10 Best Cat Harnesses in Canada in 2023 – Reviews & Top Picks

An important aspect of equipping your cat for adventures in the great outdoors is finding a well-fitting harness. Most cat owners prefer harnesses for leash walking their cats as they are safer and reduce the risk of choking or soft tissue damage to your cat’s neck. How do you select the best cat harness with so many to choose from?

Here, we’ll outline our favourite cat harnesses available in Canada and give you some pointers on choosing the best one for your cat.

A Quick Look At Our Favorites in 2023

The 10 Best Cat Harnesses in Canada  

1. Voyager All Weather No Pull Mesh Cat Harness – Best Overall

Our pick for one of Canada’s overrall best cat harnesses is the Voyager All Weather No Pull Step-in Mesh Cat Harness. This harness comes in five sizes and 16 different colours to suit every cat and cat owner. This harness has an extra-secure closure system, including a buckle strap and Velcro. Heavy-duty D-rings allow for secure leash attachment.

As the name implies, this harness is all-weather, so you can use it in any outdoor condition. The mesh material allows for breathability and comfort at any temperature, and it’s non-irritating, so it doesn’t matter how long your cat wears it.

2. FUNPET Soft Mesh No Pull Pet Harness – Best Value

This soft mesh harness is the most affordable harness on our list, making it the best cat harness in Canada for the money. It is available in two small sizes and seven colour variations to match your leash.

This vest-style harness has a padded inner layer with a mesh outside to keep your cat comfortable while walking. Using an adjustable strap, your cat can walk into this harness while you secure it with the snap closure.

3. Gooby Comfort X Step-in Adjustable Cat Harness – Premium Choice

This choke-free harness from Gooby comes with a supportive x-frame and microsuede trimming for ultimate comfort. While it comes in four sizes, this can be adjusted further using four adjustable nylon straps on the body of the harness, giving you a range of 12.5 inches to 26 inches. The X-frame is designed to distribute pressure evenly across your pet’s body, so there is no discomfort or injury from leash pulling.

All in all, this is our premium pick for best cat harness available in Canada this year.

4. INVENHO Mesh Harness for Cats with Leash and Seatbelt – Best for Kittens

This nylon harness comes with a matching leash and seatbelt to easily take your cat on the go and is perfect for kittens and small cats. It is specifically designed as a cat harness rather than a dog/cat harness, so it fits your tiny feline’s body perfectly.

The D-ring on this harness is strategically located to prevent your kitten from choking, and two snap buckles make it easy to take the harness on and off without holding your cat. This harness provides good ventilation and comfort and is made of strong nylon material for ultimate durability.

5. PetSafe Come with Me Kitty Harness with Bungee Leash

If you’re looking for a simple cat harness that’s also durable and comfortable for your cat, the PetSafe Come with Me Kitty Harness is a perfect solution. This harness has a dual adjustment system to comfortably fit any feline, and the D-rings at the back provide restraint without causing your cat discomfort.

This harness comes with a bungee leash that matches and easily attaches to the harness. It is designed to apply gentle pressure on the shoulders, making it suitable for kittens and large cats.

6. Voyager Fully Adjustable Step-in Mesh Pet Harness

Voyager’s adjustable pet harness is super-durable and made from ultra-breathable mesh for comfort in any weather conditions. This harness is made from two layers of material to decrease neck pressure and reduce the possibility of choking. Because it’s adjustable, it also allows you to customize the harness fit to your cat and prevent any rubbing or chafing to their skin.

There is a snap buckle to help you put the harness on and off, and there are two D-rings to evenly distribute leash pressure. This harness also features reflective piping for nighttime visibility.

7. Eagloo Escape Proof Soft Mesh Cat Harness

Eagloo’s harness is a jacket type with a large surface area for comfortable wear. It is made from a lightweight, breathable material and has double-stitching to provide extra durability. The extra soft fabric of this harness makes it safe for cats with sensitive skin.

Two quick-release buckles allow you to easily put on or remove this vest, and there are four adjustable straps to customize to any cat’s body shape. For nighttime walking, this harness has reflective striping down the outsides.

8. Puppia Authentic RiteFit Harness with Adjustable Neck

Nine different colour variations are available for the Puppia harness, making it easy to find one you like. This harness has two quick-release buckles, and one snap buckle on the chest for easy adjustments and the breathable mesh will keep your cat comfortable during long periods of wear. This material is also water-repellant, so it’s okay if it gets wet.

