This is meant for hiking or walking while carrying your fur buddy in a nice, safe space. For the pet, it's a nice, tall, comfy space, well ventilated with a screen they can see through, a padded floor, and a clip that a harness can be attached to. There's also a outside pocket for treats and such. For the person doing the carrying,, the backpack is comfortable, very adjustable, nicely padded, and includes a chest strap. The heaviest of my kitties (9lbs)) and I went for a short walk, and he seemed to enjoy the experience. The backpack is nicely balanced though for someone who hasn't carried an passenger before, having a moving backpack is kinda weird at first. He settled in though, and seemed to enjoy himself. Note in the picture that he had plenty of headroom. The carrier is also impressively sturdy and didn't collapse when he got on top when his sister was inside. The fabric is heavy canvas with excellent stitching. Zippers are all double zippers. the mesh (always a weak on these kinds of things) looks to be pretty strong. There's a limit with something like this. I would say a large cat to a small dog (how much do you really want to carry), but I think it's very sturdy carrier and would use it (did use it) with no reservations.