A crochet cat hat pattern is a quick project that uses very little yarn, and most can be finished in an evening.
The ten free patterns below include five written tutorials with step-by-step photos and five videos you can pause and follow as you crochet.
You’ll find everything from a witch hat with ear openings to a tiny pumpkin, a Santa hat with a fluffy brim, and a unicorn horn that actually stands up.
Choose one that suits the occasion, your skill level, and, realistically, how long your cat is likely to tolerate wearing it.
Two of the designers here own up to something most pattern pages leave out, and one of them says outright that she only puts hats on her cats for photos.
10+ Adorable Crochet Cat Hat Patterns You’ll Want to Make
1. Crochet Witch Hat for Cat
Nicole Riley works her crochet witch hat for cat from the top down in single crochet, using black yarn with an eggplant-colored band.
Made with WeCrochet Brava and a 4 mm hook, the finished hat is about 4.5 inches tall on an adult cat.
You can follow the full cat witch hat crochet pattern free on her website, with an ad-free printable PDF available separately.
One detail worth following closely is her advice on the ties: leave them loose enough that your cat can kick the hat off if they’ve had enough.
And if you prefer something less witchy, you could flatten and reshape the brim for a look closer to a crochet cowboy cat hat free pattern.
You can also get a ready-made Cat Witch Hat Costume Set instead.
The hat is only half the outfit, and our roundup of Halloween costume ideas for cats covers twenty-nine more, shop-bought and homemade.
2. Crochet Pumpkin Cat Hat
This little pumpkin is meant to sit loosely on top of the head rather than fit like a proper hat.
Kristina Turner’s version comes out at around 3 inches wide using worsted-weight yarn and a 3.5 mm hook, with a short brown stem and seven stitched crease lines.
The full crochet pumpkin cat hat pattern free is available on her site, along with an optional chin strap.
Kristina notes that two of her three cats preferred wearing it without the strap, and she only uses the hats briefly for photos rather than leaving them on around the house.
If you like this simple rounded shape, changing the colors and adding small ears would also give you a good starting point for a crochet frog hat for cat pattern free style.
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3. Crochet Christmas Cat Hat
Nicole Riley kept designing hats for her own cats after her witch hat unexpectedly took off online, and this Santa hat came later when they were already 15 and 16.
It’s made with red Brava Bulky yarn, a Fable Fur brim, and a small crocheted pom-pom, finishing at roughly 4.5 inches wide and 7 inches tall with a 4 mm hook.
There are no ear holes this time, and that was deliberate.
Nicole wanted it to look like a tiny version of Santa’s hat rather than a hat shaped around a cat’s head, and that comes through in the finished design.
Her full crochet Christmas cat hat free pattern is available online, and as crochet cat hat Christmas projects go, it’s quick enough to finish in a single evening.
If your hook is already busy elsewhere, a Christmas Cat Hat will get you there by December.
December has more to offer than a hat, and our collection of cat Christmas crochet projects runs from elf hats to holly leaf collars.
4. Easter Bunny Crochet Cat Hat
This idea only needs about 45 yards of worsted yarn, so it’s a good way to use up leftovers from another project.
Heart Hook Home starts with a small round hat with ear holes, shaped ear flaps, and long ties, then adds two double crochet bunny ears that stand up without any stuffing.
The pattern is written in one size, about 13 inches around with roughly 3 inches between the ear openings.
If it comes out a little snug, the designer suggests simply moving up a hook size.
The full crochet hat for cat pattern is free and uses Brava Worsted, though another smooth worsted-weight acrylic should work just as well.
Like most novelty hats, this cat crochet hat pattern free is really meant for a quick photo rather than something your cat wears for long.
One of the video hats further down is made as two separate pieces that only become a hat once they’re pinned together and sewn.
5. Crochet Strawberry Cat Hat
The little white seeds are what really make this look like a strawberry, and they’re stitched on once the rest of the hat is finished.
The base is a simple bonnet worked from the crown, with ear openings built in and a strap along the bottom to help it stay in place.
The green leaf and short stem are made separately and sewn on at the end.
It’s beginner-friendly, though the video moves fairly quickly.
You’ll also need to adjust the yarn, hook size, and ear openings to fit your cat.
Work the same strawberry cat hat crochet pattern in white and yellow and it starts to look more like a daisy,
Doing so makes it easy to turn into a crochet flower hat for cat for spring.
Keep the strap loose and the session short, and a crochet strawberry cat hat makes a fun summer photo prop.
There’s a ready-made version too, a Strawberry Cat Hat that skips the hook entirely.
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6. Narby Pompom Cat Hat
The Narby is a simple bonnet-style hat with two ear openings, ties under the chin, and a big pompom on top.
Charlotte Aimee includes small, medium, and large sizes, and you can adjust the fit even further by changing the yarn weight or hook size.
