personalized pet portrait wall art in home decor framed dog and cat illustration

About TheCatLab

Design-led. Personal by nature.

At The Cat Lab, we create custom pet gifts and keepsakes designed to feel as personal as the pets that inspire them. From cocktail napkins and golf towels to mugs, blankets, and home decor, each piece begins with your pet and is created specifically for you.

Every order is made specifically for the customer who places it. Artwork is created by a real artist, customized using the details provided with each order, and reviewed with customers before production. The result is a one-of-a-kind piece designed to celebrate the pets that are part of the family.

Where it started

The Cat Lab is based in Chicago, Illinois and was founded by Catherine (Cat) Nicholson, an artist, pet lover, and lifelong believer that the little details matter.

The idea started with a simple frustration. Most personalized pet products felt either sentimental or stylish, but rarely both. Cat wanted pieces that celebrated the pets people love while also feeling thoughtfully designed and at home alongside the rest of their decor.

What began as creating custom artwork from customer photos quickly grew into The Cat Lab, a business built around helping people turn favorite pet photos into meaningful gifts, keepsakes, and everyday pieces that are both personal and beautifully designed.

Since launching, Cat has created custom artwork for thousands of pet parents across the United States.

The process

Every piece starts with your photo. From there, each pet illustration is personally designed in Chicago, Illinois. All artwork is carefully created to capture not only your pet's likeness, but the small details that make them instantly recognizable to the people who love them. Expression, markings, posture, and personality are all thoughtfully considered throughout the design process. Once your artwork is finalized, it is professionally printed onto your chosen product by one of our trusted production partners. We work with a carefully selected network of printing facilities that custom manufacture each item to order and ship it directly to your door. This allows us to offer a wide range of high quality products while ensuring every order is made specifically for you. Every design is reviewed, refined, and customized by a real person before production. Many customers choose to add a design proof to their order, giving them the opportunity to review their artwork and request unlimited revisions before anything is printed. It is a collaborative process that helps ensure your finished piece feels exactly right.

More than a product

The Cat Lab's products are often purchased to celebrate meaningful moments.

Sometimes it's a gift for a dog mom, a cat dad, a friend, a partner, or a client. Sometimes it's a way to include a beloved pet in a wedding, holiday, or special event. Sometimes it's a memorial piece created after saying goodbye to a companion who meant everything.

Whatever the reason, there is intention behind every order.

From the first sketch to the final design, the goal is always the same: create something that feels personal, thoughtful, and worth keeping. Something that captures a memory, starts a conversation, or simply makes someone smile every time they see it.

At its core, The Cat Lab is about celebrating the connection people share with their pets through artwork that feels personal, meaningful, and uniquely theirs.

Loved by Pet People

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