36 Creative Therian Mask Ideas for Cats, Dogs, Wolves, & More

Having your own Therian mask is a great way to express your unique theriotype and connect with other Therians. If you’ve been thinking about making a DIY mask, we’ve got 36 creative Therian mask ideas to inspire you. Read on for theriotype masks that include cats, dogs, wolves, foxes, and many more. Plus, get tips on making masks from therian and furry Reagan Conley, along with a shortlist of supplies you’ll need to get you started.

Popular Therian Mask Ideas

Illustration showing a selection of different Therian mask ideas.

Orange tabby cat
Calico cat
German Shepherd dog
Wolf with mane
Kitsune fox
White rabbit

Section 1 of 9:

Cat Therian Mask Ideas

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Calico cat Calico cat masks focus on black, orange, and white. Known for their tri-color coat, calico cat faces can appear white with colored patches or split (orange on one side and black on the other, etc.) As with all cat mask ideas for Therians, add fur or felt to the sides of the face and the ears to customize it.^{[1]
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- Difficulty: Medium
- Most of these Therian mask ideas have fur or felt, but can be made using cardboard or colored paper for an easier starter mask.
- Once you create your mask, give it a Therian name you’ll both love!
Meet the wikiHow Expert

Reagan Conley is a therian and furry who has made hand-sculpted, one-of-a-kind Therian-style masks since 2023. He is also known for his YouTube Channel, BirdyDogs.
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Orange tabby cat Orange cat masks are vibrant and include white highlights on the orange base color. They look great with faux fur pieces attached to the outside or inside of the ears. Try painting the famous “M” shape that tabby cats have in the middle of your cat mask’s forehead.
- Difficulty: Easy
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Grey & white cat Grey and white cats often come with tuxedo breeds, which makes designing your cat mask even more fun. For example, paint an upside-down “V” or “tent” shape with the top point in the center of the cat’s forehead.
- Difficulty: Easy
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Bedazzled black cat While it’s easy to simply paint and add pieces of felt or fur to your black cat theriotype mask, why not make them sparkle? Bedazzle your cat’s face by adding different color rhinestones, or just cover their entire face with shimmering black iridescent stones and a hot glue gun.
- Difficulty: Hard
- Take any of the cool Therian mask ideas and add sparkles, glitter, or rhinestones to them for a unique cat look.
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Siamese cat Elevate your cat design by transforming your cat base mask or other pre-made mask. Do this by cutting off the ears (if you plan on adding your own). Then, paint Siamese cat markings by including a darker grey or black in the center of the face and lightening the color to a white or off-white past the chin, cheeks, and eyes.^{[2]
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- Difficulty: Hard
- Try using a DIY mask-making kit if you want a quick way to get started.
EXPERT TIP

Reagan Conley
Therian, Furry, and Mask Maker
Rory Conley is a therian, furry and mask shop owner based in Buffalo, NY. Rory has known he was a therian for most of his life and began making therian-style masks in 2023. Rory’s masks are one-of-a-kind and completely hand sculpted. Rory shares a variety of therian and furry content on his YouTube Channel, BirdyDogs, to his community of over 71k followers, including instructional therianthropy content and mask making tutorials. Rory’s theriotypes are a wolf and mountain lion.

Reagan Conley
Therian, Furry, and Mask Maker

Use your Therian mask to express yourself. Therian masks are the most common part of Therian gear, which includes anything that represents you as a Therian in a physical form.

