Thoughts On Cat Backpacks?

[SeanS]

What do we think of cat backpacks? Would want one to take my cat to the vet, or maybe to take her outside to enjoy the outside for a bit.

Anyone have any thoughts? Any you would recommend?

 

[neely]

This is from an older thread but thought it might be helpful for you: Cat Stroller

 

[LTS3]

A pet stroller would be more idea, I think. It's roomier than a backpack and there's no jostling around as you're walking.

 

[Caspers Human]

My first cat, K.C., (R.I.P.) used to ride in my backpack when I took him to the vet.

It was just an ordinary, old backpack that I used to carry my books around in when I was in college. I would take out all the books and stuff, put a towel in the bottom then K.C. would just climb in and make himself comfortable. I would leave the zipper open by a couple of inches so he could get some fresh air then, off we went.

I would sling K.C. and his backpack over my shoulder and take him for a ride on the subway. He never minded, at all. In fact, he kinda' thought it was cool, being able to go out and see the sights.

If your cat is cool with being in a backpack, I don't see any reason why you shouldn't take her for walks that way.

I haven't looked at backpacks in years. I don't even know all of what's available on the market, these days. With just a quick ebay search, I can see that that there are lots of things better than the old, standard I carried around all those years ago.

If it was me picking out a backpack for K.C., I'd probably choose one of the soft sided ones with a mesh covered window for the cat to see out of instead of the hard, plastic ones with the bubble domes.

I dunno'... Knowing K.C., he would have liked a soft side carrier better than a hard, plastic one.

If your cat likes it, go for it!

 

[Caspers Human]

If K.C. was still around and I was picking out a backpack for him to ride in, I think I'd get this one or something like it:

Deluxe 2-Way Entry Pet Carrier Backpack

Carry your pet in hands-free comfort with a PetAmi backpack. Features a Sherpa bedding and mesh panels for ventilation. The waist and chest straps help to firmly secure the carrier to your back.

petamiusa.com

 

[Maurey]

Personally, I think cat backpacks are highly impractical as day to day carriers, though one would be passable for a carrier if your cat is small enough to comfortably lay down on the bottom. I have large cats, and the largest cat backpack I was able to find locally — a knockoff of the Fat Cat backpack "The Fat Cat" Cat Backpack - For Larger Cats — which my smaller cat (6.5kg) can barely sit in now that she’s grown, and my larger cat (9kg) won’t comfortably fit in when it’s closed.

Imo, cat backpacks are only useful in the capacity of taking a cat out for supervised time outside, if that’s something they’d be interested in. That’s what I use mine for, and Jum, my smaller cat, does enjoy it.

 

[Lazy Orange House Cat]

I got one by Gen7 from Amazon and its very sturdy. Plenty of room for most cats. I used to put Montgomery in it before we got his stroller. He doesn't think he should ride in a cat carrier, so spent the entire walk complaining, kicking me in the back, and at one point, urinating. He's much better in his stroller. If you get a stroller, get one with the three big wheels. They're a bit more expensive but much less frustrating. His is by Pet Gear and would hold up to seventy-five pounds. He weighs seven and a half pounds, so he's got plenty of space.

 

[imaginewizard]

This is the backpack carrier I mainly use. It depends on what your cat is comfortable with but this seems better for both of us.
as some background, and as you’ll see in the middle images, my older cat (not had much chance to work with it with Lillie) is happy roaming in the vets on his leash. His preference seems to be somewhere along the lines of he doesn’t want to be trapped in a carrier, but would like the option of being able to go in and out of one if it’s open. So a combination of a carrier and a leash. This also benefits me because the box style carrier I have is very unwieldy and heavy to carry. But it’s easier I find to carry a cat on my back, and if he decides he’s happy to walk, no loss to me, while trying to handle a cat on a leash and hold a box is painful (the box collapses, but are you going to want to have to handle that while handling a cat?). He also likes to be able to see, which the bag allows. The size is big enough for both him as an adult and Lillie as a kitten.
I’ve also attached (should be the last photo) my previous cat backpack I used for a few years prior to my new one.
The new one is better because it comes with a solid base that reinforces the shape and provides a solid floor. The old one didn’t so as you can see in the photo of my friend, when River is in the bag, the bag sags at the bottom, and River is basically sitting in the front of the bag not the bottom. The newer version also folds easier, which is useful for me (say I’m travelling, and usually on trains and the like, I let River sit on my lap, so being able to fold the bag away is a must), but if that’s not a concern for you there are also hard plastic ‘spaceship’ style ones.

 

[SeanS]

This is the backpack carrier I mainly use. It depends on what your cat is comfortable with but this seems better for both of us.
as some background, and as you’ll see in the middle images, my older cat (not had much chance to work with it with Lillie) is happy roaming in the vets on his leash. His preference seems to be somewhere along the lines of he doesn’t want to be trapped in a carrier, but would like the option of being able to go in and out of one if it’s open. So a combination of a carrier and a leash. This also benefits me because the box style carrier I have is very unwieldy and heavy to carry. But it’s easier I find to carry a cat on my back, and if he decides he’s happy to walk, no loss to me, while trying to handle a cat on a leash and hold a box is painful (the box collapses, but are you going to want to have to handle that while handling a cat?). He also likes to be able to see, which the bag allows. The size is big enough for both him as an adult and Lillie as a kitten.
I’ve also attached (should be the last photo) my previous cat backpack I used for a few years prior to my new one.
The new one is better because it comes with a solid base that reinforces the shape and provides a solid floor. The old one didn’t so as you can see in the photo of my friend, when River is in the bag, the bag sags at the bottom, and River is basically sitting in the front of the bag not the bottom. The newer version also folds easier, which is useful for me (say I’m travelling, and usually on trains and the like, I let River sit on my lap, so being able to fold the bag away is a must), but if that’s not a concern for you there are also hard plastic ‘spaceship’ style ones.

