Silver Pet Care, Toys, Supplies and Products for Animals Design · 2025
Wee Cat Harness
- A' Design Award 2025 Silver Winner in Pet Care, Toys, Supplies and Products for Animals Design
- Awarded April 15, 2025
- CLIENT: Hulumao
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 58,125
- Verification code 6B3AB3569D · Verify this award
About Wee Cat Harness
This pet harness is designed for cats allowing them to go on walks outdoors. It uses a continuous strip of nylon webbing, two soft pads, two fasteners and a triangle ring. It requires almost no labor-intensive sewing because a small fixture was designed to form and hold the webbing at various angles to facilitate construction. The resulting harness is very light weight: 35g. This is appropriate for cats, who need the harness to be as light as possible. The harness fastening system uses a slide buckle for instant release instead of the more common center release buckle.
Shihchang Hsiao's Wee Cat Harness represents a thoughtful contribution to contemporary pet accessory design, demonstrating the intersection of functional engineering and aesthetic sensibility that characterizes accomplished work within this specialized field. The harness system, here presented upon a magnificent British Shorthair specimen, employs an H-configuration that appears designed to distribute restraint forces across the chest and shoulders rather than concentrating pressure upon the delicate cervical region, suggesting ergonomic consideration for feline anatomy and comfort during outdoor excursions. The material palette reveals considered choices wherein durable caramel-toned nylon webbing provides structural integrity while remaining visually complementary to diverse coat colorations, the charcoal leather accent at the dorsal junction introducing a note of refined craftsmanship that elevates the design beyond purely utilitarian concern. Chrome-finished hardware components, including the leash attachment D-ring and adjustment mechanisms, provide both functional reliability and aesthetic punctuation through their lustrous surfaces catching available light. The presentation itself demonstrates sophisticated commercial photography conventions, employing controlled studio illumination against an infinity backdrop to isolate the product-subject combination while allowing the harness's construction details to remain clearly legible. One observes the adjustability mechanisms positioned at multiple points along the webbing runs, suggesting accommodation for various feline proportions and growth considerations. The cat's relaxed posture and upward gaze convey an impression of comfort and curiosity rather than restriction, perhaps inviting viewers to consider how such thoughtfully designed accessories might enhance the bond between companion animals and their human guardians through shared outdoor experiences.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- It mainly uses a continuous strip of nylon webbing and a few accessories to form this cat hardness and also provides one-size-fits-all approach. It requires almost no labor-intensive sewing. The resulting harness is very light weight: 35g or 1.2 oz. This is appropriate for cats, who need the harness to be as light as possible. The harness fastening system uses a slide buckle for instant release instead of the more common center release buckle.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Length: 11cm
Weight: 35g - Tags
- cat, cat harness, pet, dog, cat leash, hulumao, cat carrier, cat backpack, outdoor, traveling
- Production Technology
- Production of the harness is quite simple. The fasteners and webbing are sourced from available components on the market. The soft pads are custom-made using a computerized sewing machine. The webbing is threaded through pre-cut slots on the pads. Next, the fasteners are fixed onto the webbing. Finally, the harness is assembled with a little sewing.
- Design Challenge
- The biggest design challenge was how to utilize a continuous strip of webbing to construct a sturdy harness frame while avoiding laborious sewing. Eventually, the designer found that the webbing can be folded in different angles and shifted in other directions like the pipes inside of a building. Therefore, a small fixture was designed to form and hold the webbing at various angles to facilitate construction.
- Project Duration
- The project started in March 2024 in Taipei and finished in July 2024 in Taipei.
- Operation Flow
- For initial use, one snap button on the front and one slide buckle on rear webbing loops are unfastened so there is enough space to slide the cat’s head through. After the harness is on, the fasteners are re-secured. Next, the webbing is adjusted to fit the cat’s neck and body. This adjustment only needs to be made once. Finally, the webbing on the cat’s chest is tightened by pulling on the strap. The harness is now ready to use
- Research
- Most pet harnesses on the market are designed with dogs in mind. Many involve complex construction and heavy duty sewing and are too heavy for cats to use. The webbing on some cheap harnesses is too thin and cannot prevent the cats from escaping. There are also a few holster- or vest-style harnesses available. These are better at preventing the cat from slipping out, but few cats are willing to have their bodies covered in so much material. Cats are sensitive animals. Therefore, the design emphasis of this harness is to be as light as possible, while being easy to put on and take off and preventing the cat from slipping out.
- Inspiration
- In urban areas, it is common to see dogs on a leash running outside to release their energy. By contrast, house cats usually sit by a window and look outside, seemingly in a daze. Although cats can be skittish, they might also enjoy being outside to satisfy their curiosity. Unfortunately, many pet harnesses on the market are designed only with dogs in mind. Cat owners have limited choices and often must settle for the smallest pet harness available for their cats.
- Image Credits
- Image #1-5: photographer Shihchang Hsiao, 2024