A Short Guide To Buying Cat Clothes: What To Look For?

Hello! I hope your week wasn’t too harsh, and you’re ready for a quick dose of cats! As I mentioned in my last blog post, today I will talk about buying cat clothes, and how to make it an easy and positive experience. So let’s get into it, and see what things you should consider before buying cat clothes! 😊

Safety. Yes, I am starting with the most important one! And it is going to be a different kind of safety than what I spoke about in my last blog post. This time we will talk about the actual design of the shirt/sweater. A lot of the time I see sweaters that are covered in beads, little buttons, etc, from the bottom to the very top. Or sometimes sellers incorporate some beads in their cable knit that goes throughout the sweater. And it looks very beautiful! BUT! Have you ever thought that your cat can actually reach them? And chew on them/rip them off? Have you ever thought what would happen if the cat would swallow those beads? That’s one of the main reasons why I attach the buttons only at the neck using a special stitch, which: 1) it assures that the cat won’t be able to reach and chew on the beads/buttons, 2) the button is attached so strongly, that the sweater will wear out before the button comes loose (tried and confirmed by my cats!). So whenever you see something cute, think if it is also well thought through and safe for your pet, as that should always be your priority.

Bacha

Always make sure that the clothes are not only cute, but also safe for your kitty!

Sleeves or sleeveless? Or maybe one opening for both legs? I talked about this a little bit in my last blog post, but this is my opinion in short: if it’s your first cat sweater or your cat is not comfortable in clothes, choose the sleeveless option. If your cat is OK with wearing clothes, you’re free to choose whatever you want. And what about one hole in front for both legs? That tends to be pretty comfortable as well, just like the sleeveless option, I have made sweaters with only one hole as custom orders before. But make sure that they’re made from a very stretchy material (like knit is, for example), otherwise your cat may and will feel restricted.

Always check a size chart. I can’t stress this enough – always check a shop’s size chart! Every single shop has a different one, and if in one shop you buy size M clothing for your pet, it does not mean that your pet will be size M in all the shops. Just an example – my sizes run big, so if your pet is a size M somewhere else, it’s a big possibility (s)he will be size XS or a S in my shop. If you check the reviews in my shop, you will see that most of those couple 1 star reviews that I have come from people complaining the sweater was too big/too small. That’s why you have to check a size chart! And this leads me to my next point.

 

Bacha

Sleeveless sweater is always a good choice for beginner!

If your cat is in between sizes, request a custom order. Yes, that can happen, and it does happen quite often to be honest! Most shops do custom sizes, so feel free to ask about it. Never settle for an ill fitting clothing! I do custom sizes free of charge, while some shops may ask you to pay additional fee for making a custom size sweater.

When in doubt, ask. If you’re unsure about the sizing, always ask! Believe me, the seller will not think you’re silly or something! I know how difficult it can be to choose the perfect size. For example, when buying jeans, I always need to buy like 10 pairs at once and cross my fingers that 1 or 2 of them won’t fit weirdly! Similar is with cat clothes. Better safe than sorry!

Length of the sweater. You might have noticed that I do not put length of my sweaters in the size chart. And that is because I would need to adjust my size chart all the time, because I have so many designs! Some clothing is longer, while some is shorter, but overall most of my clothes are pretty long (I am pretty sure you can see that from the pictures! 😊 ). I always gladly adjust the length of the sweaters that are made to order, so if you’d like the sweater to be made longer or shorter (or maybe you have a specific length you want to request?), contact the seller and I am sure they will be more than happy to work on custom size for you.

Bacha

Every design has a different length, so choose whatever you like the most. Or request a custom length – every pet is different and loves different things!

Difference between sewn and knitted cat clothes. If you had been shopping around for cat clothes, you may have noticed a few things: for one, those shops that sell hand knitted clothing have fewer items, and secondly, they’re often a bit pricier. And you may wonder why it is the way it is. As someone who lives in Finland – which is a pretty expensive country – I can give you a few points:

  • Yarn is often more expensive than fabric, especially fancy yarns like mohair or alpaca cost a lot more than a piece of fleece or jersey fabric.
  • Sewn clothes are significantly quicker to make. I am a quick knitter and I’m not that great at sewing, but even I can make a few sewn cat shirts in an hour. When it comes to knitting, depending on the sweater’s size and how intricate the pattern is, it can take up to 4 hours to complete a sweater. I am not talking about people, who use machines for knitting, but someone like me who hand knits and hand embroiders everything.
Beliza

Super stretchy and soft acrylic sweater will make any kitty happy!

