Browse ›
A small black kitten wearing black bat wings sits on wooden porch steps with pumpkins, mums and a spiderweb wreath behind. 2 / 25

This Tiny Bat Showed Up on the Porch Steps Looking Very Proud

AI imageblack kittenhalloweenbat wings

Wide green eyes, black fur, and a pair of felt bat wings strapped on like she was born to fly: this little kitten has the porch steps all to herself. Behind her sit a cluster of pumpkins, a pot of orange mums, and a wreath wrapped in a spiderweb with a plastic spider in the middle. The afternoon light is soft and golden, and the kitten, whom we'll call Bella, looks directly at us with the calm confidence of someone who knows the costume is a hit.

Black cats get an unfair reputation around Halloween, but they are the same affectionate, playful animals as any other color. Many shelters do pay extra attention to black cats around this time of year, and a lot of them recommend thinking carefully about any adoption made for the holiday, since a cat is a commitment that lasts well past October. If you are thinking about adding one to the family, a calm visit to a local shelter any other time of year is a lovely way to meet a few personalities first.

As for costumes, the golden rule is comfort. A costume should never cover the eyes, nose, or mouth, restrict movement, or have dangling bits a kitten could chew. Try it on for a few minutes at home with treats first, and take it off right away if she freezes, hides, or tries to wriggle out. Light wings like these, which sit on the back and leave the face open, are about as gentle as costumes get.

Bella doesn't seem bothered at all. The wings stay put, the pumpkins stay put, and the evening ahead looks like a good one.

More from this collection

All 25 →
A small ginger tabby kitten with big amber eyes sits on a wooden porch under strings of orange lights at dusk.Marmalade Sat Beneath the Porch Lights Like Something Was ComingA fluffy brown tabby kitten wearing a black pirate hat, eye patch and brown vest sits on a wooden porch near pumpkins.The Smallest Pirate on the Block Guarded the Porch Treasure
A fluffy cream Persian kitten looks out from between gray foam tombstones draped in fake spiderweb in a leafy yard.The Graveyard Looked Empty Until Something Fluffy Peeked OutA tortoiseshell kitten looks out from the carved mouth and eye of a large orange jack-o'-lantern sitting on the ground.Someone Carved a Pumpkin Face, and a Tiny Tortie Moved Right InA blue-gray kitten with yellow-green eyes sits on a porch beside a carved pumpkin glowing at dusk.A Gray Kitten and a Glowing Pumpkin Watch the Street TogetherA small brown tabby kitten sits among pale green and orange gourds and dry cornstalks on a porch.Nobody Placed a Kitten in the Harvest Display. There She Sat.