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Picking out a cat harness can be overwhelming. There are SO many options out there. How do you know which one is right for your cat? Unfortunately, it’s hard to answer that question without trying some different styles out. What works best for one kitty might not work best for another. Finding the right harness for your cat will depend on your cat’s size, shape, and what they feel comfortable in.
Can I Walk My Cat with a Collar Instead of a Harness?
While collars are great for attaching your cat’s identification and rabies tags, they are not so great for taking your cat on walks. Cats have soft throats, and the strain put on their necks by pulling on a leash and collar can choke and cause injury. Collars are also easy to slip out of. Harnesses are all-around a much safer and better option than collars. If you will be walking your cat on a leash, you should definitely invest in a good quality harness.
We’re going to give you a rundown of five of the most common cat harness styles so you can make a more informed decision when shopping for one.
The Cat Harness Style Guide
Roman Harness
The Roman harness is a lightweight, no-bulk cat harness. It consists of a thin piece that goes around your cat’s body (usually behind the front legs/around the ribs) and another piece that goes around your cat’s neck. These two pieces are connected by pieces that run along your cat’s back and another that runs down your cat’s chest, between the front legs. The pieces that go around your cat’s neck and body can easily be adjusted for a personalized fit. With some Roman harnesses, the pieces that run along the back and chest can be adjusted as well.
The Roman harness is a popular choice because of how commonly found it is. If you go to the cat section of most big-box pet stores, you will likely find Roman harnesses. They are also close to being escape-proof. I don’t know that there is any 100% escape proof cat harness, but the Roman harness is close.
The biggest downside to the Roman harness is that it isn’t the easiest to put on. Cats Going Places has a great tutorial on how to put on a Roman Harness though. Check it out:
PROS
- Lightweight, not bulky
- Very adjustable
- Secure – difficult for your cat to slip out of
- Common – found in most pet stores
CONS
- Not the easiest to put on
- Not the most comfortable
- Have to put it over your cat’s head – some cats don’t like that
H-Style Harness
The H-Style harness is very similar to the Roman harness. The only difference is that it doesn’t have the piece that runs down your cat’s chest and between their front legs. This makes the fit not as secure. Also, if your cat pulls on the leash at all, the pressure will all be directed on their throat rather than across their chest.
PROS
- Lightweight, not bulky
- Adjustable
CONS
- Chance of injury to your cat’s throat if they pull on the leash
- Not the most secure
- Have to put it over your cat’s head – some cats don’t like that
Figure 8 Harness
The figure 8 harness is just as it sounds. It’s comprised of straps in the shape of the number eight. The larger part of the figure 8 goes around your cat’s abdomen, and the smaller part of the figure 8 goes around your cat’s neck. The straps are adjustable similarly to the Roman and H-style harnesses, and the leash attaches right behind your cat’s shoulder blades.
This style of harness is fairly easy to navigate; however, it is not very secure. Your cat can likely back out of it pretty easily.
PROS
- Lightweight, not bulky
- Adjustable
CONS
- Not secure – easy to escape from
- Puts strain on your cat’s throat if they pull on the leash
- Have to put it over your cat’s head – some cats don’t like that
Step-in Harness
The step-in harness is probably one of the easiest harnesses to put on your cat. It consists of a chest piece and straps that form two holes – one for each of your cat’s legs. Your cat steps in the harness, you pull it up against their chest, and it buckles behind their shoulder blades. Because there are no straps that go around your cat’s neck, you don’t have to worry about any pressure being put on your cat’s throat. It is a no-fuss, comfortable harness.
The downside to the step-in harness is that it is not the most secure. It doesn’t take much for your cat to be able to back out of it. This has happened to me and my cat when using this style of cat harness. A lot of people use this kind of harness with success though.
PROS
- Not bulky
- Easy to put on
- Adjustable
- All pulling pressure is directed to your cat’s chest instead of their throat
- Common – found in most pet stores
CONS
- Not secure – easy to escape from
Vest Style Harness
The vest-style cat harness is another popular style of cat harness. It slips over your cat’s head, has a piece that runs down your cat’s chest and in between their front legs, and another piece that runs along the back and connects the neck piece to the piece that goes around your cat’s ribs. These are a good harness choice because of how they distribute any pulling weight and pressure evenly across your cat’s chest. They are also very secure and difficult for your cat to slip out of.
While a great choice of harness, there are a couple of downsides. Nothing is perfect, after all. The part that goes over your cat’s head and around the neck isn’t adjustable. The piece that goes around the ribs is adjustable though. The vest-style harness is made with more material than the other harnesses mentioned, so it is a bit bulkier as well.
PROS
- Very secure – lower chance of your cat slipping out
- All pulling pressure is directed to your cat’s chest instead of their throat
CONS
- Not as adjustable as some of the other harnesses
- Have to put it over your cat’s head – some cats don’t like that
- Bulkier
Walking Jacket
The walking jacket is kind of like a souped-up H-style harness. It is made of a piece of fabric with a wide piece that velcros around your cat’s neck and another wider piece that velcros around their abdomen. The Velcro makes the walking jacket one of the most adjustable harnesses. The biggest pro for the walking jacket though is that it is just about escape-proof. They also come in all kinds of fun colors and designs and are easily customizable with pins, patches, and embroidery.
Unfortunately, the walking jacket doesn’t have a piece that goes down your cat’s chest, so any pulling pressure will be on your cat’s throat. The thicker neck piece is safer than the thin straps of an H-style harness though. Also, because of the amount of fabric, the walking jacket can be too bulky or hot for some cats.
PROS
- Secure – difficult for your cat to slip out of
- Very adjustable
- Nothing that goes over your cat’s head
- Easy to put on
- Stylish and customizable
CONS
- Puts strain on your cat’s throat if they pull on the leash
- Bulky
- Velcro sound can be scary for some cats
MOST SECURE CAT HARNESS: Roman Harness, Vest-style Harness, and Walking Jacket
EASIEST HARNESS TO PUT ON: Walking Jacket and Step-in Harness
HARNESS LEAST LIKELY TO PUT STRAIN ON YOUR CAT’S THROAT: Roman Harness, Step-in Harness, and Vest-style Harness
MOST ADJUSTABLE CAT HARNESS: Walking Jacket
As you can see, no harness is perfect. To find the one best suited for you and your cat, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons of each. Also, trying on different styles to figure out which one your cat is most comfortable in is a good idea. Personally, we use Walking Jackets and Vest-style harnesses for our cats. Those might not be the best choice for your cats though.
Making Sure Your Cat’s Harness Fits Properly
Another important factor when choosing a harness, whichever style you go with, is making sure that it fits properly. If your cat’s harness is too big or too small, you run the risk of your cat being uncomfortable or even escaping.
Most harness sizing charts go by your cat’s neck and girth (behind the front legs) measurements. When you take these measurements, make sure the measuring tape is snug against their fur. If your cat is right on the edge of a size, it’s best to go up or down a size accordingly.
Here is a video of how to take your cat’s measurements:
Also, When you put the harness on your cat, you should be able to fit a finger or two under the harness. You want the harness to be snug, but not uncomfortably tight.
Once you’ve sized your cat and found the perfect harness for her, it’s time to start harness and leash training! Good luck, and have fun!
—> Learn how to train your cat to walk on a leash! <—
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