Walking a cat is a project rather than a purchase. The harness is the easy part; the fortnight of wearing it indoors with something good to eat, until the cat stops flattening to the floor, is the part that decides whether any of it works. Start there and a vest harness like this becomes a way of letting a curious indoor cat see the garden safely.

Vest harnesses beat strap ones for cats because pressure spreads across the chest instead of concentrating on two thin bands, and a cat who can feel a strap will work at it until it gives. This one is padded corduroy with a plush bunny or bear on the back, made from polyester with alloy and PP fittings, and it comes with a matching lead in either 1.2m or 1.8m. Two sizes are offered, and the set suits small dogs too.

• Padded corduroy vest harness with matching lead
• Lead lengths of 1.2m or 1.8m
• Pink bunny or blue bear designs
• Sizes S and M
• Polyester with alloy and PP hardware
• Suitable for cats and small dogs

No cat harness is escape-proof. A frightened cat can reverse out of almost anything, so fit it snugly, measure the chest girth just behind the front legs, and never tether a cat and walk away. Outdoors, keep to a garden or somewhere quiet rather than anywhere a dog might appear. The danger with cats is rarely the harness, it is the bolt.

Who it's for: Owners of confident indoor cats who want supervised garden time and are prepared to spend a few weeks getting the cat used to wearing it.