LOL IRL: Cardboard Cat Costumes

Imgur user eatmytwins and Redditor Chicosley gave their cats a range of careers without requiring a single costume fitting. Astronaut? Done. Adventurer? Naturally. Mario? Apparently the plumber has whiskers now. Their cardboard creations turn an ordinary feline face into the punchline, and the face rarely looks impressed.

These are the Cardboard Cat Costumes that made the rounds in 2013. The trick is simple: draw a body or scene on cardboard, leave an opening for the cat’s face, and photograph the resulting character. The drawing does most of the performing. The cat contributes the management attitude.

One Face, Several Ridiculous Characters

Contemporary coverage at Laughing Squid credited both creators and linked their original posts. The published examples included space travel, exaggerated muscles, a bikini body, and familiar fictional characters. A tiny cardboard physique paired with a completely ordinary cat head is all the special effect required.

The original article singled out Mario and Indiana Jones alongside the astronaut and beefcake. It is a cast for a film nobody could possibly explain. One minute you are saving the princess; the next, you are demanding somebody refill the food bowl. The motivation is consistent.

The Cardboard Does the Heavy Lifting

What makes the joke work is the mismatch. The illustrated body suggests action, drama, or swagger. Above it sits a face that seems mildly inconvenienced by the entire production. No elaborate fabric outfit needs to sell the scene. The audience connects the head to the drawing and supplies the rest.

The roughness helps, too. Visible marker lines and flat cardboard leave the mechanism obvious, so there is no mystery about the illusion. It looks like a homemade gag because that is exactly the appeal. You are not supposed to believe a cat actually trained for a mission to space.

A Photo Prop, With the Cat in Charge

If you try a similar picture, treat the cardboard as a loose photo prop. Let a willing cat approach it, keep the session brief, and stop if the animal pulls away or seems unhappy. A funny photograph is never a reason to force a head through an opening or restrain a pet.

You can also hold a drawing in the foreground and line up the cat behind it, leaving the animal free to move. Patience matters more than a complicated design. Cardboard, markers, a camera, and modest drawing skills are enough to explore the idea. Oh, plus a cat. Definitely need a cat.

The Original Joke Still Lands

Our original story suggested leaving a trail of tuna into the house to recruit extra models. Please read that as a joke, not an animal acquisition strategy. Your existing cat may already consider this project an outrageous misuse of a perfectly good box. Recruiting a larger cast will not improve negotiations.

The little cardboard stage is enough. Give an unimpressed face a heroic body, take the picture, and let the internet do what it does best: admire a cat doing almost nothing while its human does absolutely everything.