The ear openings are worked into the hat as you go, using chains to leave space for each ear, so there’s nothing to cut or alter afterward.
The ties are crocheted straight into the final edging too, which keeps the construction nice and simple.
One part of the video that’s useful is seeing how she checks that both ear openings sit evenly.
We like it because that makes a big difference to how comfortably a crocheted cat hat rests on the head.
As a first crochet cat hat beanie, this is a very approachable pattern.
You can also sew a small flower onto the crown and turn the same base into a crochet flower cat hat without changing the rest of the design.
Rather buy than make? A Crochet Hat for Small Pets covers the same look.
Number ten stands upright with no stuffing and no wire inside it, and the reason comes down to how the rounds are worked.
7. Fluffy Muffin Pumpkin Cat Hat
This pumpkin bonnet uses two hook sizes: a smaller one for the leaves and stem so they hold their shape, and a larger one for the softer bonnet.
It’s worked in a light acrylic-wool blend in orange, green, and rusty brown, with a little stuffing inside the stem to keep it upright.
The leaves and stem come first, followed by the bonnet with built-in ear openings and ties.
The pumpkin pieces are then sewn onto the crown. It’s beginner-friendly, though the color changes and assembly make it a little more involved than the Narby bonnet.
If you’ve already made a basic bonnet, this is a good next project among cat crochet hats and one of the more playful crochet ideas for cats for a quick photo.
Two large layered eyes are all it takes to turn an ordinary eared bonnet into something else entirely, a couple of entries on.
8. Sabrina Witch’s Cat Hat
The pointed cone is what makes this idea stand out. It’s worked tightly on a small hook so it keeps its shape, then finished with a black band, gold buckle, and flared brim.
The base is made separately to fit your cat, with ear openings and ties, before the cone is sewn on top.
The small rounds, color changes, and embroidery make it a little fiddlier than a basic bonnet, so it’s better as a second or third project.
It’s the closest design here to a crochet cat wizard hat, and with a flatter crown and rolled edge, it could easily lean toward a cat cowboy hat crochet look.
9. Figaro Frog Cat Hat
Pale green, cream, and black do most of the work for this hat, especially in the layered eyes, which look properly frog-like rather than like two buttons stuck on top.
The bonnet itself is simple, worked outward from the crown with ear openings on each side and long ties along the bottom.
Sizing runs from extra small to extra-large, with separate guidance for both the crown and ear openings, so this cat ear crochet hat can work for most cats.
The eyes are made separately and sewn on at the end, and getting them upright and evenly spaced is the fiddliest part.
If you’ve made a cat ear hat crochet pattern before, the rest of the construction will feel very familiar.
Want one today instead? A Frog Hat for Cats ships without a single stitch from you.
10. Unicorn Horn Cat Headpiece
We like how the metallic yarn gives this hat a little shine, though any yarn will work, and the base is made separately to fit your cat’s head before anything is added.
Once the horn is centered between the ears, it’s sewn down around the entire base so it stays straight.
Keep it light and the fit loose, and supervise your cat while they wear it, since a tall horn can catch on furniture.
From the many crochet cat hats we’ve featured, we like how this one is especially easy to customize.
Swap the metallic yarn for a bright color and it also works as a crochet cat birthday hat, making it a fun bit of crochet cat stuff to keep in your pattern folder.
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Crochet Cat Hats You Can Buy Ready-Made
11. Crochet Flower Cat Hat
Cotton is what makes this bonnet worth a look, since it holds its shape better than a very soft acrylic.
It measures about 6.7 by 4.3 inches, with a green flower on the crown, ear openings, and an adjustable strap that fits necks up to roughly 11.8 inches.
It’s sized for cats between 5 and 16 pounds, so most adults and larger kittens should fall within range.
The yarn is soft, but that also means the ties can stretch a little and the roomy ear holes may leave the crown sitting slightly loose.
For a quick photo, that’s unlikely to matter much.
If you like the shape of this crochet flower cat hat, the same style also comes in strawberry, frog, and plain colorways.
12. Crochet Cat Birthday Hat Set
Four pieces come in this set: two crocheted bow tie collars, a spotted top hat, and a star headband, so you don’t have to piece the look together separately.
The top hat measures about 5.5 by 3.35 inches and has an elastic cord with an adjustable buckle, while the star headband is about 12 inches long.
The ties are generously sized, which helps when you’re trying to dress a cat that would rather walk away.
The main thing to watch is fit, since the set runs small and the top hat may perch rather than sit properly on a larger adult cat.
Still, for a crochet cat birthday hat set meant for a quick photo, it gives you plenty of options and should be reusable for more than one occasion.
13. Crochet Cat Wizard Hat
The bendable tip is what makes this one more fun than a stiff cone. You can curl it forward, tilt it to one side, or leave it straight, and it holds the shape you give it.