Section 2 of 9:

Dog Therian Mask Ideas

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German Shepherd This mask features the black and brown coloring German Shepherd dogs are known for. Use foam clay to form your muzzle when making any type of dog mask to get the basic shape. Highlight their pointy ears by adding fluffy hair to the insides of them. Then, play with or vary the tones, from black and tan to reddish brown (or pink and blue while you’re at it!)^{[3]
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- Difficulty: Medium
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Dalmatian dog Dalmatian dog masks are relatively easy to create or customize, so be sure to experiment with their notorious black and white spots. Some can be larger, while others can be irregularly shaped. All this mask needs to be recognized by is the dalmatian’s big, wide grin.^{[4]
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Another option for adding black spots to a white background is to create a piece of white felt with black spots over your mask, measure and cut it, and glue it over your base mask.
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Hairy-eared white dog The beauty of crafting a white dog mask is that it’s fully customizable. For instance, include furry sections on the sides of the mask, as well as on the ears. Add a touch of color with a streak of grey, blue, or red for a superhero dog look. If you want more movement to your doggie ears, make them out of molding clay and bend them so they fall forward (or bend just one!)^{[5]
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- Difficulty: Easy
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Border collie Border collie masks are some of the most colorful, even if you keep the facial designs true to life. They usually include black and white, in addition to a white blaze on the face. Alternatively, create a split face (white on one side, black on the other) or use other vivid colors like red, brown, or blue.
- Difficulty: Medium
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Bernese mountain dog Elevate your Therian mask game with the black, brown, and rust-colored fur of a Bernese mountain dog. Add floppy ears, include a white blaze on the muzzle, and decide whether your pup will have smiling eyes or sad puppy eyes.
- Difficulty: Hard

Section 3 of 9:

Wolf Therian Mask Ideas

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Black and white wolf Making a black and white wolf is a great way to have a mask with high-contrast colors. This is a good starter wolf-style mask to make if you don’t have a ton of DIY mask experience yet. Start slow, and get good at adding fur, felt, cardboard, or paint to your wolf. Make it easy by creating your wolf ears out of cardboard and affixing them to the base mask.^{[6]
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- Difficulty: Medium
- Once you have a wolf mask, decide on the best wolf Therian name for them!
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Black and brown wolf Black and brown wolf masks have similar colors, which makes them ideal for practicing subtle blending techniques using fur or painting styles. You might decide to have a more black snout and ears, with more brown around the cheeks and eyes.
- Difficulty: Medium
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White wolf with chains White wolves look more edgy if you add some chains or metal rings to them. Add an earring, a chain from the snout to the ear, or chains/rings with Therian symbols on them to let the world know all about who you are.
- Difficulty: Easy
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Wolf with mane Let the popular maned wolf become your favorite mask by paying attention to the fluffy side manes. They’re known for their reddish-brown coat, long, pointy ears, and shiny black nose. To keep the task simple, trace the wolf’s cheekbone using cardboard to create a mane shape.^{[7]
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- Difficulty: Medium
- Conley believes it’s possible to have more than one mask: “Most Therian masks are based on Theriotype. For example, I have one of a wolf and one of a mountain lion. But they can also just be an art form.”^{[8]
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Rainbow wolf The sky’s the limit when you decide to have a rainbow wolf instead of a traditional one. Use different colors as much as you like to form a pattern across the face and/or ears, or make your wolf resemble a unicorn at heart.
- Difficulty: Hard

Section 4 of 9:

Fox Therian Mask Ideas

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Green-eyed fox The focus with this fox is all about the vibrant green eyes. Simply create the eyes from white mesh that you paint green; this allows you to see the world clearly when you wear the mask, but lets others only see solid, bright green eyes. Keep your fox eyes almond-shaped with a slit pupil, just like a real fox.^{[9]
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Discover your true fox fursona while making your mask.
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Kitsune fox Kitsune foxes are known for their red, black, and gold streaks of color. While that may sound complicated, simply start your mask with a white base and add red, black, and gold accents to the eyes, ears, and cheeks. Use cardboard pieces for an easy way to add texture and shape to your mask.^{[10]
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- Difficulty: Hard
- A Japanese kitsune fox is a mythological spirit known for their supernatural abilities and great intelligence.^{[11]
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Arctic fox An arctic fox is primarily white, but to create dimension, add grey accents or simply get creative with whatever other colors you’d like to add. For a wintry effect, feel free to add highlights of pale blue to your fox’s face or ears.
- Difficulty: Easy
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Marble fox Crafting a marble fox begins with a predominantly white face and ears. Then, add contrasting shades of gray, black, or tan as face markings. Traditionally, the markings look like a "burglar mask" pattern around the eyes and forehead for the cutest of foxes.
- Difficulty: Medium
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Silver fox The skill in making a silver fox mask isn’t in the famous silver-grey and black colors, but in the texture. If you’re patterning your mask after real life, cover your silver fox face completely in shimmering grey fur. Don’t forget the stunning gold eyes to make your mask stand out.
- Difficulty: Hard

