Cat skull tattoos are a reasonably new tattoo phenomenon in contemporary body art themes and inspiration.
Aloof, independent, at turns icy and warmly affectionate, these contrasts make cats more interesting for ‘stranger’ tattoo designs.
Cat skull tattoo designs are considered a slightly macabre link with death and resurrection, mostly due to the nine lives each feline is said to possess. They may be a choice for ink lovers who’ve survived a close scrape or two.
For others, they are a unique tattoo design choice that combines a love of skulls – I myself am firmly in this category – with a love for cats (where I’m a bit more lukewarm).
The following collection of cat skull tattoo ideas feature a killer range of designs in a range of techniques and styles you can apply towards a future tattoo.
1. Tattoo Ideas for the Back
2. Black Ink Tattoos
3. Colorful Tattoos
4. Technical Cat Skull Tattoo Designs
5. Flower Inspired Tattoos
6. Forearm Tattoo Art
7. Tattoos for the Hand
8. Leg Tattoos with Cat Skull Ink
9. Small and Simple Tattoos
10. Thigh Tattoo Ideas
11. Upper Arm Tattoos
FAQs
What does a cat skull tattoo mean?
Cat skull tattoo designs are often associated with death and resurrection, mostly due to the nine lives each feline is said to possess.
They may be a choice for those ink lovers who’ve survived a close scrape or two or have an affinity for the distinct personality characteristics of cats.
Cat skull tattoos can also be a unique tattoo design choice that combines a love of skulls with a love for cats.
What style cat skull tattoo should I get?
Cat skull tattoos offer a range of application styles, from heavy black ink through to bright colored neo traditional pieces emphasizing contrast between the uniquely triangular feline head with vivid colors.
Most of the designs offer great linework or use of contour to show off the skull’s features in a realistic shading style or against traditional flat panel color look. The massive eye holes allow the wildest interpretations through solid black ink, or inclusion of more interesting technical shading.
What do skull tattoos symbolize?
A skull tattoo idea invariably represents death, decay, and the inexorable passing of time – but can also examine the duality and intertwining of life and death.
The skull is also commonly taken as a symbol of death, danger and destruction, while in outlaw culture the skull is a symbol of alienation and rebellion, a totem for those outside and on the fringes.
How much does a cat skull tattoo cost?
Many cat skull designs are small to medium in size – less than 4 inches in diameter – so should take 2-3 hours depending on the technical details.
With prices averaging out to around $150-$200 per hour for experienced professionals $400-$500 including tips is a good place to start for a forearm design with flowers, for example.
Simpler designs of outline ink or two to three color work will be cheaper than pieces adopting heavier shading or more time-consuming techniques, such as dotwork and stipple shading.
Where should I place my cat skull tattoo?
With such a unisex tattoo choice, all manner of places can be used for the portrayal of a cat’s skull.
Traditional placement areas are popular for men in particular – the forearm, upper arm, calf tattoo or shoulder blade are used for small to medium designs.
Interestingly, women’s tattoo placement involves more contemporary locations, with the hands, wrist, thigh, and the sternum/underboob area providing some brilliant ink examples.