How to make a pet sling

1. Materials & tools

Materials (small dog)

• Main fabric (8–11 oz canvas or denim — something strong) — about 110 cm wide × 100 cm (44 × 39 in)
• Lining fabric (mesh or light cotton) — the same amount
• Wide webbing or self-fabric for the shoulder strap — the length you chose
• A slider and swivel hook — 1–2 each
• Heavy fusible interfacing — for the body

Tools

• Sewing machine (or needle and thread)
• Fabric marker or pencil
• Ruler and scissors
• Iron
• Pins or clips

2. Make the pattern (auto-generated in Katagami)

With the Katagami pattern tool, you just enter the finished size and it drafts a seam-allowance-included pattern, tiled to print at actual size on Letter or A4.

1. Open the tool
   Open the pattern tool and choose “Pets” → “Pet sling” from the tabs at the top.
2. Enter the size
   Enter the body length, pouch depth, gusset, shoulder strap length and cut width. Presets cover cat/toy dog, small dog and medium dog.
3. Set the seam allowance
   Use the slider at the bottom (beginners: 1.0–1.5 cm / about 3/8–5/8 in).
4. Print
   Press “Print (actual size)”, then in the print dialog set Scale = 100% and turn “Fit to page” OFF. Check the 50 mm calibration box on the first guide sheet with a ruler.

3. Cutting the fabric

1. Measure your animal
   Measure the body length curled up, and the height. A sling holds them curled, so it does not need standing measurements.
2. Trace the pattern
   Trace the body (base on the fold), the shoulder strap and the safety lead.
3. Cut
   Cut the body in main and lining, one strap and one lead, and fuse heavy interfacing to the main body.

4. Sewing

4-1. Make the strap and lead

1. Fold the shoulder strap in quarters lengthwise, press and topstitch. Make it wide — a narrow strap cuts into the shoulder.
2. Thread the slider on so you can adjust the length with the animal already in it.
3. Make the safety lead the same way and fit a swivel hook to one end.

4-2. Sew the sides and gusset

1. Fold the body at the base, right sides together, and sew both sides.
2. Sew every one of these seams twice — a second line 1 mm inside the first. The animal's weight hangs on them.
3. Pinch each base corner into a triangle and sew across at the gusset depth, twice again. Trim to 1 cm.
4. Sew the lining the same way, leaving a 12 cm (5 in) gap.

4-3. Attach the strap and lead

1. Turn the main bag out and slip it inside the lining, right sides together.
2. Catch the shoulder strap ends at the sides and the safety lead at the inner center as you sew around the opening.
3. Backstitch three times over the strap and lead anchors.

4-4. Finish and test

1. Turn through the gap, close it, push the lining in and topstitch around the opening.
2. Before using it, load it with something of the same weight — a bottle of water works — and hang it for a few minutes to check every seam.
3. Always clip the safety lead to a harness, never to a collar.

✏️ Sew the side and base seams twice. The entire weight of the animal passes through them, and a seam that fails is a fall. Load-test it with an equivalent weight before you put an animal in it.

5. Tips & variations

• The lead is not optional: cats and dogs both jump when startled, faster than you can react.
• Clip to a harness: a lead clipped to a collar injures the neck if they jump.
• Wide strap: 10 cm (4 in) or more spreads the weight so your shoulder survives a long walk.