Should I go for knitted clothing or a fleece/jersey one? Now that depends on you completely! Knitted cotton clothing is great for summer, and wool or thick acrylic ones are great for winter. As I mentioned in my previous blog post, I chose knitting over sewing mainly because knit is much more stretchy than fleece, meaning that it will be a lot more comfortable overall. Warmth wise, bot fleece and wool clothing are warm.

Check shop’s reviews. Yes, that is important. What is even more important, it’s how the seller deals with negative feedback. We all are cute and lovely when we’re being praised, but how does the seller handle the criticism? If the review is 3 stars or lower, the seller can and SHOULD have a response, because 3 stars is not an amazing review. In other words, the buyer wasn’t satisfied with their order. If the seller has 1-3 star reviews, and there are no responses under them as to how the seller is going to handle an unsatisfied customer, that’s a red flag! That means there’s a big chance that when you receive your order and in case you would be unhappy with it, you will be ignored, and nothing will be done about it from the seller’s side. Also, if seller does respond, check how polite and helpful their response is. You wouldn’t want to buy from someone who is rude/unhelpful.

Reviews

Always check the reviews – they’re very important!

If there’s a problem with your order, always contact the seller first. Those few negative reviews I have in my shop were left without my knowledge. Person orders without looking at the size chart, the sweater arrives, it’s too small/too big, and the person leaves a negative review without ever even telling me about it. I mean, there’s no way for me to know whether the sizing the person orders fits their cat (only they know it), and if someone orders a size XS, for example, I make them a size XS and send it off. There’s no way of me knowing whether it is the true size of the cat or not. I always assume that the person checked the size chart, which is available in each listing, and if they had any questions, they’d contact me. I have a good return policy, which some people choose not to use, but leave a bad review and then even after I message them offering some options, they never respond. Oh well. So, don’t be that person, and be smart about it – you can always get your money back or the product that you originally wanted. 😊

Bacha

The only problem Bacha has is too few cat toys!

And last, but not least – don’t forget to leave a review! Always reflect on your experience regarding the shop. Were the products up to par? Was the seller helpful? Did the seller do their best to solve issues if there were any? These are just few of the questions that may help you reflect on your experience, and help others decide whether it’s the shop they want to go for.

I hope this blog post was helpful! I have something fun planned for the upcoming blog posts, so stay tuned and have a great week ahead of you!

Follow PurringPyjamas on social media to keep up with the newest releases, discounts, never ending Sphynx cuteness and more!
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asta

You Think Your Cat Hates Pet Clothes? How To Turn A Nay Into A Yay!

Hello, everyone! I hope you are doing well! In this post I will talk about what you can do if your cat hates pet clothes. A lot of the time I receive messages from customers, who even before receiving the sweater ask what is the best way to make sure the cat will love the sweater. And I am not surprised they ask it! I am sure we’ve all been in the situation where your cat becomes paralyzed, cannot run or jump, or is falling on the side while wearing a sweater. Yes, even one of my lovely cats, Beliza, who is now loving the warmth the sweater gives, was one of those cats. So how did she go from hating cat sweaters to enjoying and modelling them? Well, here’s some advice!

Lots of treats. Treats are the power, and you’re the one holding them! Cats love treats just as much as dogs do, and they can be used for a good purpose. When putting on and taking off the sweater, always be very affectionate towards the cat and give them their favorite treats. This way your lovely pet will associate wearing clothes with something positive, which is exactly what you want. A little bit off topic – still to this day I can’t understand why there are no freely available cat treats at the vet’s office? There always are treats for dogs, but never for cats. Double standards, considering cats need to associate the vet with something positive as well. We always take our own treats with us! 😊

Beliza playing

My cats love wearing clothes! Over the years I figured out the best styles and materials that are stretchy and comfy. My cats not only feel comfortable wearing the clothes around the house when it’s chilly, but also modelling them. I think you can see how comfy they feel in these pictures! 😊

Beliza rolling

My cats love wearing clothes! Over the years I figured out the best styles and materials that are stretchy and comfy. My cats not only feel comfortable wearing the clothes around the house when it’s chilly, but also modelling them. I think you can see how comfy they feel in these pictures! 😊

Keep it short. If your cat isn’t used to cat clothes, don’t keep the sweater on for long. First time, put it on for 5 minutes, while giving affection and treats, like I mentioned in the previous paragraph. Next day you can prolong it by 5 minutes and keep the sweater on for 10 minutes total. Keep on repeating it until your kitty seems to be comfortable wearing the clothes. It may look like a bit of a hassle (believe me, it isn’t!), but it’s totally worth it.

