Along with plenty of affection and added fur to your home (our eternal thanks to the best vacuums for pet hair), owning a cat also means your camera roll is full of the cutest pictures of your fluffy feline friend. See: Ree’s photoshoots of her cats in posts such as Kitty Love and Oh, to be a Cat. But whether you’ve captured a picture of your cat curled up on your lap (you have to grab photo evidence that they do, in fact, love you), snapped a shot of a sleeping kitten, engineered a playful photo of your kitty mid-pounce with cat toys, or even managed to get them into Halloween costumes for cats (props to you!), these cat Instagram captions will work purr-fectly for all of your adorable feline photos.
Tips and Tricks for Taking Stunning Cat Pics
Graceful, adorable, downright hilarious — it’s impossible not to snap pics of our photogenic felines from time to time. But if your cat is always chasing greebles or zooming around your bedroom, taking the perfect picture of Fluffy isn’t a cakewalk.
Whether you’re trying to take a portrait of your purring pal or snap a photo of your meower in motion, check out these tips and tricks for taking stunning cat pics!
How can I get my cat to sit still for a picture?
Some little lions love the limelight and don’t mind posing for a picture. For example, my calico, Boo, will sit pretty and stare into the camera anytime I whip out my phone for a quick pic. Exhibit A:
Boo being her usual derpy self.
That said, some pet parents aren’t as lucky, and getting their feline friend to stay still is a tricky task.
Here are a few cat photography tips so you can get your cat to pose for a camera:
- Treats: Waving a bag of your cat’s favorite treats in front of their face is a surefire way to get them to come to you and stick around for a minute. Treats are also the ultimate way of getting your cat to look at the camera.
- Toys: Wave your cat’s favorite toy just above your camera. This way, they’ll look towards the lens, allowing you to get the perfect pic. A squeaky toy is another great way of getting your tiger’s attention.
- Catnip/silver vine: Some cats can’t resist catnip, so rubbing some catnip in a specific spot will pique your feline’s interest. If your cat isn’t interested in catnip, consider trying silver vine, a catnip alternative.
- Boxes: “If I fits, I sits” is a phrase many feline pet parents will be familiar with, as cats love to sit in small spaces. A new box is a clever way to get your cat to sit down and pose for a pic.
- Patience: Be patient and have your camera ready — your cat can’t run around forever! Wait for your cat to settle down and perch themselves somewhere, then take a quick photo.
- Brushing: Some cats, including mine, love being brushed and will stay still while getting brushed. Brushing your cat also reduces the chance of furballs and gets your feline looking photo fresh!
- Training: It’s not easy, but teaching your cat some basic commands and tricks is possible. Teach your cat to sit or stay in position, and you’ll be able to take perfect portraits whenever you wish.
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How do you take good pictures of cats in motion?
Whether you’re using your smartphone or an expensive camera, snapping pictures of your cat running, jumping, or climbing that aren’t blurry is hard work. Luckily, there are plenty of camera tricks and tips you can use to make taking a picture of your cat moving much easier.
Use natural light
Use natural light when taking a picture of your cat, especially kittens. Cats can be startled by sudden flashes, and kittens have very sensitive eyes.
The best way to photograph your cat is in good natural light. Natural lighting is useful as it makes the shutter speed on smartphones faster, increasing motion freeze and reducing blurriness.
Trying to take pictures of your cat in low light? You can increase your camera’s light sensitivity by adjusting some settings:
- Decrease your camera’s aperture. (The aperture controls how much light is let in through the lens.)
- Increase the ISO value. (This controls how sensitive the camera is to light.)
- Lower the shutter speed. (The shutter speed refers to how long your camera “spends” to take a picture.)
Bear in mind that changing these settings can reduce picture quality — keep playing around with it until you find the sweet spot.
Use burst mode
Burst mode is a helpful setting that allows you to take numerous back-to-back pictures. As a result, you can get lots of pics in succession, which you can then sort through to find a picture of your cat that isn’t blurry. Most modern cameras have a burst mode setting, so check the manual and get snapping.
On iPhones, you can engage burst mode in different ways depending on your phone’s model. For example, on an iPhone 12, you can engage burst mode by holding the shutter button and swiping left. The photos are then viewable in the “Burst” folder of your photo library. You just need to hold down the shutter button on most older iPhones with burst mode.
Each Android phone is different, but you can usually enable burst mode in camera settings, or by holding down the shutter button.
Set your camera to semi-auto mode
It’s a good idea to use a semi-auto mode if you’re using a camera to take pictures of your cat instead of a smartphone. Most cameras are set to full auto, so you don’t have to adjust the aperture, shutter speed, or ISO value manually.
Semi-auto mode allows you to manually change some of these settings, which will help you take better pictures of your cat in motion. Semi-auto mode will help you be ready to snap pictures of your cat without having to fiddle too much with your settings, giving you the right amount of control.
You’ll want to balance your settings properly to ensure the best results. For example, higher apertures require slower shutter speeds or higher ISO values.
Cute Cat Captions
Ree Drummond
- Home is where the cat is.
- I want to spend all nine lives with you!
- Not all angels have wings. Sometimes they have whiskers!
- I love you more than you love catnip.
- All you need is love and a cat.
- The road to my heart is paved with paw prints.
- You could say my whole house is a catwalk.
- Kittens and kisses.
- True happiness is a cat curled up on your lap.
- Love is a four-legged word.
- Never underestimate the power of a purr.
- You know you’ve done something right if you’ve been loved by a cat.
Funny Cat Captions
Ree Drummond
- Just call me a crazy cat lady!
- The cats are in charge. I just live here.
- The more people I meet, the more I love my cat.
- Cat hair, don’t care!
- The cat is in charge, I just pay the rent.
- Do you think these curtains will hold my weight?
- Sorry I’m late. My cat was sitting on me.
- All visitors must be approved by the cat.
- I don’t always run around, but when I do, it’s at 3 a.m.
- I’m grumpy because I only got 15 hours of sleep today.
- It’s an honor to be owned by cats.
- I’m glad my cat can’t talk; he knows too much.
- People who don’t like cats were probably mice in an earlier life.
- Yes, I heard you calling me. Did you hear me ignoring you?
Cat Quotes for Captions
Ree Drummond
- “One cat just leads to another.” —Ernest Hemingway
- “I had been told that the training procedure with cats was difficult. It’s not. Mine had me trained in two days.” —Bill Dana
- “What greater gift than the love of a cat?” —Charles Dickens
- “In ancient times, cats were worshiped as gods; they have not forgotten this.” –Terry Pratchett
- “‘Meow’ means ‘woof’ in cat.” —George Carlin
- “If cats could talk, they wouldn’t.” —Nan Porter
- “It is impossible to keep a straight face in the presence of one or more kittens.” —Cynthia E. Varnado
- “As every cat owner knows, nobody owns a cat.” —Ellen Perry Berkeley
- “There are few things in life more heartwarming than to be welcomed by a cat.” —Tay Hohoff
- “I love cats because I enjoy my home; and little by little, they become its visible soul.” —Jean Cocteau
- “Time spent with a cat is never wasted.” —Colette
- “Cats are connoisseurs of comfort.” —James Herriot
- “Sweet like honey, karma is a cat. Purring in my lap ’cause it loves me.” —Taylor Swift
