Size guide — measure your pet

More pet kit gets sent back for being the wrong size than for any other reason — and it is almost never the customer's fault. Listings show a German Shepherd next to a bed that would not fit a spaniel, "XXL" gets printed on a cat tree with a platform the size of a side plate, and slings get sold as "one size" when a 3 kg chihuahua and a 7 kg terrier plainly do not share one.

The fix is four minutes with a soft tape measure. Take these numbers once, write them in your phone, and you can buy anything on this site with confidence.

Dog beds

The single most common sizing complaint about dog beds anywhere online is that the size on the listing is bigger than the space inside the bed. That is because almost every bed is sold by its outer measurement, and on a bolster or donut bed the raised rim eats a surprising amount of it.

So on a round bed, the sleeping space inside the rim is roughly 15–20 cm smaller than the diameter on the label. A 70 cm donut bed gives a dog about 50–55 cm of actual floor.

How to choose: measure their curled length, add 10 cm, and pick the bed whose outer measurement is larger than that. If your dog sprawls flat rather than curling, or is still growing, go up a size.

Every Pawbrio bed lists its outer measurement in centimetres and inches on the product page, with the size it suits. We do not use breed photos to imply a fit.

Harnesses

Chest girth is the only number that matters here, and it is the one most people skip. A harness bought on weight alone is how dogs end up reversing straight out of the front — deep-chested dogs like lurchers, whippets and huskies are the usual escapees, because their ribcage and their weight tell completely different stories.

How to choose: measure the chest girth, then pick the size whose range contains that number with room at both ends. If you land at the very top of one size, go up.

Fit check: two fingers should slide flat under every strap. If your dog has ever backed out of a harness, look for a Y-front with three points of adjustment rather than a single chest strap — the extra strap behind the ribcage is what stops the reverse escape.

Collars and slip leads

How to choose: measure the neck where the collar sits, then add 2–3 cm for a small dog or cat and 4–5 cm for a large dog. Check you can slide two fingers flat underneath the fastened collar.

Puppies and kittens outgrow collars fast, so buy adjustable and re-check the fit weekly. A collar that was right last month can be tight this month.

Coats and jumpers

Back length first, chest girth second. Back length decides whether the coat covers the dog; chest girth decides whether it does up.

How to choose: if the two measurements point at different sizes, go with the larger. A coat slightly long is fine; a coat that will not fasten around the ribs is going straight back. Sighthounds are the exception worth calling out — a deep chest and a narrow waist means a standard cut rarely works, and a sighthound-specific shape is worth seeking out.

Cat trees and scratching posts

Height is what gets advertised. Platform size and stability are what actually decide whether your cat uses it, and they are rarely on the listing at all. Large cats are routinely sold "XXL" trees with top beds they physically cannot settle into.

Three things to check before you buy:

• The top platform or bed, in centimetres. Compare it against your cat's curled length. If your cat is over about 5 kg, this is the number that will make or break it.
• Your ceiling height. A 180 cm tree needs more than 180 cm of room — leave at least 15 cm of clearance, and check for a sloping ceiling, a radiator shelf or a coving that will get in the way. Measure the floor space too.
• Whether it anchors to the wall. A cat that feels a tree move once will often never climb it again, and heavier cats feel movement that a lighter cat would not. If a bracket is included, use it.

Scratching posts have one rule and most posts on the market fail it: a cat needs to stretch fully to scratch properly. Stand your cat up against a wall, reach their front paws up as far as they go, and measure floor to paw. The post needs to be taller than that number. A post that is too short gets ignored, and the sofa keeps getting it.

Cat beds

Cats choose beds by how enclosed they feel, not by how roomy they are — but "cosy" and "too small" are only a couple of centimetres apart, and a 6 kg cat in a bed built for a 3 kg one will simply sleep on your laundry instead.

How to choose: measure your cat curled up asleep, and pick a bed whose inner space is a little larger than that. As with dog beds, a raised rim means the inner space is smaller than the outer measurement on the label.

Carriers, slings and strollers

Three numbers: curled length, standing height and chest girth. A carrier has to be long enough for your pet to lie down and tall enough for them to stand and turn around without crouching.

How to choose: add about 5 cm to their curled length and standing height, and check the carrier's internal dimensions rather than its external ones — the quoted size usually includes the frame.

Be wary of anything sold as "one size" where a pet is carried against your body. A sling that holds a 3 kg chihuahua safely will not hold a 7 kg terrier, and the same sling that swamps the chihuahua will not close around the terrier. Buy to the actual dimensions.

If you are flying, check the airline's own under-seat dimensions directly with them. We never describe a carrier as airline approved, because that depends on the airline and the aircraft rather than the bag.

Still not sure?

Send us your measurements and what you are looking at, and we will tell you which size to take — including if the honest answer is that nothing we sell will fit. Email support@pawbrio.co.uk or use the contact form, and a real person will reply within two working days.

Every unused item can be returned within 30 days if you do get it wrong, and UK delivery is free both ways on anything that arrives faulty, damaged or incorrect. See our Returns & Refunds policy for the full detail.