In January 2013, I welcomed British Shorthair, Percy Peter Wells, into my family. Ready to spoil him rotten, I was frustrated to find a lack of high-quality cat accessories available - especially products made in the UK that considered a cat's comfort and safety.

I wanted to design beautiful, functional and appropriate products for my beloved Percy and other cats like him, as well as support other independent businesses and UK manufacturing and so Cheshire & Wain was born. Today, our collars are made with love, care and expertise by a small leather goods workshop in the Midlands and finished in our studio on the Dorset coast. By keeping things as local as possible, we are able to maintain the high quality of our products from start to finish. 

I collaborate with other designers, makers and creatives to ensure there is always a fun and fresh approach to everything we design and make at Cheshire & Wain.

When initially designing our cat collars, it took extensive research, multiple design iterations and prototypes to finalise our unique design. Designed from scratch to be the first leather collar to incorporate a secondary breakaway safety catch - it's a product I'm incredibly proud of. 

 

Following the design phase, I sourced the highest quality materials and components to bring the collar prototypes to life. When searching for leather, I found a family-run tannery in Tuscany that has been in business for generations. Italian leather is world-famous for its beauty and quality. The leather we use is responsibly made and a by-product of the meat industry, making it the perfect choice.

The hardware on our collars is solid brass and nickel-plated solid brass. We use a traditional-style square bridal buckle made by Abbey England, a family-run business that holds a Royal Warrant as the official supplier of saddlery workshop materials for Her Late Majesty The Queen.

The leather panels are lined with British suede or soft, natural un-dyed leather, and the straps are cut using a heavy-duty click press machine and carefully stitched. Next, we fit the metal hardware with our signature safety catch, also manufactured in England. Every catch is thoroughly tested before being threaded onto the collar, ensuring your kitty is always in safe hands.

 

 

All Cheshire & Wain orders are lovingly packed at our studio and come with a personalised card to you or your feline friend. Our collars come in a Cheshire & Wain gift box, bag, or special edition tin, depending on the item. 

These finishing touches are really important to us; I want to ensure that your cat's gifts feel extra special because I know how important it is for you to care for your cat and give them their best nine lives.