Cat Centipede Halloween Costume — 50 in, Hooded

Fifty inches of centipede. Your cat supplies the walk.

A segmented plush body that sits along your cat's spine, runs the length of her back and keeps going well past the tail. A row of padded legs stands out down both sides and swings as she moves. The hood adds two red antennae. It is the costume people stop walking to look at.

People call it a lot of things: a creepy-crawly cat costume, a cat bug costume, an insect cosplay outfit, sometimes a cat caterpillar or millipede costume. It is a centipede. One long plush body, legs down both sides, and a hood with antennae.

• It reads from across the room. 50 inches long and 11.4 inches wide, black with red legs. The legs and antennae are padded, so they stand up full instead of flopping over.
• Four-point adjustable fit. Straps at the head, neck, chest and belly, so it stays put while she walks, jumps or rolls, and comes off in seconds.
• Light on her back. Padded polyester, 151 g for the whole thing. Not a stiff shell.
• Smooth inner layer. The lining does not hold cat hair. Shake it or wipe it after wearing, which helps on a long-haired cat.

This is a costume, not a harness

Never clip a leash to it. The straps hold a costume in place; they are not made to hold a cat that pulls. Wear it indoors, stay with her, and take it off before you leave her alone. The body is 50 inches long and the tail trails behind her, so it can catch on furniture, railings and banisters.

The ASPCA's Halloween guidance puts it plainly: a costume should not limit a pet's movement, sight or ability to breathe or meow, you should check it for small or dangling pieces that could be chewed off, and an ill-fitting outfit can get twisted on external objects. They also say to try the costume on before the big night rather than on it. All of that applies here, and the trailing tail is the part to watch.

Will your cat actually wear it?

Honest answer: some cats take to it and plenty do not, and that is about the cat rather than the costume. Two things help. Try it days before you need it, not an hour before the party. And put the hood on separately first, because the hood is the part most cats object to.

Take it off if she freezes, flattens her ears, crouches low or backs out of it. A cat that goes completely still in clothing is usually not enjoying it. She will move normally again the moment it is off.

It is built for photos and short wear, not for a whole evening.

How to put it on

Four straps, in this order. Doing them in order stops the body twisting as you go.

1. Hood first. Over the head, with her face through the opening and the antennae pointing up. If she shakes it off, leave the hood off and use the body alone.
2. Neck. Fasten where a collar would normally sit.
3. Chest. Just behind the front legs.
4. Belly. Last, and loosest of the four. This one only stops the body sliding sideways.

Lay the tail out straight behind her before you let her walk off, so she does not step over it and turn round into it.

Sizing: one size, so measure first

Where to put the tape. Neck: where a collar sits. Chest: right behind the front legs, around the widest part. Waist: in front of the back legs. Head: around the widest part of the skull, in front of the ears. Keep the tape flat against the fur rather than pulled tight, and take the number the tape reads.

There is one size, and the body length is fixed, so only the straps adjust. A cat whose chest is over 15.35 in cannot be fitted by loosening anything. It fits most cats and small dogs, and it does not fit medium or large dogs. Measure before you order, and email Mike if you are between numbers.

Before every wear

Check the legs and antennae for looseness. They are padded fabric parts on a garment a cat may chew, and anything that works loose is something she could swallow. If a leg comes loose, stop using it.

What's in the box

• 1 × centipede body, 50 in, one size
• 1 × hood with two antennae

Specifications

Delivery: this one is slower than the rest of the shop

The banner at the top of this shop says 24 October. That date is for our US-warehouse items and it does not apply to this costume. Our supplier quotes 9 business days from order to delivery for this one, which is the honest number rather than an estimate. Order by 17 October to have it for Halloween. The other dates are on our order-by dates page.

Questions people ask

Can I walk my cat in it? No. It is a costume, not a harness, so never clip a leash to it. Indoors, and stay with her.

Does the hood come with it? Yes. Plenty of owners use the body on its own, and that is often the easier start.

Will it fit my dog? Small dogs inside the measurements above, yes. Medium and large dogs, no.

Will it fit a big cat? Up to a 15.35 in chest. Above that it will not close, and no amount of adjusting fixes it, because only the straps move and the body length is fixed.

Can I machine wash it? No. It is padded, so spot clean or hand wash gently in cool water and air dry.

How long should she wear it? Short sessions. Take it off if she freezes or tries to back out.

When will it arrive? Nine business days from order, per our supplier. Order by 17 October for Halloween.

Looking for something for a dog instead? There is the LED Spider Dog Costume, and the rest of the pet costumes are here.