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How to fit your cat's Supakit harness

The Supakit harness is designed to fit your cat snugly and securely. Here's how to achieve that perfect fit!

How tight should my harness be?

To maximise your cat’s comfort and safety, you want to ensure a snug fit! Adjust the front and back straps until the harness feels nice and secure - you want to be able to fit one fingertip only between your cat and their harness when they are in neutral standing position. Make sure that the back straps pass behind (not over) your cat's front elbows.

Achieving a good snug fit is important for escape proofing but also comfiest for your cat (the less they can feel the harness slide across their fur as they move, the more relaxed they'll be!).

Remember to adjust both left and right sides of the straps equally so that the harness stays centered on your cat's body.

Harness positioning

Fitting your cat's harness

Every cat is different, and some breeds may have a slightly different shape to others. However, there are some ways to tell if you’ve achieved the perfect harness fit…

The main buckle should ideally be positioned directly over your cat's shoulder blades, as this creates a perfect balance between the front and back straps on your cat's harness. It can sometimes look as though the buckle is uncomfy for your cat in this position, but don't worry, it's perfectly comfortable for them! The buckle is specially designed for kitty comfort - with a smooth surface to cause a minimal amount of friction against their fur, so that they can forget all about their harness and get on with the important business of exploring.

The chest piece should sit against your cats chest – this seems obvious – but what we mean is that the widest part of the harness should be holding the broadest part of your cats chest, this is to support your cat and distribute any pressure (because of pulling against their leash) evenly across your cats torso, making it super comfortable.

The back strap should sit snugly into your cat armpit – think of it like a backpack! The harness back strap disappearing into you cats fluffy armpit is a sign of a good fit. This means the harness is less likely to move around or rub whilst your cat is walking, also it decreases your cat’s ability to wiggle out of their harness meaning it increases their safety!  If this doesn’t look right on your cat, there is some information on how to adjust this for special cases below.

Special cases

  • My cat has been using another style of harness, and seems a little bit uncomfy or freaked out in their new Supakit harness

    If your cat has been using a different style of harness in the past, you may find that they require a little bit of time to settle into wearing their new Supakit style of harness, and get used to the new sensations of where the harness touches their body. You might like to take a look at our Harness Introduction Guide over on the blog - it's written for harness first-timers but the process is the exact same for kitties who are switching over from a different style of harness! 

  • My cat is a larger cat and I'm worried that the back straps are tight under their front legs

    If your cat is on the larger side you may benefit from changing the angle at which the back straps come down behind their elbows.

    To achieve this, you can experiment with letting the harness' front straps out a little longer, and taking the back straps in a little tighter. The end result will be that the main buckle moves further down your cat's back (towards their tail) and creates a less sharp angle on the back strap behind their elbows.

    Just remember to check that once you have made your adjustments you are able to achieve a good snug fit overall (that allows you to slide one fingertip between your cat's harness and their body when it is on).

    Try to be conservative with your adjustments - while it's OK to move the buckle so it sits just behind your cat's shoulderblades, pushing it much further back on your cat's body can prevent the harness' escape-proof design from working effectively. 

 

Is your cat new to the Supakit harness?

To ensure that your cat feels comfortable and safe in their Supakit harness, join our free 10 Day Harness Training Bootcamp, and take your cat from harness newbie to confident harness wearer in 10 days!