You Oughta Know: Cat-toure Cat Clothing and Accessories

Wings Tank - Heather Gray, $18.00

Listen up, kitty fashionistas!

Like me, you've probably wondered why dogs get to have all the fun when it comes to clothing and costumes. Well, wonder no more! I've just discovered Cat-toure Cat Clothing, a pet clothing company designed exclusively for cats! Yes, that's right - Cat-toure's comfy designs are made specifically to fit the unique body of a discriminating, fashionable feline (no dogs, allowed!).

I recently got the chance to chat with Cat-toure's co-founder and CEO, Jeff Kastin, about the inspiration behind the line, and its purrfectly pretty spokeskitty. Read on for more!

Please tell us more about the feline face of Cat-toure. What's her name, and how did she come into your life?

At the time my girlfriend, now my wife/Co-Founder & Creative Director was doing research on cats that are more hypo-allergic than others (because of me) and she came across the Devon Rex breed. We came across an ad on Craigslist, so we "adopted" her (Liley). I put "adopted" in quotes because we actually got her from a couple that rescued her from an unethical breeder. We were told that she was perfectly healthy, but when we brought her to the vet we found out that she was really sick. Instead of adopting her, I like to say that we "saved" her.

Basic Hoodie - Turquoise, $20.00

How old is Liley now?

She was 1 when we got her and we were told she was a boy, but when we brought her to our vet we found out that she was a girl. Liley is currently 3 years old and will be 4 on April Fools Day. Her personality is very unique, she is one of a kind. She doesn't see herself as a cat, but rather as part of our family. She greets us at the door when we come home from work and always follows us around the house. She loves to play and help us with our chores.

Peace Tank - Purple, $18.00

What was the inspiration behind starting a clothing line exclusively for cats?

We were inspired to start Cat-toure because of Liley. She never wanted to sleep through the night and she also always wanted to lay under the covers or be wrapped up in a blanket. We thought of putting dog clothes on her to keep her warm. We went out and found a dog tank and put it on her. It didn't fit well at all, but she started purring and that night was the first night that she slept through without waking us up. The next day we went back to the store to find a tank that fit. Nothing fit her correctly. We looked into cat clothes online, but couldn't find anything that was nice. There were many costumes, but none that were practical. That is when we came up with the idea of starting a clothing line for cats. Cat-toure was launched February 1, 2010 and has been receiving orders daily from all over the world.

Our line currently consists of practical tanks and hoodies with robes and accessories to come in the near future. When we think of the design and article of clothing we think what would we wear? If we wouldn't wear it and don't think it's stylish why would a cat?

Basic Tank - Black, $18.00

Wow! I really admire the philosophy of only designing clothing you would wear yourself, and I love the simple, yet stylish designs. Liley is one lucky kitty to have such caring and creative parents!

A very special thanks goes out to Jeff for for taking the time to answer my questions. Please check out a few more of my favorite designs below, and visit Cat-toure.com to shop even more fabulous styles!

Basic Hoodie - Purple, $20.00

Lion Tank, $18.00

Cougar Tank, $18.00

Ultimate Hoodie - Heather Gray, $23.00