Section 5 of 9:

Lion Therian Mask Ideas

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Golden lion For a strong golden lion, use a reddish orange or golden color all over the mask. The beauty here is in the lion’s big, beautiful mane you create by adding fur or felt to the edges of the mask. For an extra touch, add whiskers to this king of the jungle. Luckily, making a lion mask is quite similar to making a cat mask, only with more fluffy hair along the cheeks and chin.^{[12]
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- Difficulty: Easy
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Fluffy mane lion A fluffy lion is very similar to a golden lion, only it’s even easier to make the lion mask personal to you. Choose a unique color for your big-maned lion, from purple or blue to bright red. Make sure all of the lion’s mane hair matches so it makes a real statement. Glue on a large piece of wavy or straight fur for less effort.^{[13]
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- Difficulty: Medium
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Sharp teeth lion If your theriotype has a wild side, create a lion with an emphasis on their teeth. This means creating an open mouth and making realistic-looking teeth from white or off-white paper or cardboard. It’s a good idea to shape your lion’s teeth and attach them last.
- Difficulty: Hard
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Mountain lion Making a mountain lion gives you lots of room to play; you may want to create a cougar, puma, or panther to suit your theriotype. While they’re all the same type of creature, a black panther will end up looking different than a beige puma or cougar.
- Difficulty: Medium

Section 6 of 9:

Rabbit Therian Mask Ideas

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White rabbit This is one of the easiest Therian mask types to start out making. Start by getting a white rabbit mask base, and simply paint it, or add felt, fur, or other decoration. Once you get the hang of it, add different patterns of white fur in and around your bunny ears. If you’re not sure what look you’re going for yet, make a paper rabbit mask to get started.^{[14]
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- Difficulty: Easy
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Strawberry rabbit If you want your mask to be bold, choose a unique and colorful theme like a strawberry rabbit, which includes shades of pink, white, and red. If you really want to glow in the dark, make a neon rabbit, instead.
- Difficulty: Easy
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Wild hare A wild hare mask has more intricate details than a typical rabbit mask, including unique color patterns and shapes in the ears. You might decide to line your brown wild hare mask with fur from the top of the ears to the bottom sides of the face. Don’t stop there—paint Therian symbols on your rabbit’s face or add a yarn tail to show your crafty side.^{[15]
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- Difficulty: Medium
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Scary rabbit Does your theriotype like to scare others? If you’re more into the rabbit imagery in Donnie Darko than you are in a cute baby bunny, go for it! Give your bunny 2 giant bloody teeth, an evil grin, and bent, gnarly ears. Then, make them your favorite color, whether that’s black or white, or a vibrant hue.
- Difficulty: Hard

Section 7 of 9:

Bear Therian Mask Ideas

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Grizzly bear When making a traditional brown grizzly bear mask, focus on creating a large, thick bear muzzle and snout. Keep the colors to brown and beige, or make your teddy bear sparkly for a flashier look.^{[16]
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- Difficulty: Easy
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Black bear A black bear mask is similar to a grizzly, but is two-toned, with a black base and a brown nose. Get creative and add long black hairs to the sides of the bear’s face, or give them a toothy grin.
- Difficulty: Easy
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Polar bear An all-white polar bear is a wonderful mask to play around with. Start by adding grey accents, put more detail into the eyes, or paint wintry symbols on their face, like snowflakes, if you feel your bear is more mythological.
- Difficulty: Easy
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Panda bear A panda bear mask is instantly recognizable, so it works really well whether it’s made of paper, painted cardboard, or faux fur. The famous black eyes, nose, and eye areas of panda bears make them instantly cuddly.
- Difficulty: Medium