9. Escape Proof Cat Jacket Harness and Leash

This cat walking jacket is designed for cats who weigh between 4 and 11 pounds. There are two mesh layers to provide ultimate breathability and ventilation. Rather than typical buckle closures, this jacket has Magic Tape Velcro and hook and loop closures, making it virtually escape-proof.

10. SCENEREAL Escape Proof Cat Harness and Leash

Scenereal’s escape-proof cat harness is manufactured in three sizes. However, only the medium size is currently available for purchase. This is another jacket-style harness with Velcro closures, but this one also has buckles and clips for adjustment and to secure the harness if the Velcro fails.

The soft, breathable fabric will keep your cat comfortable in various temperatures, and two D-rings provide better support and control than single D-ring harnesses.

One drawback to this jacket harness is that it is only available in one blue denim colour.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best Cat Harness

This guide provides a reference to help you choose the best harness for your cat. There are different types of harnesses and other factors that can help you decide which of the ten harnesses on our list fit your needs.

Cat harness styles

H-harnesses or leads

As stated above, these harnesses are strappy and cover very little of your cat’s body. They usually connect to the back of the cat’s neck to evenly distribute pressure and come in all sorts of sizes and colours.

The Come with Me Kitty Harness is a classic example of an H-harness. It can be adjusted to fit your cat and is comfortable to wear and walk in.

The major downside to these harnesses is that cats can slip out of them relatively easily, so they must fit snugly. Most cats will need to practice walking in these harnesses indoors before adventuring outside.

Vests

The greater coverage provided by vest harnesses makes them an ideal option for cats who like to wriggle out of other harnesses. Most of the harnesses featured in this article are vest-style harnesses, as they are the most popular type of cat harness.

Most are made from a breathable material, and some are made for all-weather adventuring. Some even feature reflective material for nighttime visibility.

What’s great about vest harnesses is that they secure your cat without causing any movement restriction.

The biggest downfall of vest harnesses is that most of them are made for dogs and don’t have neck adjustments. Some cats don’t like putting their head through the harness, while these simply don’t fit well for others.

Jackets

For cats who don’t fit into vest harnesses, we recommend a jacket-style harness. These are designed specifically for cats, so they fit well and Velcro or buckle securely to stay on your cat. Jacket harnesses are virtually escape-proof, so your cat won’t be able to wiggle out of them.

Jacket harnesses are also ideal for people who walk their cats in cold weather. It will not only function as a harness but adds an outer layer of warmth for your feline companion. If you live in a hotter climate, this is something to keep in mind as well. This type of harness may be too warm to walk your cat in hot weather; look for a vest harness with breathable material or an H-harness that’s material-free.

If your cat is sensitive to certain sounds, it may shy away from the Velcro sound when putting the harness on and off.

Sizing a cat harness

Regardless of the style of harness you choose, fit is an important factor in ensuring your cat is comfortable and prevents escape. To measure your cat for a harness, you will need to measure her girth and her neck. It’s best to use a cloth measure tape and measure the size snug against your cat’s fur.

Most harnesses have sizing instructions right on the package (or the website). Use the manufacturer’s size chart and your cat’s measurements to determine which size you need.

As a general rule, size charts will look something like this:

If your cat measures between sizes, we recommend sizing up. As you can see in the cart, there is some overlap between sizes. Most harnesses are also adjustable to snug up the fit within each size. Your harness should be snug but not tight. A good rule of thumb is that you should be able to fit a finger or two between the harness and your cat’s body.

Are harnesses for cats different from harnesses for dogs?

If you’re clicking through the selections on our list, you will find that some of them are also sold as dog harnesses. This doesn’t mean you can only use the product for dogs, just that it was originally made for dogs. There is very little difference between a dog harness vs. a cat harness. The shape and structure are identical; the only difference is the size.

Harnesses that are made for small dogs will also fit cats. If you use the size measurements from the manufacturer, it doesn’t matter whether you purchase a “dog” harness or a “cat” harness.

Conclusion

It’s important to have a cat harness that fits your cat well and provides the ultimate security and comfort for your outdoor adventures. Hopefully, the reviews above help you make the perfect selection for your needs. Our top pick for the best overall cat harness is the Voyager All Weather Mesh Harness. It is durable, safe, and comfortable in any kind of weather. The best value for the money is the Soft Mesh No Pull Comfort Padded Cat Harness Vest. It has many of the features of premium cat harnesses but at a budget-friendly price point. For kittens, we recommend the IVENHO Mesh Harness. It comes with a leash and a seatbelt for ultimate kitten safety on the go.

Featured Image Credit: Laura Sanchez-Ubanell, Shutterstock