The hat stands about 9 inches tall and is made from milk cotton, with beads worked into the crochet and soft chin straps underneath.
Fit is the main thing to check. It suits cats with ears about 2 to 4 inches apart and a head diameter under 4.75 inches.
The handmade look is convincing, and it comes in red, cream, and light purple.
It’s sold as a Halloween piece, but a crochet cat wizard hat like this works just as well for birthdays or costume photos any time of year.
What Do You Need to Crochet a Hat for a Cat?
Not much. Most of these patterns use a 3.5 mm to 4.5 mm hook, plus a yarn needle, small scissors, a stitch marker, and a soft measuring tape.
The best part is that cat hats use so little yarn that they’re often perfect for scraps.
Heart Hook Home’s bunny hat, for example, takes about 45 yards, so if you’re learning how to crochet a hat for a cat, you may already have everything you need.
If you want a small stash for crochet cat accessories, two worsted yarn colors and one hook will cover most of the projects here.
A hat for cats is usually an evening project, so this means you can make more than one item in a sitting.
The measuring section next explains why the gap between your cat’s ears matters more than the number around their head.
How to Measure Your Cat for a Crochet Hat
A few quick measurements can make the difference between a crochet hat for cat that stays in place and one that keeps slipping over the eyes.
Here are the measurements you need to take:
- Head circumference: Around the widest part of the head, just above the ears.
- Distance between the ears: This helps place the ear holes and is often around 3 inches on an average adult cat.
- Ear height: Only needed if the ears will sit through openings in the hat.
- Under-chin length: Useful if the design includes ties or a chin strap.
If a crochet pattern cat hat comes out a little too tight or loose, changing the hook size is often enough to fix it.
For kittens, we recommend you use a smaller hook or lighter yarn for your DIY project.
The same approach can scale down almost any kitty cat hat crochet pattern free without rebuilding the pattern from scratch.
Choosing Yarn for a Crochet Cat Hat
Because a cat hat sits so close to the face, the yarn needs a little more thought than the small size suggests.
- Choose something soft, smooth, lightweight, and not scratchy.
- Worsted or light worsted works for most crochet cat hat pattern free designs on this page.
- Machine-washable yarn is useful because these little hats get dirty quickly.
- Avoid yarn that sheds. Loose fibers can end up around the eyes, nose, or mouth, and cats may swallow anything that sticks to their coat. If you’re making a crochet Christmas hat for cat, keep faux-fur trim away from the face.
- Skip beads, bells, sequins, and glued-on decorations that could come loose and be swallowed.
- For structured designs, stiffness helps. Cotton or a cotton blend will usually hold a brim or cone better than a very soft acrylic, especially for a crochet cowboy hat for cat or witch hat.
A cat hat crochet pattern free does not always name a specific yarn, and that is usually fine.
Smooth, washable, and medium-weight will cover most projects, including plenty of other cat crochet accessories.
Working through your stash anyway? Our roundup of DIY crochet cat sweater ideas uses the same yarns and takes a little longer.
Our Crochet Supplies Picks
- Soft worsted weight yarn
- Crochet hook set
- Stitch markers
- Yarn needle
- Small sharp scissors
- Soft measuring tape
How to Get a Cute Photo of Your Cat Wearing Their Crochet Hat
Keep the session short. Get the background, lighting, and camera ready first, then put the hat on last and take your photos quickly.
Shoot at your cat’s eye level, use natural light instead of flash, and take several frames in a row because the best expression may only last a second.
If someone can hold a treat just beside the camera, even better.
Most cats will tolerate a hat for a quick photo and not much more, and that’s fine.
Cat hats crochet patterns are photo props, not something a cat should wear around the house.
If your cat crouches, flattens their ears, backs away, freezes, or starts trying to remove the hat, take it off.
Never tie a hat tightly or leave your cat alone in one.
An easy crochet cat hat with loose ties should come off quickly, and that’s exactly how anyone who knows how to crochet a cat hat for a pet should design it.
For props, backdrops and a few poses worth stealing, our guide to cat Halloween photoshoot ideas goes well beyond the hat.
Conclusion
A crochet cat hat takes very little yarn, but there’s plenty of room to play with color, shape, and detail.
Start with a simple bonnet, pick something seasonal, or try a pattern that pushes your skills a little further.
Make sure to keep the fit comfortable, the ties loose, and the photo session short.
Once you find a shape you like, a different yarn color can make the same pattern feel completely new.
Laura is the founder of Furs'n'Paws. She is a also a pet writer and expert with more than 20 years of experience of working with dogs and cats. She developed a very strong love for animals at a young age. Her passion led her to establish a thriving pet sitting and dog walking business in Dubai. As an expert in pet training, behavior, and nutrition, Laura is committed to helping pet owners and pet lovers by offering high-quality information on a wide range of topics.
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