Section 8 of 9:

Deer Therian Mask Ideas

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Doe A doe has reddish-brown hues in the summer and grayish-brown in the winter, but your doe can look however you like. For a realistic touch, add white markings around the eyes and nose, inside the ears, and on the chin.
- Difficulty: Medium
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Bambi Pay homage to the lovable Disney character Bambi with a cute baby deer mask. Give your Bambi soft, hairy ears, a light to medium brown coat, and a small white or black nose to make them the sweetest fawn ever.
- Difficulty: Medium
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Deer with antlers While a deer with impressive antlers might seem hard to make, remember that it’s not difficult to construct your deer head and antlers with cardboard or colored paper. For advanced antler designs, form the shapes with wire frames and cover them in papier-mache for a 3-dimensional look.^{[17]
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- Difficulty: Hard
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Deer skull The most advanced of deer Therian masks, a deer skull mask is ideal for those who like their creatures ghostly. Use a base to help replicate the long snout, empty eye sockets, and antlers. Make your deer look like a traditional white or off-white skeleton, or haunt the forest in any color you like.
- Difficulty: Hard

Section 9 of 9:

Tips on How to Make a Therian Mask

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Use paper, cardboard, or a pre-made mask as your base. According to Conley, to make a mask, “start with something simple like cardboard, or if accessible, a cat mask base (which is available to buy online), along with basic materials like hot glue, scissors, an X-Acto knife, and cardboard to begin experimenting.”^{[18]
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- You can use the same base mask to create many different types of marks. For example, use cardboard or clay to make larger ears and a longer snout for a dog. Add fur or felt to existing ears on a cat mask base to form larger, more pointy ears on a fox.
- Conley also notes that cardboard “lets you practice foundational techniques without spending a lot of money. It’s one of the best materials to start with” for mask-making.^{[19]
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Color your mask base. Options include covering the mask base in felt or colored paper, or coloring it with paint or markers. Even if you decide to use felt or colored paper for the mask base, adding more detail with paint or markers helps make it more unique.
- Water down your paint when painting felt. Doing this makes it easier to apply paint to your mask, especially if you’re painting on felt. The thinner paint also allows you to add more detail and helps the paint dry faster overall.^{[20]
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- Acrylic paint is water-based and the safest, easiest option for painting Therian masks.
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Decide what kind of eyes you want to make. For more dramatic eyes, paint or color mesh to create irises and dark pupils that you can actually see through. Then, glue the painted mesh underneath the eye holes.^{[21]
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Add details like fur, feathers, or beads to make your mask come to life. Attaching pieces of felt or faux fur helps turn your Therian mask into something very vibrant in no time. You don’t have to stop there—use other materials to make your mask come alive, from feathers, beads, and charms to chains, jewelry, and leather strips.
- Always work in a well-ventilated area when using a hot glue gun to attach pieces to your mask.
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Personalize the mask to make it your own. Use our Therian mask ideas as a starting point to help you create a one-of-a-kind mask that is all your own. Here are some tips for customizing your mask:^{[22]
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- Paint face patterns and shapes directly onto your fur.
- Start with the lighter colors and add in the darker colors afterwards.
- Use hot glue when adding jewelry or embellishments, or create a hole in the mask to loop your chain or jewelry piece through.
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Line the back of your mask and use a durable elastic band. Use safety pins to attach your elastic band in place or sew it in to secure it better. Add fleece to the inside of your mask for a more comfortable fit.
- Looking for more therian content on wikiHow?
  - Check out what our readers have to say about making a therian mask on the “How do you make your own therian mask?” wikiHow forum.
  - Take our fun Therian and Theriotype quizzes to see which animal you connect with.
  - Find more inspiration for finding your Therian counterpart or furry persona.