Black Cat Calendars for 2027 (Starring Your Own Void)
A black cat calendar made from your own photos is the only one that stars your actual void instead of a stranger's. Ours starts at $34.99 for the 8.5x11 Letter size, made to order from thirteen phone photos, printed in 2-4 business days. The one trick that changes everything: black fur swallows detail, so shoot in soft side light and expose for the cat, not the room behind them.
Last updated: September 2026 · By Patrick McCarthy
Why is a good black cat calendar so hard to buy?
Walk into any shop in October and you will find black cats everywhere: on cards, on mugs, on tote bags, always as a silhouette with yellow eyes. Then look for an actual twelve month calendar of black cats and the shelf goes quiet. The ones that exist are stock photos of somebody else's void, usually one glossy studio shorthair repeated with different backdrops.
There is a practical reason too. Black cats are genuinely difficult to photograph, so photo editors avoid them, and shelters have said for years that black cats sit waiting longer than any other colour. The internet fixed the reputation problem on its own (the word "void" did more for black cat adoption than any poster ever did), but the calendar aisle never caught up.
So make your own. A personalized cat photo wall calendar ($34.99) takes thirteen of your photos, a cover plus one for each month. No design skills needed, which is handy, because the only skill this actually requires is being awake at 5:40am when the void decides you are.
How do you photograph a black cat so the face actually shows?
This is the whole game. A badly lit black cat prints as a cat shaped hole with two eyes floating in it. A well lit one prints like velvet, and every whisker, every ear tuft, every smug fold of chin shows up. Six things fix it:
- Light from the side, never the front. Side light rakes across the fur and reveals the shape of the face. Front light (especially flash) flattens a black cat into a sticker.
- Put a window at a 45 degree angle. Soft daylight coming over one shoulder is the single best black cat lighting in existence, it is free, and your cat is probably lying in it right now, judging your posture.
- Expose for the cat, not the room. On a phone, tap your cat's face on screen, then drag the little sun slider UP. The background will look a bit bright. That is correct. The alternative is a beautiful sofa and a shadow where your cat used to be.
- Choose a background that is not black. A cream blanket, a pale rug, a wooden floor, a green garden. Contrast is what separates "elegant void" from "smudge".
- Chase the eye catchlight. A tiny reflection of the window in each eye is what makes the photo feel alive. If you can see two little white dots in the eyes, take the shot. If you cannot, move.
- Shoot in the golden hour and let them glow. Late afternoon sun turns black fur faintly bronze at the edges, which is the closest a cat will ever come to admitting they are showing off.
Wipe the lens first, too. Phone lenses live in pockets, and a smeared lens costs a black cat more detail than it costs any other colour. For the full checklist that applies to every pet, our guide on how to choose the best photo of your pet goes deeper.
What goes in each month of a black cat calendar?
Vary the backgrounds, or twelve months of the same dark cat on the same dark sofa will blur into one very long month. Spread them across the year like this:
- January: the radiator loaf. Paws tucked, eyes at half mast, entirely unavailable until March.
- February: curled on a cream blanket, which is both the best possible contrast and their preferred throne.
- March: window patrol, nose on the glass, chattering threats at a pigeon who will never learn.
- April: the sunbeam belly stretch, trusting you completely until the exact second you reach out.
- May: outside in the green, where black fur looks its absolute best and photographs its absolute easiest.
- June: in the cardboard box that arrived this morning and has since become their legal address.
- July: the full sploot on cool tile, legs out behind them, pretending the heat is not winning.
- August: golden hour on the windowsill, bronze rim light, pure Renaissance menace.
- September: sitting squarely on the one document you needed, supervising.
- October: the month a black cat was born for. Pumpkin, candle, blanket, done. This is your cover photo contender.
- November: asleep on the warmest available human, having reclassified you as furniture.
- December: one paw raised toward a low ornament, eye contact held. End the year honestly.
Save the sharpest, most unblinking stare for the cover. It is the photo everybody sees first and nobody forgets, and with a black cat the sharp eyed shot is the one that carries the whole design.
