The cat
The cat: a free printable coloring page, from age 2. Sitting, eyes closed, a lock on its forehead and a long plumed tail raised behind it.
- Recommended age
- Ages 2 and up · 10 to 15 minutes
- Theme
- Animals
Sitting, a lock on the forehead
The cat poses face on, sitting on its haunches, both front paws straight in front of it and marked with small lines for the toes. Its eyes are closed in two smiling arcs, edged with lashes. Three whiskers go out from each side of the muzzle, under a black triangular nose. Above the forehead, a wavy lock falls in three waves, and a spiral horn rises just behind it. The ears, triangular, have a second contour inside. Behind it, a long tail lifts into a plume, drawn in several overlapping locks.
The animal children know best
One child in two lives with a cat, or passes one every day in the street. They know it purrs, that it rubs against legs, and that it walks off without warning in the middle of a stroke. What they discover later: a cat sleeps between sixteen and twenty hours a day, its whiskers tell it whether it can fit through a narrow space, and its tail tells its mood — up, it is happy; lashing, better leave it alone. It is an animal you read, and children learn to do it quickly.
Three very large shapes, and the detail as a bonus
The body, the head and the tail are three large shapes a very young child fills with one gesture each: the sheet stands up like that, and it is already a cat. The rest is detail you take or leave. The lock on the forehead is cut into narrow waves, which only read by changing shade from one wave to the next; the plumed tail poses the same problem on a larger scale; the whiskers and lashes are fine lines a marker covers and a pencil goes around. Those three wait for 4 or 5 without stopping anyone from coloring the cat earlier.
Making a real coat
This cat lends itself well to a tabby. Color the whole body in a pale shade, let it dry if it is marker, then draw short parallel strokes over the top in a darker tone, following the curve of the back and the thighs. Ten or so strokes are enough. The same gesture on the tail, closer together, makes it ringed. It is often the first time a child makes a pattern instead of a flat color, and the result surprises them. Paper of 120 gsm keeps the second pass from going through.
A word for the grown-up: if you have a cat at home, put the sheet down beside it and let your child look for the colors on the real animal. They look at the creature differently, and they choose their pencils instead of grabbing them at random.
Coloring pages that go with this one
More pages from the same theme, age or season — the ones you print right after.
