-the-moon silhouette.
It’s elegant, pretty, and unique.
12. Peek-a-Boo Cat
Make peek-a-boo black cat tips stand out even more by adding them to a manicure with bright green, pink, and orange colors and a shimmery finish.
Pair them with black moons and stars too, and the result is a sparkly Halloween look!
13. This Is Halloween
Can’t get enough Halloween cat nails? Us neither!
These beautiful short clear nails make the perfect Halloween mani with wavy orange, black, and white French tips and black cats, dots, spiderwebs, and stars.
14. Big Moon Rising Nails
Combine cat nail art with beautiful aura nails like this stunning mani that features glossy black nails and black nails with a circular gradient and chill-inducing Halloween designs nail art like black cats, spiders, ghosts, and winter trees.
15. Very Violet
Halloween cat nail designs don’t need to be in black and orange. These bold and vibrant glossy purple nails are perfection!
Use a lighter purple color with a circular gradient on your accent nail to serve as the base for your black cat silhouette nail art.
16. Cats in Love
Feeling romantic? These adorable cat-in-love nails are a gorgeous date night look.
Combine glittery purple nails with pale lilac nails with purple speckles and cute cats holding hearts. Tie the look together by adding hearts to your other nails too.
17. Cat Party!
Create a celebratory manicure with silver holographic glitter nail polish, happy black-and-white cats, and some pink balloons for good measure!
18. Gradient Nails and Cat Art
If you want colorful cat-themed nails, give gradient a try!
These magenta nails are paired with pink-and-blue gradient nails and goofy cartoon black cats.
19. Cute and Chic Cat Nails
If you want an easy cat nail design, this one is simple and super chic!
Start with a neutral milky white base and use black polish to draw cat paws and cat silhouettes with whiskers.
20. Hello Kitty Nails
You deserve an all-out mani like this these coffin-shaped acrylic cat nails!
To achieve this look, paint your acrylic nails pink and decorate them with curves and dots in pink and white. Finish the look with Hello Kitty charms, 3D bows, and pearl hearts.
21. Thin Tips and Kitty Accents
This cute cat nail design gives you a unique way to include cats in a minimal and elegant mani.
Use a pretty pink nail base, paint thin black French tips on each nail, and complete the mani with an adorable black cats on the accent nails.
22. Cats on a Starry Night Sky
Create a stunning night sky with midnight blue nail polish speckled with stunning gold glitter.
Add a white crescent moon and moon glow with a stylish black cat silhouette.
23. Spot the Cat!
Here’s another fantastic idea for easy cat nail art.
On gorgeous muted pink nails, paint a simple black cat with yellow eyes on the tip of your accent nail. It’s playful, fun, and charming!
24. Lovely in Lavender
There are many iterations of cats against the night sky. You can go with darker colors like violet, gray, and midnight blue.
Or you can go light like this glittery lavender mani with white stars, a pretty crescent moon, and a mystical black cat.
25. Sexy Gray and Black Stilettos
Gorgeous gray stiletto nails are funky and fabulous with a mix of everything, including cat-on-the-moon silhouette art, mixed-pattern and multicolored brush strokes, and glitter French tips.
26. Party Cats
If you want party-ready cat nails, look no further than this adorable all-out party kitty cat nail art.
You can glam up your nails with gorgeous glitter polish, exciting patterns like muticolored stars and dots, and cats in party hats.
27. Charming Cheetah
Not all cat designs on nails are cute.
This luxurious cheetah nail art on an elegant emerald green base shows that you definitely go luxe while still enjoying a cat-themed manicure.
28. Watercolor Cat Art
Yes, watercolor art will look lovely on your nails — and this mani proves it.
It combines white nails with watercolor cat and night sky nail art and abstract watercolor art with clear nails that have 3D swirls and glitter.
To add artsy designs to the mix, two nails stand out with a glittery blue and a glittery pink base and handpainted flowers, stars, and peace symbols.
29. Real Cute
Combine cat paw art with realistic cat designs to create a unique manicure. These short round nails look adorable with a bevy of kitties.
30. Snow Cats
Deck out your beautiful blue and white square-shaped nails with frosty snowflake accents, 3D cat paws, a cute kitty nail design with a white cat in a cool blue scarf, and a glittery white accent nail!
31. Sanrio Surprise
If you’re looking for acrylic cat nail designs, this fabulous Hello Kitty acrylic mani is a wonderful choice.
It combines pink and white polish, wavy gold glitter lines, marble designs, Hello Kitty nail charms, luxe crocodile prints, and a fluffy gray puff on long coffin-shaped nails.
32. Smooth Matte and Cat
If you like gorgeous and simple cat nail ideas, you’ll love these fresh, lovely nails with matte dusty blue nail polish and a winking white cat.
33. Pink and Gray and Cats and Dots
Pink and gray polish is such a fresh and feminine combination.
Elevate these colors by adding cute nail art and fashionable polka dots to complement your smiling gray cats.
34. Patchwork Pattern
This charming mani features bright pink, blue, and orange nails with patchwork-patterned cat nail art on the accent nail.
And to highlight the stunning sharp edges of the square-shaped nails, one patchwork kitty is drawn on the tip of one nail!
35. Super Sunny Cats
Sunny yellow nails are a cheery canvas for cat nail art.
Take inspiration from these lemon yellow nails with precious cat faces and dainty white polka dots.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the Easiest Way To Do Cat Nail Designs?
If you love cat nail art but want to keep it simple, don’t be afraid to go minimalist.
You can do something as simple as paint French tips in the shape of cat ears or use a dotting tool to make basic cat paw prints.
Using nail stickers is also a fun and easy way to create cat nail designs without all the work.
What Are Cat Eye Nail Designs?
You may have also heard of cat eye nail designs. A cat’s gorgeous eyes inspire these nails that feature a narrow line of reflective light that shimmers in the middle of your nail polish.
You can find many gorgeous cat eye gel nail designs on the internet, and you can play around with colors and line placement depending on your style and mood.
Try Out Cool Cat Manicures Now!
Well, the cat’s out of the bag!
Cat nail designs are a cute way of donning a manicure that shows your creative side and your love for cats!
So roll your sleeves up and unleash your inner crazy cat lady as you find your next favorite mani.
You can take inspiration from the designs we’ve shared and mix and match nail products and art ideas until you find one that suits you.
And don’t forget to have fun as you try new color and texture combinations! It won’t be long before you’ll be rocking perfect cat-inspired nails.
Looking for Cool and Creative Nail Designs?
Check these out:
- 43 Head-Turning Diamond Nail Designs To Steal the Spotlight
- 51 Daisy Nail Designs: Blooming With Summer Vibes
- 40 Timeless White and Silver Nails: Elegance Meets Modern Glam