Is a custom black cat calendar better than a store-bought one?
| Detail | Custom black cat calendar | Store-bought cat calendar |
|---|---|---|
| The cat in it | Yours, all twelve months | A stock void you have never met |
| Photo choice | Every month plus the cover is yours | None, and February is always a tabby |
| Production | Made to order, printed in 2-4 business days | Mass printed last spring |
| Sizes | Letter 8.5x11 at $34.99, XL 11x16.5 at $39.99 | One size, take it or leave it |
| Reaction when opened | "That is my baby" (frequently tears) | "Oh. A cat." |
| If something prints wrong | Free reprint or refund if it arrives damaged, misprinted or wrong (30 days) | Best of luck at the kiosk |
Which calendar style suits a black cat best?
Black cats do their best work against pale, quiet backgrounds, so the minimalist designs flatter them more than a busy pattern does. The minimalist linen calendar gives you a warm off white frame that makes dark fur look deliberate rather than underexposed. The minimalist sage version is the one to pick if your void has green or gold eyes, because sage and gold together are frankly unfair. For a cooler, crisper look, the minimalist blue calendar does the same job with more contrast. Browse our cat calendars to compare them side by side, preferably with your void supervising.
If your household is a mixed one, the personalized pet photo wall calendar handles cats and dogs together without complaint, which is more than can be said for the cats and dogs. Want the big version for a kitchen wall? Browse our custom pet calendars for the XL 11x16.5 at $39.99.
What else can your void appear on?
A calendar is twelve months of your cat, but there is a case for the everyday objects too. A custom pet photo mug means your black cat judges your coffee every single morning, which is only formalising an arrangement that already exists. A custom pet tote bag pairs well with a calendar as a gift set for the person who feeds them when you travel, and it is the rare tote that gets asked about in a checkout queue.
For the void who deserves framing, a custom pet art print or a larger custom pet canvas turns one perfect side lit photo into wall art. And if you want to wear the cat, the apparel collection covers tees, hoodies and sweatshirts. Fair warning: nobody asks about a plain grey hoodie, but put a black cat's face on it and a stranger suddenly needs a name, an age, and this morning's crime.
How fast does a black cat calendar arrive?
Every calendar is made to order, so nothing sits on a shelf gathering dust. Yours is printed in 2-4 business days and then ships, typically landing on US doorsteps in about 5-10 business days. If it arrives damaged, defective, misprinted, or wrong, we send a free reprint or a full refund; just email a photo and your order number within 30 days of delivery. More detail lives on our FAQ page, which your cat has not read and never will.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a black cat calendar cost?
The 8.5x11 Letter size is $34.99 and the XL 11x16.5 is $39.99. Both take thirteen of your photos, a cover plus one for each month, and both are made to order after you click buy. Your void charges extra for posing.
Will a black cat photo print too dark?
Not if the original is well lit. Pick photos with side light and visible catchlights in the eyes, and skip any shot where your cat is already a silhouette. Good light in, velvet out.
Can I mix a black cat with my other pets?
Absolutely. Give each pet their own months, or put the whole household on the cover. The black cat will assume the cover was always theirs, and honestly, nobody is going to argue.
What is the best background for photographing a black cat?
Anything pale: a cream blanket, a light rug, a wooden floor, or green grass outdoors. Contrast is what keeps the face readable at wall size. Dark sofa plus dark cat equals one very expensive shadow.
Do I need design skills to make one?
None at all. Upload thirteen photos, drop them into the cover and each month in the online designer, and order. It takes minutes. Your cat contributed nothing and will still expect full credit.
The bottom line
The shelf version of a black cat calendar is twelve strangers in silhouette. Yours can be twelve months of the specific void who wakes you at dawn, sits on your paperwork, and owns the warmest spot in the house. Light them from the side, put them against something pale, pick your twelve, and build it with the personalized cat photo wall calendar ($34.99). The void has been running this household for years. Time it got the wall.
Keep reading: our full guide to the custom cat calendar, and the best custom cat gifts if you want ideas beyond the wall.
