Trading a tuxedo for dresses

A Dunedin cat with a passion for fashion is turning heads with a display of fashion-forward outfits — or maybe she just wants a treat?

Cat owners Dillon Maydon and Amber Lim have a very even-tempered cat, Brie, who puts up with being dressedup, in exchange for treats.

Ms Lim said the 1-year-old cat was adopted from local charity Dunedin Cat Rescue in January and immediately became part of the family.

"She’s very loving, and she plays a lot. She loves a treat as well, she likes tulu [wet food tubes] and temptations."

Ms Lim said she always wanted to dress up her pets, but never had an animal who would tolerate it until Brie.

"She purrs in the outfits, so we know she’s OK.

"Most outfits are made for dogs anyway, so I started making my own.

"That’s the cool thing about dressing cats up, if they tolerate it, it looks really cute — it’s not every day you see a cat in a dress."

The cat’s striking look recently won her the top spot in two competitions on the social media platform Instagram, she said.

Ms Lim said fabrics such as cotton and satin were top picks when she created the outfits as Brie tended to not be bothered by their feel.

"She’s got this Christmas dress made of satin which she wore to the Nichols Santa photos, everyone was saying ‘oh my goodness, a cat in a dress’ and she was so well behaved, she even looked right at the camera."

Next up on the agenda for Brie’s fashion collection — a cheerleader top and skirt so she can support Mr Maydon’s rugby team, she said.

Keep an eye about town for this fashionista feline, she might be able to give other pets a few pointers.

cas.saunders@odt.co.nz