Do something your cat enjoys while (s)he is wearing a sweater. Does your cat love a certain game? Or maybe (s)he has a favorite toy? Do something your kitty enjoys while they’re wearing pet clothing, and they will forget they even have it on! 😊

Before investing in good clothing, try out the sock. Now you may think: “Hey, aren’t you writing this article in order to make us buy your clothing?” While I appreciate each and every single person who supports me and my small business, I would never trade my dignity or fairness. For this reason I will give you a simple advice – before going all out and spending hundreds of dollars on (hopefully) well made pet clothing, try out the oldie goldie sock. Just cut off the thumbs part, cut out two holes for the front legs, and ta da – you got yourself a simple kitty sweater! It’s great for training and also doesn’t cost a thing. You can also do the same trick with old shirt/sweater sleeve, it works just as well! Just make sure the sock isn’t too tight on your kitty! It should be fitted, but not tight by any means.

Beliza playing

My cats love wearing clothes! Over the years I figured out the best styles and materials that are stretchy and comfy. My cats not only feel comfortable wearing the clothes around the house when it’s chilly, but also modelling them. I think you can see how comfy they feel in these pictures! 😊

Always keep an eye on your pet. I personally have never ever heard anything happening to cats while wearing clothes that fit them well, but I always say: better safe than sorry! For this reason I suggest not leaving your kitty completely alone for long periods of time while they’re wearing clothes. I also have similar opinion when it comes to things such as bandanas, collars, etc.

Start with sleeveless sweaters. Sleeveless sweaters give more freedom than the ones with sleeves. It does not matter how well the sleeves are put in, sleeveless ones will always be more appropriate for a first time wearer. Not having the sleeves also gives less coverage, which is great for a kitty that’s not used to wearing clothes.

Bacha

Sleeveless clothes are always good for starters! 🙂

Make sure the fabric is stretchy. One of the reasons I knit clothes is not only because I love it, but also because they’re one of the most stretchy things you will come by! While fleece is nice and soft, it is nowhere near as stretchy as knit fabric. That’s one of the reasons why my handknitted sweaters also have no seams – I try to make the sweaters as less bulky as possible, because every little bit counts. Especially if you own some active cats like I do!

I hope you liked this week’s blog post! Next time I will talk about the process of buying cat clothes and how to choose the most suitable ones for your kitty’s needs. Have a great day everyone!

Follow PurringPyjamas on social media to keep up with the newest releases, discounts, never ending Sphynx cuteness and more!
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asta

The softest sweaters in the world are here!

Well hello there! The last time I posted here almost a year ago… How crazy is that?! Life happened I suppose. Sometimes we just get so invested in our works, and routines that we (unfortunately) forget about the things we enjoy. And blogging is one of them for me! But enough of rambling – that’s not what you came here for! Let’s dive into this new super soft fuzzy blog post and many adorable pictures of my hairless monkey cats are to follow!

I am pretty sure that if you checked out my shop, or Facebook, or Instagram at some point this spring, you’ve probably seen these fuzzy sweaters already. You may ask – well why you keep on posting about them, what’s so special about it? Well, firstly, now this style sweaters are available in 9 (yes, NINE!!!) different colors. How awesome is that?!

But colors is not the only (or most important) thing I want to emphasize here. I just… I just can’t get enough of these super awesome sweaters, and neither can my cats! They feel so cozy wearing them when it’s chilly outside. And you know what else is awesome? These sweaters are made from yarn meant for babies. They’re literally the softest thing you will ever touch in your life (besides your Sphynx, if (s)he happens to have a peach fuzz). They’re VERY soft, VERY warm, VERY cute, VERY stretchy, and the best of all – ANY and EVERY cat will love one of these sweaters. They are definitely the most comfortable and soft sweaters I’ve ever made, and believe me – that’s a huge statement considering I made almost 300 (288 to be precise) different designs since 2015.

I just love these sweaters so much! I think you can see in the pictures as well that my cats are feeling really comfy. Beliza was constantly half asleep, because they’re so warm and cozy! #photoshootproblems, haha!

