Assistance? Making a rabbit harness!

[Cirlin-rah]

All the harnesses at the pet store are too small for my Harrow! I want to make one. A simple H-style harness with a clip on each loop. Should be easy enough, except I think I need a new material.

Idea #1= I was gunna macrame it with paracord like those bracelets, but couldn't figure out the math. Then it was brought to my attention that it probably wouldn't be the most comfortable thing for him. If I can figure out the math, should I go for it?

Idea #2= Using a climbing sling. Probably more comfortable than macrame. But sling is nylon and therefore static. A rabbit is dynamic; each pose it gets into alters the width of its belly/curve of its back.

Idea #3= ...I don't know. The pet store harnesses were some sort of elastic that wouldn't pinch but would hold and would move with him. Ideally it would be of a similar material, but I'm stumped on what that might be. Any ideas?

I have clips & embroidery thread ready, as well as half of the sling left. I messed up measuring him and wasted half. Does anyone have a reliable way to measure rabbits, also? I just need his back, waist & neck.

Ha, and I thought this was going to be an easy project. Famous last words, right?

 

[dungeonbunnies]

Have you considered nylon "webbing"? It's the stuff that dog collars/harnesses are normally made of (also the strap adjustments on backpacks). Comes in a slew of sizes and colors, and if I remember correctly, it's not too horribly pricey either. I also have a friend who makes pet collars and such, and she's used a couple layers of plain craft ribbon (not the wire edged stuff).

I've been threatening to make jacket type H's for my herd, I just haven't found my motivation for that project yet.

Let us know how it goes!

 

[Cirlin-rah]

Thanks for responding!

I've considered webbing, yes, the only snag is that my clips are too small for the inch-wide ribbon. At EMS the other day and found half-inch webbing that's *just* bigger than the clips. Maybe I should just buy that and look for bigger clips elsewhere.

There is a difference in webbing, also. Tubular webbing is more flexible than flat webbing and would be better for restraining a live animal, I think. (just 'cuz you said you might be doing it as well)

 

[missyscove]

How big of a rabbit do you have? I have the H-style cat harnesses for mine and they fit well. I had tried several other harness styles made for rabbits and found that they could get out of all of them before settling on this style.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

Have you tried a cat harness? I know one of the brands here makes a large size that should fit a pretty big rabbit, especially since the small/kitten size will fit most breeds.

You could try using some dog or cat collars and then getting some webbing or another collar to use to connect them. If you have suitable sizes buckles, then a leash could work to provide the webbing. This should be a bit cheaper than buying webbing and offers more choices for size and colour.

As far as the fit, if you make it so the harness is a bit loose (not too tight, but not so it is falling off or easy to slip out of), then it should not restrict the movement of the rabbit. My rabbits do agility with H harnesses and don't have a problem with movement.
The belly strap should fit sort of around the ribs and not too much into the belly. I think most harnesses are only 3-4 inches long (from the neck to the belly strap). Larger breeds may need a longer one, but not by too much.

 

[ldoerr]

I agree with using a dog or cat harness. MUCH easier.

 

[Imbrium]

I got an H-style kitten harness at walmart and it fit my rabbits even when they were around 2-2.5 lbs

 

[Cirlin-rah]

I think his waist is 14" around... but I'm having trouble measuring. I cut a 14" ribbon of nylon and it was far too small for him.

H style is the way to go, definitely. Had Hs for my other buns back in the day. No one ever wiggled out! Will look at cat harnesses again... they just looked very small last time I was at the store.

 

[Cirlin-rah]

Thank you for your thorough response! Your icon is adorable, Korr_and_Sophie!

I haven't tried one yet, but that's what everyone's recommending. Since I'm a dork and can't measure him right, I might end up taking him to the store & judging visually... (later, though, as it would stress him too much now) or is there a trick to measuring them that I am unaware of?

Oh! Hadn't thought of dog leashes. We have an old leash for my bitch. It's a bit wide, though. I have buckles but they are small ones. Like, a little less than a half inch.

Around the ribs, right. Thank you for reminding me. 'Waist' is a misnomer! I was getting 5 or 6" for the connecting back-strap, taking into account what must be folded over to make space for the D-ring in the back. So, good to know I'm not too far off.

 

[missyscove]

I have this harness in the 9-14 inch size, but it also comes in a larger size.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002TED89K/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20