Cat Harnesses You Never See Me Wear

After showing you my pretty harness yesterday while I was out, I thought I’d pull out some others you never see. These cat harnesses all look nice, but they aren’t very functional. Either they don’t fit well, or they’re easy to get out of, or the D-ring (where you attach the leash) is in the wrong place. Or a combination of all of that. So let’s get started!

I’m starting with the one you already saw. It’s pretty and secure enough to wear in the backyard. But the velcro isn’t all that strong. And while it can be fastened relatively snugly, I bet I could bolt out of it if something scared me. I would not wear it outside in an area I didn’t know well.

The rest of the harnesses I wouldn’t wear outside at all. At least not as harnesses. Maybe as fashion, or with a real harness underneath them.

This harness has a cat skull pattern and a hoodie attached to it. Except the hoodie is really small and wouldn’t fit over my big ears, even though I have a tiny head. It’s not a good harness because it is big on me.

Here’s a cute semi-formal cat harness. It’s black velvet with a leopard print bowtie and crystal buttons. It’s also big on me and I could slip out of it without even realizing it! I might wear this at an event for photo ops, but that’s about it.

This harness is really cute! But again, it’s way too big for me. It makes an adorable dress, but totally does not work as a harness unless you are a much bigger cat than I am.

This one is my favorite. It’s beautiful and stylish… and it is a lousy harness. Why? Because the D-ring is in totally the wrong place! For a cat harness, the D-ring should be right by my shoulder blades. This one is a third of the way down my back and it would be kind of awkward to walk in. I should probably pull it out as one of my fashion choices for events. But that’s about all it’s good for.

A couple of notes on cat harnesses:

• Measure your cat before getting one! Fit is everything. A cat harness should be very snug once it’s on and fastened. You should just barely be able to fit a finger under the neck and torso. With our little heads and lack of defined shoulders, it’s really easy for us to back out of a harness or slip out of it.
• Check to see if the D-ring hits at or just below the shoulder blades. The location of the D-ring will either help or hinder making leash time enjoyable for your cat.
• If the harness fastens with velcro, it should be the heavy duty kind that really stays. Anything less, and your cat could escape from it.
• Always test out the harness before you take your cat outside. Try to anticipate ways in which he could squeeze, bolt or struggle out of it. Make adjustments, if necessary.

I hope you enjoyed seeing these nice, if useless harnesses, and the (hopefully useful) tips! Does your cat go for walks with a harness or leash? Let me know in the comments!

(Funny enough, some of the harnesses below break the rules I just laid out! Shopping well is everything.)

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Somali Cat Photo Portrait Jigsaw Puzzle

See all of Summer’s merch at her her Zazzle Designercat Shop