5 Free Crochet Pet Blanket Patterns (Linked to Each Designer)

Each of these free crochet pet blanket patterns is a real published pattern with written instructions, linked to the designer who wrote it. Three are cat mats sized for a cage or a favourite spot, and two are full blankets.

Two rules apply to anything an animal lies on: the yarn has to survive a hot wash, and the fabric has to be closed enough that claws cannot catch in it. Everything below meets both.

What you will need

Chenille or washable acrylic, and a hook larger than the yarn label suggests — a soft, loose fabric is more comfortable to lie on than a firm one, which is the opposite of most crochet advice.

1. Easy Cat Comfort Mat

Single crochet throughout with a two-round border, in Bernat Blanket chenille on an 8 mm hook — about 150 yards for a 12 by 18 inch mat. Pam Carr’s is the one to make if you are crocheting for a shelter: a single stitch, one skein, and a size that fits a standard cage. Chenille is also the right choice for pets, being soft, washable and cheap enough to replace. Beginner-friendly. Free pattern: Easy Cat Comfort Mat.

2. Quick & Easy Cat Mat

Esther uses lemon peel stitch — double and single crochet alternating — which gives a cobbled texture that cats grip rather than slide on. Size 6 Bernat Blanket on an 11.5 mm hook, about 165 yards, finishing at 13 by 20 inches. The very large hook keeps the fabric soft rather than board-stiff, which matters for something an animal lies on. Rated beginner. Free pattern: Quick & Easy Crochet Cat Mat.

3. Easy Crochet Cat Mat by First The Coffee

The largest mat here at 24 by 15 inches, from a single 300 g skein of Bernat Blanket on an 8 mm hook. Josie combines single, half double and double crochet with skipped stitches across 34 rows to build dimension — more interesting to work than plain single crochet, and the raised texture gives claws something to catch. Free pattern: Easy Crochet Cat Mat.

4. Crochet Cat Blanket

A granny-square construction worked in expanding rounds from the centre, which means you stop when it is the right size — Louise Bollanos suggests somewhere between 16 and 24 inches square. Worsted weight on a 5 mm hook. Being round-based rather than row-based, it uses up odd amounts of several colours, so it is the best of these for clearing a stash. Basic level. Free pattern: Crochet Cat Blanket Pattern.

5. My Favorite Cat Blanket

The ambitious one: 46 by 60 inches, three skeins of Pound of Love, and a drop stitch cluster worked two rows below the current row to form a cat design in the fabric itself. Elena Hunt builds it on a three-row colour repeat. This is a blanket for a person who likes cats rather than a mat for a cat — at that size it is a proper throw. H hook. Free pattern: My Favorite Cat Blanket.

The 5 patterns compared

Frequently Asked Questions

What yarn is safe for a pet blanket?

Machine washable acrylic or chenille. It gets washed constantly, and cheap enough to replace matters more than it does for anything else you crochet. Avoid wool — it felts in a hot wash — and avoid anything with long loops or fringe a claw can catch in.

What size should a cat mat be?

Between about 12 by 18 and 24 by 15 inches. That covers a standard cage base and a cat’s preferred curled-up footprint. Anything much larger becomes a blanket for the sofa rather than a mat, which is a different project — the two blanket patterns here are 16 inches square and up.

Are open stitches a problem for pets?

Yes. Claws catch in large chain spaces and lacework, which is both frustrating for the animal and destructive to the blanket. Every mat here uses a closed or textured fabric for that reason. Texture is good — gaps are not.

Can I donate these to a shelter?

Most shelters accept handmade blankets, and cage-sized mats in washable acrylic are what they usually ask for. Check the size they want first; many specify it. The single-stitch chenille mats here are the quickest to make in quantity — one skein, one mat.

For a shelter donation, the single-stitch chenille mats are quickest and use exactly one skein each. For a pet at home, the textured mats give claws something to grip. Each link goes to the designer’s own page with the full instructions.