Tattoos have been growing in popularity year over year, with industry estimates suggesting a 10% increase every decade. One scroll through TikTok supports this theory, as tattoo tours and flash design ideas rack up hundreds of thousands of views. This boom in body art can be attributed to several factors, most notably the gradual dissolution of workplace tattoo stigma. At Figo, for instance, the majority of the creative and marketing team proudly sports some form of body art.

Perhaps it's no surprise, then, that a recent Figo survey revealed an intriguing statistic: over 75% of Gen Z participants expressed willingness to get a pet-inspired tattoo. While this might seem extreme to some, it's actually part of a long-standing tradition. Tattoos have historically served as permanent reminders of what matters most to us, and as pets become increasingly central to our lives, this form of memorialization feels natural.

To better understand this growing trend, we spoke with Hilliary Moore, a tattoo artist and devoted cat mom at Riverside Tattoo Parlor in Savannah, Georgia. Originally from the Chicago area, Moore found her way to tattooing through a lifelong love of art and fascination with tattoo history. "Tattooing has such a rich and interesting history," she explains. "I love that outside of some technical aspects, there are really no rules as to what you can tattoo on your body! It can have a super personal meaning, or just look really cool."

Moore now works at Riverside, a female-owned and operated shop where all bodies are welcome. Her enthusiasm for pet-related tattoos is infectious: "I'm literally NEVER mad to get a pet tattoo request! Send me all the pictures of your babies! Tell me everything about them!" she exclaims. "They're one of my favorite types of projects to work on. Honestly, I just really love animals. I love the connections we make to our pets; I love hearing stories about their quirks. At the end of the day, our pets are our best, most loyal friends and that relationship is unlike any other. Plus animals always make for great-looking tattoos."

While many clients seek memorial tattoos for pets who have passed, Moore notes that she still gets numerous requests from people who simply want to commemorate their living pets. She's noticed a particular uptick in pet portrait tattoos, as people realize they're not limited to traditional paw prints or names. "Find an artist whose style you admire and see what they would do with a picture of your pet!" she suggests.

For those considering a pet tattoo, Moore recommends bringing high-resolution photos of your pet in the desired pose, as artists typically work directly from these references to ensure accuracy. For memorial pieces, she encourages clients to bring fun photos too: laughing and talking about their pet's antics can be a heartwarming way to remember good times.

As for Moore herself, she shares her home with four cats who "rule our household entirely." There's Ramona (the Grey Lady), Eliot (the black and white true boss), Mr. Grumbles (the brown-coated President of the neighborhood Bird Watchers Association), and Alfie (the happy-go-lucky black cat).

While Moore hasn't yet tattooed her own cats on herself ("terrible pet mom, I know," she jokes), she did tattoo a portrait of Ramona, her husband's favorite, on his leg. "We joke that he still needs to get the other three somewhere on him!"

For Moore, being a pet parent means never having a shortage of random shoeboxes around the house or having to use the bathroom alone. More importantly, it means "I always have someone ready to snuggle me when it's cold or I'm feeling a little sad. I can't ever see myself not having a pet. They're hours of entertainment and pure love."

Lizz Caputo is the Manager of Content Strategist at Figo, animal enthusiast, and owner of a rescued senior American Bully. Her hobbies include checking out new restaurants in her area, boxing, and petting dogs of all shapes and sizes.