My biggest fear is that the backpack would rip and she falls out. I live in a big city, so it would almost be disastrous if she fall out. Just curious, what backpack is that? Still haven't found a good one I want to buy.

 

[Caspers Human]

Oh, no…. My backpack was made by Timberland.
It cost some obscene amount of money, back in the day. More than $50.00, back in the 90’s.

I still have it. But for some dirt and some scuffs on the leather corner pads, it still looks almost new even though I used it daily for four years.

Ain’t no way a cat could claw its way through that thing, even if it tried!

At the time, I lived in downtown Boston. I would never have taken K.C. for a ride on the Boston subway if I thought he could get out.

 

[SeanS]

Okay, I'll have to keep on trying to find a good one then, they're suprisingly hard to find.

 

[imaginewizard]

My biggest fear is that the backpack would rip and she falls out. I live in a big city, so it would almost be disastrous if she fall out. Just curious, what backpack is that? Still haven't found a good one I want to buy.

Oh gosh yes sorry I did mean to link to it, and then completely forgot to:
It's this one: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07TQJJD4X/?tag=
And I would not worry about it ripping, it is designed for cats and can (well, according to them) support a cat up to 10kg. From handling it, I can't see it ripping from either weight or the cats scratching at it - Lillie does if it is closed, and I'm confident it will hold. I live in a city too (hence why I prefer it for use on public transport). I think if it started to break, you would notice it gradually, rather than on one outing. All I can suggest is buying it and feeling it for yourself. If you are still worried, return it and buy a plastic one? But I use this one and the one before it consistently, travelling up to an hour to get to the vet (and an hour back), and it holds very well.

I guess the one area of concern was with my last backpack (the one in the final photo) - these backpacks come with a strap that connects to a cat harness - and in my last backpack this eventually tore off. It tore off whilst I was attaching it to River, so he wasn't in any danger, and honestly even if it had come off while walking, I doubt River would've leapt out. But this is only a concern if you're going to be walking around with the bag open to allow your cat to see out. You probably won't. I rarely do, I usually use the strap for when we're in the bus, I open the bag to allow them to poke their heads out, so the strap stops them from leaving completely and if it had broken then, I they would still be in front of me and I'd see instantly. Otherwise, when I'm wearing it on my back, I'll have it closed, or I'll have it open but I'll have the cat on a leash leading to my hand, so they can jump out if they want to walk along instead (or more likely, climb and sit on my shoulder). I guess the only issue is the strap is short (by design, so they can't leave the bag) that if you have it attached to your cat, your cat will be inclined to turn around in the carrier when readjusting themselves or looking around, and so can tie themselves up. But again, less of an issue because I only ever used the internal strap when the carrier is open and so I can see them and loosen it off of them and reattach. You don't need the strap if the bag is closed.
The strap on the newer bag hasn't broken, but obviously I have no way of stress testing it without risking breaking it!

 

[SeanS]

Oh gosh yes sorry I did mean to link to it, and then completely forgot to:
It's this one: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07TQJJD4X/?tag=
And I would not worry about it ripping, it is designed for cats and can (well, according to them) support a cat up to 10kg. From handling it, I can't see it ripping from either weight or the cats scratching at it - Lillie does if it is closed, and I'm confident it will hold. I live in a city too (hence why I prefer it for use on public transport). I think if it started to break, you would notice it gradually, rather than on one outing. All I can suggest is buying it and feeling it for yourself. If you are still worried, return it and buy a plastic one? But I use this one and the one before it consistently, travelling up to an hour to get to the vet (and an hour back), and it holds very well.

I guess the one area of concern was with my last backpack (the one in the final photo) - these backpacks come with a strap that connects to a cat harness - and in my last backpack this eventually tore off. It tore off whilst I was attaching it to River, so he wasn't in any danger, and honestly even if it had come off while walking, I doubt River would've leapt out. But this is only a concern if you're going to be walking around with the bag open to allow your cat to see out. You probably won't. I rarely do, I usually use the strap for when we're in the bus, I open the bag to allow them to poke their heads out, so the strap stops them from leaving completely and if it had broken then, I they would still be in front of me and I'd see instantly. Otherwise, when I'm wearing it on my back, I'll have it closed, or I'll have it open but I'll have the cat on a leash leading to my hand, so they can jump out if they want to walk along instead (or more likely, climb and sit on my shoulder). I guess the only issue is the strap is short (by design, so they can't leave the bag) that if you have it attached to your cat, your cat will be inclined to turn around in the carrier when readjusting themselves or looking around, and so can tie themselves up. But again, less of an issue because I only ever used the internal strap when the carrier is open and so I can see them and loosen it off of them and reattach. You don't need the strap if the bag is closed.
The strap on the newer bag hasn't broken, but obviously I have no way of stress testing it without risking breaking it!

Thank you for the link and all the information!

 

[nanniecat]

What do we think of cat backpacks? Would want one to take my cat to the vet, or maybe to take her outside to enjoy the outside for a bit.

Anyone have any thoughts? Any you would recommend?
[/Qi have seen the ones that look like bubbles? and think they r great. but i would think u have to start fr kitten age?