The trouble with a hand-carried cat box is that it swings, bangs against your leg with every stride and leaves you no free hand for the door, the ticket or the vet's paperwork. Worn on the back, the same cat travels more steadily and you get both hands back. This carrier is built around interior space, so a cat can sit up and turn round instead of being wedged in one position for the journey.

Ventilation is the other half of a good carrier, and the panels here are meant to move air right through the bag rather than relying on one mesh window at the front. A stressed cat breathes fast even when they look settled, and a stuffy carrier turns an uncomfortable trip into a distressing one. Secure closures hold the bag shut when a determined cat pushes at the opening. It weighs about a kilogram empty.

• Backpack design for genuinely hands-free carrying
• Well-ventilated panels for steady airflow
• Roomy interior so a cat can turn round
• Secure closures for the journey
• Yellow, grey, black or green
• Weighs around 1 kg empty

On getting a cat to accept it. Most cats need the carrier left open in the room for a week or two, with treats inside, before they will use it without a fight, and bought on the morning of an appointment any carrier is a battle. We can confirm internal dimensions before you order, since only the packed size is published, and we make no airline approval claim for it.

Who it's for: Cat owners who walk or take public transport to the vet and need both hands free on the way.