“I wanted to dress my own cat and take photos, but I wanted to do it in a way that was chic and cute,” Julie said. “I knew that I could design something that fit properly as opposed to using items that were made for dogs.”

Julie draws inspiration from her childhood. She has vivid memories of watching cartoons and reading books with animals dressed in clothing. “Taking a photo with a cat wearing something is creating a little scenario and a character,” Julie said. “It’s not really a new idea. It’s just usually reserved for dogs.“

One of the first garments Julie made for her purebred ruddy Abyssinian was an elf hood. She had designed smaller accoutrements for his long and lean frame, but never with the intention of selling them publicly. Tokie wore the elf hood for a Christmas photo and the headpiece quickly became a hit.

CATatelier offers a selection of stylish hats, scarves and ties with the newsboy cap reigning as Julie’s favorite. “It makes me think of a little street hoodlum hanging out in an alley playing dice,” Julie described in an interview. “This is definitely a throwback to childhood cartoons, from Looney Tunes to Heathcliff and the Cadillac Cats.”

For females, Julie loves the lace edge bib collar which reminds her of a baby traveling in a Mary Poppins-style perambulator. Cats cruising in carriages without a care in the world. What a thought. 

Prior to beginning a photo shoot, Julie preps the camera, lighting and accessories so that Toki is only dressed for a short time. She uses positive reinforcement as a way to snap the purrfect pose. Since cats are pragmatic creatures and have lasting memories, Julie rewards Toki with homemade chicken treats for his model behavior. Being the intelligent and instinctual animal that he is, the frisky feline immediately runs to the refrigerator for “payment” after each session.

“Toki is amazing. Now when I dress him for photos, he sits down and poses, and then gets his chicken,” Julie said. “It is all very professional and funny.”

Visit CATatelier for a look into the chic world of cat couture. As for my favorite accessory, it’s the very dapper, Bond-inspired bow tie (pictured above).

Sweet Round Collar with Bow Tie

White Bib Collar with Lace Trim {inspired by Mary Poppins}

Newsboy Cap