All of these sweaters are available in few sizes, and soon I will restock them in even more colors and sizes. Why? Because they’re that awesome!

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Now here are the links to all the sweaters (just click on the color!):

White & Pink

Pastel Lavender

White & Blue

Light Beige

Medium Gray

Pink, Purple & White Marl

Blue, Lavender & White Marl

Light Camel

Bright Coral

I hope you enjoyed this little blog post, and I wish you all a fabulous day!

Follow PurringPyjamas on social media to keep up with the newest releases, discounts, never ending Sphynx cuteness and more!
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asta

Summer vibes in snowy Finland

Hello everyone! Are you feeling the summer vibes already? Over here in Finland the summer is felt only in my colorful cat sweaters as it’s snowing behind my window as I am writing this blog post right now… Let’s just say summer definitely isn’t in a rush to visit Finland this year! And talking about cat sweaters, you’re probably wondering: hey, Asta, we understand it’s snowing in Finland in the mid May, but come on – other countries have normal climates and are baking in the sun already, so… where are all the summer goodies, huh? Well, they just arrived! The new collection was released last week in my PurringPyjamas shop on Etsy, and now I finally found a few free minutes to quickly introduce it. Are you ready?

The first 3 sweaters are super cute, super colorful and super soft. They’re also very light, stretchy and give that oh so needed protection from the sun for your hairless family member. These sweaters let the skin breathe very well, so your kitty will feel comfy while wearing them. The yarn is 70% cotton & 30 acrylic, which means that the sweaters won’t irritate even the most sensitive skin. Because they’re so light and stretchy, they’re also good for the first time wearers and cats who don’t like thicker sweaters!

I also decided to decorate these cute stripey sweaters with some beads I bought last year. I really like the little spicy vibe that they give to each sweater – from very sunny and bright yellows to more subtle brown hues. If you want to get any of these sweaters, you can find them here: Yellows & Blues, Blues & Reds, Blue Hues.

Now this sweater doesn’t really belong to any collection, but I loved the yarn, so I thought to myself – “Why not to make something cute with it?”. So I did! I hand crocheted this cutie from cotton yarn and added a few white rose beads. There are only two sweaters available in sizes XXXS & XXS, so if your kitty is on the smaller side or you happen to have a kitten, grab it! You can find it here: Pink Rose.

If you’re interested to take a look at all of the summer sweaters available in my Etsy shop, you can find them here: Summer Clothes.

I hope you’re all having a wonderful day!

Follow PurringPyjamas on social media to keep up with the newest releases, discounts, never ending Sphynx cuteness and more!
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asta

Soft colors and bright moods

It’s been a while since I last posted over here. But time flies so fast! And so with it everything not only passes, but there also appear new exciting things! And that’s what this quick blog post is about – the new cute sweaters that are available in PurringPyjamas Etsy shop.

The first two sweaters I actually made while being on the road. I took a little road trip in the Southern Finland, so while sitting in the passenger’s seat and enjoying the view I decided to also do something useful. Especially that I just got the yarn these two sweaters are made of. Both sweaters are crocheted. The first sweater’s yellow  yarn is 100% acrylic, while the shiny green one has 60% mohair and 40% acrylic. You can get them both or either one over here: Yellow Dreams, Tortie Fluffs.

Moving forward we find stripes. Because who doesn’t love them? The first sweater has beautiful yellow, blue, white, green & dark gray stripes. The yarn is really high quality and made in the UK, so I was happily waiting for it to arrive.  It’s called after the bird blue tit (see the picture below), and I think it looks gorgeous! You can get it here: Blue Tit Kitty.

Blue-Tit-Desktop

Here’s another crocheted sweater. It is very soft, because it’s made from the yarn meant for knitting baby clothes, so believe me when I say that it will not irritate even the most sensitive kitty’s skin! It has a beautiful pattern and is made of 100% acrylic yarn. This striped beauty is available here: Blue Stripes.

And now let’s go from something soft and light to something soft and really warm. This beautiful ombre effect sweater is made of 70% acrylic and 30% wool yarn. It is incredibly soft and keeps the warmth well, while also letting the skin to breath. It is available in 2 sizes, and you can get it here: Soft Ombre.

