Top 61+ Best Simple Cat Tattoo Ideas – [2022 Inspiration Guide]

Due to their nine lives, cats are associated with good luck and fortune in a variety of different cultures. 

They’re also most often the ‘other’ pet, their intelligence and independence seen as the natural opposition to loyal, obedient, and less sensible dogs. 

Other collectors use the cats’ more complex nature to incorporate their own personality characteristics into tattoo ideas and use a simple design to reinforce the feline theme and symbolism. 

Cats have been associated mysticism and the supernatural throughout history, most notably in Egypt, where felines represented the Goddess Bastet, and the punishment for killing or injuring a cat was severe.  

In the West, black cats have been harbingers of bad luck as well as having deep associations with witchcraft and the occult, and idea built upon in fairy tales, and early television shows. 

In modern times felines have maintained this mystical connection, which is one reason why people choose to incorporate these multi-faceted creatures into tattoos.

With such a unisex tattoo choice, all manner of places can be used for the portrayal of a simple cat design. 

Traditional placement areas are popular – the forearm and inner wrist, upper arm, calf tattoo or shoulder blade are used for small to medium designs involving bold black ink or linework. 

Interestingly, simple tattoo placement often involves more contemporary locations, with the hands, wrist, thigh, or ankle/lower leg also providing some brilliant ink examples. 

Some cat tattoos are straightforward in their meaning: a lucky charm, favored animal or inspirational quotes show the importance these animals play in the wearer’s life. 

For some people, however, less candid feline designs better suit their personality and sense of style—as well as their sense of humor. 

Other simple cat tattoos incorporate subtle symbolism, geometry, or cultural themes them into ink with more profound significance, taking the ordinary to the extraordinary with the use of a clever concept. 

An adage in the tattoo world says, “bold will hold”. 

Good linework forms the backbone for simple designs such as cats. The bold heavier ink or flowing line creates tattoos that will stand the test of time. 

Linework can come in any number of different styles and designs, from script work to American traditional pieces, but a consistent application and full saturation of ink are required for any tattoo that can be expected to last.