Cheshire Cat: If I were looking for a white rabbit, I’d ask the Mad Hatter.
Alice: The Mad Hatter? Oh, no no no…
Cheshire Cat: Or, you could ask the March Hare, in that direction.
Alice: Oh, thank you. I think I’ll see him…
Cheshire Cat: Of course, he’s mad, too.
Alice: But I don’t want to go among mad people.
Cheshire Cat: Oh, you can’t help that. Most everyone’s mad here.
[laughs maniacally; starts to disappear]
Cheshire Cat: You may have noticed that I’m not all there myself.
Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
Having featured an origami dog earlier in World Origami Days 2015, I thought it was only fair to include a cat. The model I have chosen for day 14 is designed by Toshie Takahama.
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This is another delightfully simple design. It is derived from the Kite Base and takes just five to ten minutes to fold. I like this one for much the same reason as I like Trollip’s Border Collie: the model’s pose seems just right for the animal. Trollip’s Collie design is much more complex than this Cat, but this model shows that origami does not have to be complex to be realistic or beautiful.
Just about any paper can be used for this easy cat origami model. I made this one out of a small off-cut of Elephant Hide paper I had lying around because it seemed a waste to just throw it away, but kami would work, or something with some longer fibres such as unryu or lokta.
Takahama’s Origami Cat Diagrams
Origami cat instructions for this model can be found in Paul Jackson’s book Classic Origami, and this model features on the cover. Unfortunately, this book is now out of print, but at the time of writing, there were several copies available on Amazon extremely cheaply here.
The British Origami Society Library also has a couple of copies for lending to Society members.
Difficulty: Simple
Time to fold: 5 – 10 minutes
Paper choice: Any
If you are looking for more origami cat designs, one of my favourite designers, Roman Diaz has a Cat Origami book that you might enjoy. Click here to current check price and availability on Amazon.
Get Involved
I’d love to hear your views on this easy origami cat. If you are looking for an easier origami cat model to fold, try the traditional origami cat face. Feel free to let me know what you think in the comments below, or you find can me on Instagram or Twitter. Check out my Pinterest boards too!
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