PROMPT GUIDE

Cat and Pet Prompts: Holding a Cat, Animals on the Lap, Dogs and Rabbits

To draw a girl holding a cat, the basic prompt is 1girl and cat plus holding animal (or holding cat). If you do not write where the animal is, it may show up small in a corner of the background, or the girl may grow cat ears. This guide focuses on pictures with real animals and collects tags for position and animal type.

Last updated: 2026-10-22 approx. 3 min read

日本語版

The short answer

The prompt for a girl holding a cat is 1girl, cat, holding animal. Write one animal type plus one position: animal on lap for the lap and animal on shoulder for the shoulder. If the girl grows cat ears, put cat ears in the negative prompt.

What is the prompt for holding a cat?

To have the character hold a cat, write 1girl, cat, holding animal. Danbooru also has a holding cat tag, and both give a picture of an animal held or hugged in the arms. If you only write cat, the cat may just sit in the background, or the girl may get cat ears, so always describe how they are together.

Tags for where the animal is

Tag	Meaning	Note
`holding animal`	Holding or hugging an animal	The basic hold. Also holding cat and holding dog
`animal on lap`	Animal on the lap	A cat on the lap of a seated girl
`animal on shoulder`	Animal on the shoulder	For small birds and small cats
`animal on head`	Animal on the head	Cute with chicks or small birds
`petting`	Petting	Stroking the head of the animal
`animal hug`	Hugging an animal	For larger dogs
`leash`	Leash (walking a dog)	Combine with dog and walking for a dog walk

Anime girl holding a white cat in her arms — 猫を抱っこ

Anime girl petting a cat sleeping on her lap — 猫を抱っこ

Illustration usage rules

What are the prompts for cats, dogs and rabbits?

Write the animal name as is: cat, dog, rabbit. Put the color in front, like white cat.

Common animals

Tag	Meaning	Note
`cat`	Cat	Colors work too: black cat, white cat, calico
`kitten`	Kitten	Comes out small and cute
`dog`	Dog	Breeds work too, such as shiba inu
`puppy`	Puppy
`rabbit`	Rabbit	Write the position so it does not become bunny ears
`bird`	Small bird	Goes well with animal on shoulder
`hamster`	Hamster	Palm-sized. Hands break easily, so use a wider framing
`chick`	Chick	Cute on top of the head

How do I make a picture with an animal? (steps)

Write 1girl and solo, then add one animal and one position. That is the basic flow.

Write 1girl and solo (solo means one person; animals do not count)
Write only one animal type (cat). To set the color, write it as one tag like white cat
Write one position (holding animal, animal on lap, etc.)
Write the place (bedroom, park, etc.). A place that suits the animal looks natural
If cat ears appear, add cat ears to the negative. If animals multiply, fix one position (number tags like 1 cat work poorly)

Combinations by scene

Scene	Combination	Notes
Holding a cat	cat, holding animal, indoors	The most stable
Cat sleeping on the lap	cat, animal on lap, sitting, petting	Make the girl sit
Walking a dog	dog, walking, leash, park	Use full body or a wide framing
Petting a rabbit	rabbit, petting, grass, outdoors	Squatting looks natural
Bird on the shoulder	bird, animal on shoulder, outdoors	Put small animals on the shoulder or head
Cat by the window	cat, window, sitting, indoors	A classic pairing

What if cat ears appear or cats multiply?

Cat ears appear because the meaning of cat moves to the ears, and cats multiply because no position is set.

Problem	Cause	Fix
The girl grows cat ears	The meaning of cat moved to ears or a tail	Put cat ears and tail in the negative. Use holding animal so it reads as a real cat
Several cats appear	The number is not fixed	Set one position with a tag such as animal on lap. Do not add many cats
Cat and hands melt together	The hug framing is too close	Widen to upper body. Switch to a larger animal if it is small
The animal is tiny in a corner	No position is written	Place it near the character with holding animal or animal on lap
The dog face breaks	The animal is small and far away	Put the animal near the character and use a closer framing

Rinka's tips

One animal type plus one position. This prevents most cat-ear mix-ups and extra animals
If you want a girl with cat or dog ears, the kemonomimi guide is a better fit
Hugging poses break hands easily, so start with a larger animal and a wider framing

For cat ears, dog ears and tails: Kemonomimi and Animal Motif Tags Encyclopedia →

For the basics of holding and hugging things: Holding Prompts: Holding Objects, Both Hands and Hugging Items →

For sitting poses with an animal on the lap: Sitting Pose Prompts (Wariza, Hugging Knees, Cross-Legged, Yokozuwari, Seiza) →

For garden and meadow backgrounds: Garden Prompts: A Tag Guide for Lush Garden Scenes →

Copy-paste prompt templates

Just replace the parts in brackets. The first holds a cat, the second has a cat on the lap, and the third walks a dog.

1girl, solo, [hairstyle], [outfit], cat, holding animal, smile, looking at viewer, indoors, upper body, masterpiece, best quality

1girl, solo, [hairstyle], [outfit], sitting, cat, animal on lap, petting, smile, window, indoors, masterpiece, best quality

1girl, solo, [hairstyle], [outfit], dog, walking, leash, park, smile, full body, masterpiece, best quality

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the prompt for holding a cat?

1girl, cat, holding animal is the basic one. holding cat goes in the same direction. If cat ears appear, add cat ears to the negative prompt.

When I draw a cat, the girl grows cat ears.

The meaning of cat has moved to the ears. Set the position of a real cat with holding animal or animal on lap, and put cat ears and tail in the negative.

How do I draw a dog walk?

Add dog, walking and leash, and use full body or a wide framing. Writing a place such as park makes it look natural.

I want exactly one animal.

Number tags (like 1 cat) do not work well. Writing one position, such as held, on the lap or on the shoulder, tends to settle on one animal.