White kitten looking into camera

How to take a selfie with your cat

Taking a selfie with your cat can often end up with what appears to be a blur next to your head – we’ve all been there.

So, just how do you take a great selfie with your pet?

Preparing your cat

If you are a regular smartphone user, the chances are your cat will already be familiar with the camera. Let’s face it, we take a lot of photos of our pets – they’re just so cute!

They may not, however, be used to you plonking yourself next to them to squish in for a selfie. Cats can naturally find someone being so close to their face a bit intimidating, so it’s very important that you stop if you think they’re uncomfortable and, if you know this is something that your cat struggles with, it’s best to avoid a selfie with them.

You can help tempt them into the photo with you in exchange for a nice treat, held in the direction of the camera. Be sure to give them a treat as soon as they come sit next to you so that they don’t become frustrated.

Top five tips for the best selfie with your cat

Here are our top five tips for how to get the best selfie with your pet.

Natural light

Photographers can spend hours working to get the lighting of a shot just right. So, it’s no surprise that if you want a good photo – you’ll need to think about the lighting around you.

It’s best to capture your selfie in natural light, without a flash – this can startle your cat and will also give them red eye. Phone cameras are never as good as an actual camera, so having a well-lit shot will make your photo stand out. 

Use burst mode

Cats are prone to fidget; it doesn’t come natural to them to pose for a photo. So, switching your phone camera to burst mode, or holding down the button to take a photo (depending on what phone you have) will allow you to take multiple shots so that you can choose one you like and that is blur free.

Use the timer button

Fancy a bit more of you in shot than just your face? Enter timer mode. Your phone will give you a couple of options for how long you want to set the timer. We recommend at least 10 seconds so that you can get into shot with your cat and get ready to pose!

Avoid busy backgrounds

Unless you’re looking to highlight the place that you’re in, our advice would be to avoid busy backgrounds as that will distract from you and your cat.

Portrait mode

If you’re getting a photo up close and personal, portrait mode is perfect for blurring out the background and really highlighting you and your pet - bringing you to the forefront of the image.

Most importantly, never force your cat to have a photo with you. If they look uncomfortable and clearly want to move away, allow them to do that.

— Page last updated 07/05/2020