diff --git a/kittens/icat/main.go b/kittens/icat/main.go
index a67bd443b..0617618c9 100644
--- a/kittens/icat/main.go
+++ b/kittens/icat/main.go
@@ -146,11 +146,15 @@ func main(cmd *cli.Command, o *Options, args []string) (rc int, err error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return 1, err
 	}
-	t, err := tty.OpenControllingTerm()
-	if err != nil {
-		return 1, fmt.Errorf("Failed to open controlling terminal with error: %w", err)
+	if tty.IsTerminal(os.Stdout.Fd()) {
+		screen_size, err = tty.GetSize(int(os.Stdout.Fd()))
+	} else {
+		t, oerr := tty.OpenControllingTerm()
+		if oerr != nil {
+			return 1, fmt.Errorf("Failed to open controlling terminal with error: %w", err)
+		}
+		screen_size, err = t.GetSize()
 	}
-	screen_size, err = t.GetSize()
 	if err != nil {
 		return 1, fmt.Errorf("Failed to query terminal using TIOCGWINSZ with error: %w", err)
 	}
diff --git a/tools/tty/tty.go b/tools/tty/tty.go
index 89b2ba197..e3d4d4f71 100644
--- a/tools/tty/tty.go
+++ b/tools/tty/tty.go
@@ -334,15 +334,19 @@ func (self *Term) DebugPrintln(a ...any) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (self *Term) GetSize() (*unix.Winsize, error) {
+func GetSize(fd int) (*unix.Winsize, error) {
 	for {
-		sz, err := unix.IoctlGetWinsize(self.Fd(), unix.TIOCGWINSZ)
+		sz, err := unix.IoctlGetWinsize(fd, unix.TIOCGWINSZ)
 		if err != unix.EINTR {
 			return sz, err
 		}
 	}
 }
 
+func (self *Term) GetSize() (*unix.Winsize, error) {
+	return GetSize(self.Fd())
+}
+
 // go doesn't have a wrapper for ctermid()
 func Ctermid() string { return "/dev/tty" }