And now let’s talk about the classics – red and black. The red sweater is made of 75% wool & 25% polyamide yarn and is incredibly stretchy and warm. Black sweaters are made of 100% polyacrylic yarn, which means they’re incredibly soft and will not irritate kitties’ skin. And how about the cute beads they’re decorated with? I am sure your kitty would like it! You can get them here: Red Stars, Red Shells, Purple Beads.

And the last, but definitely not the least is this very fun sweater. You know, it is perfect for times when you kind of wish to pet something fluffy, but your naked sphinx kitty just ain’t doing it. This cute blue sweater is made of 100% acrylic yarn and is incredibly soft. You can get it over here: Blue fluffs.

I wish you all have a wonderful day and good start of the week!

Follow PurringPyjamas on social media to keep up with the newest releases, discounts, never ending Sphynx cuteness and more!
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Shop: purringpyjamas.etsy.com

asta

Addiction to hoodies and colorful cat beds

And here comes another blog post just before Easter! The sun was shining so much these days that I just couldn’t make gray things anymore. So what happened? Look below!

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So the most colorful thing in this post definitely has got to be this cat bed. I crocheted it a while ago, but just couldn’t find time to take some proper pictures of it. But I did today! This bed is super comfy, so my Cornish Rex cat Coco got immediately addicted to it – she just didn’t want to give it back! I think I will have to make one for her too. This bed is hand crocheted from 100% acrylic yarn, so it’s really soft & thick at the same time. It holds the shape perfectly, weighs about 400 g (almost 1 pound) and is very easy to take with you while traveling! You can purchase the bed over here: Colorful pet bed.

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Now here come the hoodies! I haven’t made hoodies in a while, so when I found this soft acrylic yarn, I knew immediately what I’m gonna do with them. This yarn is 100% acrylic, so it is super soft and will not irritate even the most sensitive skin. It is also very stretchy and snuggly, so if you want your kitty to have something cute & soft, this sweater will meet all your expectations! You can get the hoodies here: Brown cable hoodie, Forest green & blue hoodie.

I hope you all are having a wonderful day!

Follow PurringPyjamas on social media to keep up with the newest releases, discounts, never ending Sphynx cuteness and more!
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Shop: purringpyjamas.etsy.com

asta

The Jungle Spirit

And here we are again – a week later there’s more sweaters and more designs coming to my shop! This time it’s all about those bright and beautiful spring colors.

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These first sweaters are from “Colibri” series. It was a limited edition yarn, which (unfortunately) I found a little bit too late, so I could grab only couple different balls that were still left. I absolutely love the color of this yarn – it’s so bright and just associates with warmth, sun, good mood and great times! The yarn is not only beautiful looking, but also is very thick due to the pattern I chose for these sweaters. It consists of 100% acrylic, which means that it’s soft and doesn’t irritate even the most sensitive skin. Only blue colibri (the middle one) is still available, so make sure to grab it if you want it! You can get it here: Blue Colibri.5

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Another sweater continues the jungle theme. Because where else could you see such an elegant leopard?! Well, probably at your home if you get one of these sweaters! This style is available in few sizes, so it will make quite a few kitties happy and wild. The sweater is hand knitted, while the decorations around neck, bottom of the sweater and sleeves are hand crocheted. This sweater was designed very fast and impulsively as I didn’t know how I want it to look like once it’s finished. But I am happy with the result – I think it looks really good! The yarn is 75% wool and 25% polyamide, so it’s very warm and breaths really well. You can get the sweater here: Elegant Leopard.

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Now this sweater is a real improvisation! I started it with this beautiful brown yarn that has tiny golden threads in it and ended up with soft wool & mohair mix. This sweater is really comfy and will keep your kitty really warm! Peach color yarn is 48% acrylic, 32% polyamide, 10% wool and 10% mohair, while the brown one consists of 100% acrylic. Get this warm sweater for your one of a kind kitty here: Peachy Golds.

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And the last, but definitely not the least is this sweater made of 100% acrylic yarn with little golden threads. I am really unsatisfied, that it was quite impossible to show in the pictures all the shine that it has, but my camera just refuses to see what I see! 🙂 Probably it’s because the golden shine shows up in certain light and only in some parts of the sweater. It also has this cute kitty button, which nicely finishes up the sweater. You can get this nice and soft sweater over here: Golden Shine.

I hope you enjoyed this little blog post and have a wonderful day! 🙂

Follow PurringPyjamas on social media to keep up with the newest releases, discounts, never ending Sphynx cuteness and more!
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Shop: purringpyjamas.etsy.com

asta