Four paws come through the front, the elastic collar closes under the chin, and your dog is suddenly at eye level with everyone on the path.

This is not a bag your pet disappears into. It is a canvas carrier worn like a rucksack, with two openings at the top for the front legs and two at the bottom for the back ones, so the animal sits upright against your chest with all four paws out in the air. Cats settle differently from dogs in it, higher and more forward, and both of them can turn their head.

The body is a colour blocked canvas in two tones, cut in a rounded shape that follows a curled up animal. A gathered elastic collar runs across the top with a side release buckle at each shoulder, a zip runs the full drop of each side, and the leg openings are bound and backed with black mesh. Both flanks and the panel that rests against you are mesh rather than canvas.

Key Benefits

• Legs out, head up Four bound openings let the front and hind legs hang free, so your pet rides upright and facing forward instead of lying blind in a closed box.
• Collar you can open wide The gathered elastic neck opens at two side release buckles, which is how you get a reluctant cat in without wrestling the whole animal through a hole.
• A zip down each side Both flanks unzip their full drop, so the carrier opens flat around your pet rather than being pulled over the head.
• Mesh where the body touches Both side panels, the back panel that rests on you and the linings of all four leg openings are open mesh instead of canvas.
• Worn on the chest or on the back The two padded canvas shoulder straps adjust on webbing sliders and can be worn either way round, which is the difference between a walk and a train platform.
• Five sizes and five colourways S through XXL, in yellow and cream, yellow and light denim blue, red and cream, red and denim blue, or denim blue and cream.

Best for: Owners of cats and small dogs who want their animal carried against them and visible on walks, market trips and short journeys, and who already know their pet tolerates being held upright.

Why It Works

A closed carrier solves the owner's problem and creates the animal's. Legs out solves the animal's and asks something of the owner, which is that the pet be one who likes contact. Everything in the build follows from that choice: the collar gathers on elastic instead of a rigid rim so it moves with a chest that breathes, the side zips let the shell fall open rather than forcing a head through an opening, and the two panels that touch skin and fur are mesh. The small metal ring stitched beside one front leg opening is there as an anchor point. The five letters run S to XXL, and the surest fit comes from measuring your own animal, so you match the carrier to the pet in front of you rather than to a chart.

Quick Product Facts: Legs out pet carrier backpack; canvas fabric per the maker; two tone colour blocked body; four bound leg openings backed with mesh; gathered elastic collar with two side release buckles; full length zip on each side; mesh side panels and mesh back panel; two padded canvas shoulder straps with webbing adjusters; small metal ring beside one front leg opening; five sizes S to XXL; five colourways; packing list is one pet backpack.

How It Fits Your Routine

The first fitting happens on the floor, not on your body. Stand the carrier up, unbuckle the collar, unzip one side, and let your cat walk into it the way she walks into a box. Feed the front legs through first, then the back ones, then close the zip and the buckles with the carrier still on the ground. Lifting it onto your chest is the last step, not the first.

On the walk itself the chest position is the one most animals accept first, because they can see your face and you can feel them shift. Move to the back position once your pet has stopped repositioning, typically after a few outings. Keep a hand under the base when you bend down, because there is nothing rigid in the shell to stop it folding.

Afterwards the canvas brushes down and the mesh panels shake out. Treat it as a spot clean: wipe the canvas, shake out the mesh and let it dry standing open rather than putting it through a machine.

FAQ

Which size should I choose? Measure your pet before you pick a letter: chest girth just behind the front legs, length from the base of the neck to the base of the tail, and the weight. Match those figures to S, M, L, XL or XXL, and if you fall between two letters take the larger one. Send us your pet's figures before ordering if you would like a second opinion.

Do the legs really hang outside the bag? Yes, and that is the whole design. Two bound openings at the top take the front legs and two at the bottom take the hind legs, all four lined with mesh. It suits an animal that likes being held upright against a person. If yours prefers to curl up out of sight, a closed soft sided carrier is the better call.

How much weight will it take? The maker gives it for cats and small to medium dogs. The practical limit is what you can comfortably and safely carry on two shoulder straps, so match it to your own animal and your own back.

Is it worn on the front or on the back? Either. The straps are a plain pair of adjustable shoulder straps, so the carrier can face out from your chest or ride between your shoulder blades. The maker photographs both. Most owners start on the chest, where they can see the animal.