A pair of little ears can change the whole look of a keyboard. MAO cat keycaps combine a rounded shape with a cat-ear outline, giving each key a small detail that becomes part of the design. Some styles use light shining through the ears to suggest a little cat. Others use the shape as the frame for a tiny cat face, with eyes, whiskers and expressions across the top.
If you are looking for cute cat keycaps, MAO is a profile worth getting to know. Here is how its height, artwork and lighting options fit together, and what to check before choosing a set.
Cat Parade Blush Siamese. Cat-face artwork follows the MAO ear outline.
What is the MAO profile
A keycap profile describes the keycap’s shape and height. MAO is recognised for its rounded body and distinctive cat-ear outline. Its smooth edges and curved top help define the shape. Those details give cat-themed artwork a natural place to sit: the keycap itself helps form the face, rather than serving only as a flat background for a picture.
MAO vs MOA from above
MAO and MOA share the 9.8 mm reference height in our comparison, but their top-surface outlines are different.
Top-view outline comparison based on SIMPOCUBIC MOA product photos and the MAO product top-view reference. The outer line represents the body; the inner line shows the top-surface contour.
From above, MOA has a smooth, rounded outline. MAO has two short ear-like rises at the upper corners, with a broad, shallow curve between them, near-straight sides and a rounded lower edge. View our MOA product reference
How tall are MAO keycaps
The reference comparison shows MAO at 9.8 mm across all six illustrated row positions. MOA is also shown at 9.8 mm, using the measurements in our earlier MOA comparison. The chart adds Cherry, ASA, JDA and OEM to show how sculpted profiles change height across the keyboard.
Reference heights in mm, shown on a common scale. MOA uses our earlier supplied measurements. Row positions run from R4, R4, R3, R2, R1 to R1 from left to right.
In the reference chart, MAO is almost level with Cherry’s tallest illustrated row and taller than Cherry’s lower rows. When changing profiles, the top shape, the keyboard’s angle and the way your fingers move between rows all contribute to the typing feel.
Cat ears faces and jelly finishes
Cat ears that catch the light
Our light-up cat-ear designs use the keyboard’s backlight to bring out the cat-like shape. Light shines through the little ears, making the silhouette stand out after dark.
All of our MAO sets with light-up cat ears also have shine-through side legends. The ears and the letters on the front-facing sides light up together, carrying the cat theme through the lighting effect.
This 113-key MAO design combines PBT and PC, with shine-through side legends and light-transmitting cat-ear details. It uses English legends and an ANSI layout.
Kitty Glow Water Lilies. Backlighting illuminates the cat-ear details and the side legends.
Cat faces shaped around the ears
Other designs put a cat’s expression on the top face of the keycap. Printed eyes, a nose or whiskers sit beneath the little ears, making each key look like a cat. The artwork and colour carry the theme even with the backlight switched off.
Some of these cat-face designs place the letters and symbols on the front-facing side, leaving the top clear for the expression. These side legends are non-shine-through. They remain visible in ordinary light without becoming part of the keyboard’s backlighting.
These non-shine-through PBT designs use character artwork, with cat, dog and bear styles in the series. All use English QWERTY legends. Layout support varies by design: the range includes ANSI-only, ANSI + ISO, ANSI + Alice, and ANSI + ISO + Alice options, listed below. Key counts also vary by design.
Cat Parade Cosmic Cat. Printed cat expressions on top with non-shine-through side legends. This design supports ANSI only.
Jelly texture with playful expressions
Our PC + ABS style has a smooth, glossy, jelly-like finish. The rounded keycap top and printed eyes or expressions give the character artwork a soft, candy-like look.
This 119-key PC + ABS MAO set combines top artwork with English side legends. It is non-shine-through and uses an English ANSI layout. Its appeal is the glossy surface and expressive character design, visible even with the keyboard backlight switched off.
Jelly Charm Hachiware White. Glossy PC + ABS surfaces and printed expressions, with non-shine-through side legends.
Side legends with or without shine through
We offer MAO options with shine-through side legends and non-shine-through side legends. Both put the characters on the side; the difference is whether the backlight passes through those characters.
- Shine-through side legends: choose these if you want the letters and symbols to become part of your keyboard’s lighting.
- Non-shine-through side legends: choose these if your priority is the printed design and colour palette. The side characters stay clear and readable in ordinary light.
In our MAO range, light-up cat ears are paired with shine-through side legends. Cat-face designs that use side legends have non-shine-through characters, keeping the focus on the expression printed on top.
Left: Kitty Glow Water Lilies, illuminated ears and shine-through side legends. Right: Jelly Charm Hachiware White, glossy surfaces and non-shine-through side legends.
Materials and printing methods explained
ABS with a gloss finish gives keycaps a smooth, rounded, jelly-like look. Jelly Charm uses a PC + ABS combination for its glossy surface and expressive character artwork.
PBT offers a fine matte texture and a dry feel under the fingers. It resists wear and is less prone to developing a polished shine with use. Cat Parade pairs this texture with printed character designs.
PBT + PC combines a matte feel with light-transmitting details. Kitty Glow uses this combination to bring together PBT’s textured touch and PC’s ability to transmit light through the cat ears and side legends.
Dye-sublimation uses heat to carry dye into the plastic surface, making it suitable for detailed, multicolour artwork. Double-shot moulding forms the legend and surrounding body using two moulded plastic components; a translucent legend material allows the backlight to shine through.
ANSI ISO and Alice support by design
All of these MAO sets use English QWERTY legends, including the ISO-compatible designs. Physical layout support is listed by design below.
Kitty Glow and Jelly Charm support ANSI only, across all colours and designs in those two ranges.
Cat Parade supports the following layouts by design:
- ANSI + ISO + Alice: Strawberry Chocolate, Lace Cat, Puppy Club, Blush Siamese, Happy Bear and Siamese Bean.
- ANSI + Alice: Puppy Park, Coffee Cat and Sea Salt Pals.
- ANSI + ISO: Black Charm and Kawaii Friends.
- ANSI only: Pixel Cat, Winter Cat, Cream Cookie and Cosmic Cat.
Before ordering, compare your keyboard with the selected design’s key diagram, especially the Enter key, Shift keys, bottom row and spacebar. For Alice keyboards, include the split spacebars in this comparison. Key sizes can differ between keyboards with the same layout name. Also check the stated switch-stem compatibility for that set.
Kitty Glow Water Lilies included keys
Water Lilies: 113 keys, PBT + PC, English QWERTY and ANSI only.
Cat Parade Blush Siamese included keys
Blush Siamese: English QWERTY with ANSI, ISO and Alice support.
Choosing your cute cat keycaps
Start with the detail you want to see every day: illuminated ears, little cat faces, a glossy jelly finish or side legends that glow with your keyboard. Then choose the colour palette you love.
MAO cat keycaps bring the theme into the shape of the keys themselves. Whether you prefer a printed cat-face design or a style with light shining through the ears, the best choice is the one whose artwork, lighting and fit work together on your keyboard.
From left: Kitty Glow Water Lilies, Cat Parade Blush Siamese and Jelly Charm Hachiware White.