Cat in the Hat coloring pages: 23 printable PDF designs featuring the Cat, Thing One and Thing Two, the Fish, and a few crossovers with other Dr. Seuss characters. Each page can be downloaded as a PDF to print or colored online in the browser.
The Cat in the Hat wasn’t just a fun story when Theodor Geisel, writing as Dr. Seuss, published it in 1957. A children’s book editor had challenged him to write an engaging story using only a list of a few hundred words that a six-year-old should already know, a response to complaints that the era’s dull “Dick and Jane” school readers were failing to get kids excited about reading. Geisel worked with 236 of those words and still built a chaotic, rhyming adventure around the Cat, Thing One and Thing Two, and the disapproving Fish, and the book helped push American reading instruction away from those bland primers for good. That same cast is getting a new animated movie from Warner Bros., with Bill Hader voicing the Cat, set for release on November 6, 2026, nearly seventy years after the book first hit shelves. This collection sticks to the classic look: white face, red bow tie, and that unmistakable red-and-white striped Hat.
With 23 pages split between solo Cat portraits, full-cast scenes, and a few crossovers with other Dr. Seuss books, the set works for a quick, simple page and for a longer session working through the whole cast.
What Is Inside This Collection
This collection groups its 23 pages by cast size, since a solo Cat portrait, a full-cast scene, and a crossover page each call for a different coloring approach.
The Cat in the Hat Solo Portraits
Twelve pages keep the focus on the Cat alone, in a simple portrait, a funny pose, or a quiet moment with his umbrella or phone. The Cat’s signature look never changes across these pages: a white face and belly, red-and-white striped top Hat, and a red bow tie, so getting that exact stripe pattern right is the one detail worth taking slowly.
Thing One, Thing Two, and the Full Cast
Eight pages bring in the rest of the book’s cast: Thing One and Thing Two, the disapproving Fish, and Sally and her brother. Thing One and Thing Two are almost always shown with wild blue hair and matching red jumpsuits, a color pairing that’s worth keeping consistent between the two characters even as their poses change from page to page.
Crossovers with Other Dr. Seuss Characters
Three pages step outside The Cat in the Hat itself to visit other Dr. Seuss characters: the Grinch and Fox in Socks. Since all three characters come from the same author’s body of work, these pages are a natural way to introduce a child to more of Dr. Seuss’s books once they’ve finished coloring the Cat himself.
What Cat in the Hat Coloring Pages Do
Stripes reward a steady hand. The Cat’s evenly spaced hat stripes ask for more careful, controlled coloring than a single solid shape would, and the American Academy of Pediatrics names exactly this kind of structured coloring, done between ages 2 and 7, as a clear path to fine motor skill development. The simpler solo portraits offer an easier version of that same practice before a busier full-cast page.
A character built for early readers. The book itself was written with a deliberately small vocabulary to help young children read on their own, so pairing a coloring page with the actual book is a natural fit, letting a child color a scene right after reading the words that describe it.
Calm through repetition. A 2005 Art Therapy Journal study found a measurable drop in anxiety after coloring sessions built around a defined structure. The Cat’s tidy stripes and Thing One and Thing Two’s matching outfits are about as structured as a coloring page gets.
A reason to meet the rest of the shelf. Because a few pages here cross over into the Grinch and Fox in Socks, this collection can work as a gentle nudge toward other Dr. Seuss books once a child has a favorite character to start with.
How to Color Cat in the Hat Pages Well
- The Cat’s hat: Alternate Scarlet and White stripes evenly, keeping each band roughly the same width for a cleaner, more recognizable look.
- The Cat’s fur: Keep the face, chest, and paws White, with a light Gray for the rest of the body, matching the original book’s simple color scheme.
- Bow tie: Color it Scarlet to match the hat stripes.
- Thing One and Thing Two: Use Sky Blue or Cerulean for their wild hair and Scarlet for their matching jumpsuits.
- The Fish: Color the body Turquoise Blue, adding a Scarlet bowler hat on any page where he’s shown wearing one.
- Sally and her brother: Keep their clothing in simple, classic tones like Denim or Goldenrod, so they don’t compete with the Cat’s bold red and white for attention.
5 Creative Craft Ideas With Cat in the Hat Coloring Pages
1. Character Fact Cards. Color a few of the solo portraits, then write one real fact about the book, like its word count or publication year, on the back of each card. A small stack makes a simple, reusable set for a young reader.
2. Full-Cast Poster. Color the Cat, Thing One, Thing Two, and the Fish separately, then arrange them together on a poster board with each character’s name written underneath. It works like a small cast list for the whole story.
3. Story Scene Diorama. Color one of the full-cast pages, cut out the individual characters, and stand them up inside a shoebox decorated as a simple living room. It turns a flat page into a small scene from the book.
4. Dr. Seuss Character Match-Up. Color a Cat in the Hat page alongside a Grinch or Fox in Socks page, then display them together and talk about how all three come from the same author. It’s a natural bridge to other Dr. Seuss books on the shelf.
5. Story Bookmark Set. Color a few small Cat portraits, cut them into narrow bookmark strips, and cover each with clear contact paper. It doubles as a handy way to mark a place in the actual book.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Cat in the Hat coloring pages?
Cat in the Hat coloring pages are free printable and browser-colorable designs of the Cat, Thing One and Thing Two, and other characters from Dr. Seuss’s classic book. This collection has 23 pages, available as PDF downloads or through the online coloring tool.
Who created The Cat in the Hat, and when was it published?
The Cat in the Hat was written and illustrated by Theodor Geisel, known as Dr. Seuss, and published on March 12, 1957.
Why was The Cat in the Hat written with such a small vocabulary?
A publisher challenged Geisel to write an engaging children’s story using only about 236 words from a list of vocabulary a first-grader should already know. The goal was to replace dull school readers like the Dick and Jane primers with something kids would actually want to read.
Who are Thing One and Thing Two?
Thing One and Thing Two are the Cat’s mischievous, wild-haired helpers, usually shown in matching red outfits. They’re released from a box partway through the story and immediately cause chaos.
Is there a new Cat in the Hat movie coming out?
Yes. An animated Cat in the Hat movie from Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, with Bill Hader voicing the Cat, is scheduled for release on November 6, 2026, nearly seventy years after the original book.
What other Dr. Seuss characters appear in this collection?
This collection includes a few pages featuring the Grinch, from How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, and Fox in Socks, from the Dr. Seuss book of the same name, alongside the Cat.
Are Cat in the Hat coloring pages suitable for young children?
Yes, with the right page. The simple solo portraits suit younger children, while the busier full-cast scenes suit older kids who want more of a challenge.
Are these official Cat in the Hat coloring pages?
No. These are fan-made coloring sheets for personal, non-commercial use and are not affiliated with, licensed by, or endorsed by Dr. Seuss Enterprises or Warner Bros.
Start Coloring
Download any design by clicking it. No account, email, or payment is required to color or print. Every page opens in the online coloring tool for on-screen use or downloads as a full-resolution PDF for printing. Share a finished Cat in the Hat page using the Facebook or Pinterest buttons at the top of the page.
