How to Take a Cat Nose Print (Photo or Ink)

The easiest way to take a cat nose print is a close-up phone photo, taken in soft daylight while your cat is relaxed or dozing. An ink print on paper is possible with a very calm cat, using a non-toxic, water-based ink pad and a light touch, but for most cats a photo is quicker and far less stressful.

Why cats need a different approach

If you've ever tried to photograph your cat up close, you'll know it isn't quite like asking a dog to sit for a treat. A few things make cat nose prints their own small project:

• The nose is tiny. A cat's nose is much smaller than most dogs' noses, so the camera has to get close and focus precisely.
• Cats like to be in charge. International Cat Care advises letting cats start interactions and decide how long handling lasts. Holding a cat still for a nose print usually backfires.
• They move at the worst moment. A sniff, a blink or a turn of the head is enough to blur a close-up.

The trick is to work with your cat's routine rather than against it. You want the cat to barely notice you're there.

Method 1: photograph the nose (recommended)

Choose your moment

Wait until your cat is settled: curled up in a sunny-but-not-glaring spot, drowsy after a meal, or half-asleep on your lap. A cat who is already still and content will often tolerate a phone hovering nearby, especially if you move slowly.

Get the light right

• Soft daylight from a window, or bright shade, is ideal. Avoid direct sun on the face, which creates hard shadows and makes cats squint.
• Turn the flash off. It can startle your cat and bounces off the nose as a white spot.
• Keep your own head and shoulders out of the light, so you're not casting a shadow over the nose.

Focus on a small subject

1. Approach from the side and low down, rather than looming over your cat's face.
2. Hold the phone close, then ease back until the nose looks sharp on screen. Phones can only focus so close, and if the picture stays soft, you're probably too near.
3. Use macro mode if your phone has one. Many recent phones switch to it automatically when you get close; others have a flower icon or a setting in the camera app.
4. Tap the nose on screen to focus, and hold your elbows against your body or the couch to keep the phone steady.
5. Shoot face on, not from the side, so the whole nose leather and both nostrils are in frame.
6. Take a burst. Cats twitch their noses constantly when they breathe and sniff. Out of twenty frames, one or two will be crisp.

Avoid digital zoom, filters and portrait mode. They all smooth away the fine texture you're trying to capture. Upload the original photo from your camera roll rather than a screenshot or a copy sent through a messaging app.

Method 2: an ink nose print on paper

Some people love having the physical print on paper. If your cat is very placid and used to having their face touched, it's worth a gentle try. If not, skip it; a good photo works just as well for engraving.

What you need

• A non-toxic, water-based ink pad (check the label)
• Small pieces of smooth white card, cut to roughly palm size
• A soft, damp cloth and a dry one
• Your cat's favourite treat

Steps

1. Wait for a calm, sleepy moment, ideally with your cat already on your lap.
2. Dab the nose dry with the soft cloth so the ink takes evenly.
3. Touch the pad to the nose very lightly, just once. A cat's nose is small, so a tiny amount of ink is plenty.
4. Bring the card to the nose, slightly curved, and touch it for a second. Don't press or hold.
5. Lift straight off to avoid smudging.
6. Wipe the nose clean with the damp cloth and offer the treat.

Stop at the first sign your cat has had enough: ears rotating, a thumping tail, twitching skin, freezing, or simply getting up to leave. You can always try again another day. Once you have a clear print, photograph or scan it flat in good light so you have a sharp image to upload.

What a usable cat nose print looks like

• The whole nose leather is in frame, with both nostrils visible.
• When you zoom in, you can see the fine, pebbly texture on the surface, not a smooth blur.
• There's no flash glare or deep shadow across the nose.
• For ink prints, the pattern shows as fine lines and dots rather than a solid dark blob.

Cat noses come in black, pink, brown and speckled. Lighter noses can show the texture beautifully in daylight, but they can also look washed out if the light is too bright, so try a slightly shadier spot if detail is disappearing.

Common mistakes

• Chasing an awake cat around the room. You'll get blur and an annoyed cat. Wait for nap time.
• Too much ink. It fills the fine texture and leaves a dark smudge.
• Shooting from above. You end up with the top of the nose and the forehead, not the nose leather itself.
• Only taking one or two photos. Take plenty and choose the sharpest.
• Restraining your cat. It isn't worth the stress, and a tense cat won't give you a clean print anyway.

If you also have a dog, our guide on how to take a dog nose print covers the differences for bigger, more cooperative noses.

Turning the print into jewellery

Once you have a photo or ink print you're happy with, you can upload it straight onto the product page, for example our cat nose print ring. We look at every print and email you a proof within 24 hours, and nothing is engraved until you approve it. If the detail isn't quite there, we'll tell you honestly and help you get a better shot. You can browse every piece in our cat nose print jewellery collection.