Zombie Harness Cat = Normal?

[Juniper_Junebug]

I'd love to know if my harness training is going normally or spectacularly awry and I should abort mission. My Juno is six months old, and I got her a harness so we can eventually go out on my roof deck safely.

At first, I was just worried about getting it on her, but I think I've found the right type (goes over top of her, then velcroes around neck and torso), and, unlike ones she has to step or walk through, she let's me put it on her with no resistance or protest.

But then.... The harness turns her into a totally different cat.

I have since read that her first reaction was normal, because the harness triggers some sort of instinct to go limp when caught by a predator. She didn't fully fall over but she looked like a stumbling drunk. I tried hard not to laugh.

But now it's day four of harness training, and while she's not falling over or tripping, the harness seems to make her catatonic. She mostly just sits in one place and stares into space. Today, she made it up four stairs and then just sat there staring blankly until I managed to coax her up, very sloooowly, with the enticement of her favorite treat (which I reserve for harness training). When I tried the fishing rod, she "chased" it at a quarter speed. It's like the harness switches her into slo-mo.

Until today, she didn't seem to be too distressed by the harness, other than turning into a zombie. But today she meowed a lot after we got up the stairs (and she is not very vocal), so I took it off early. Once off, she was zooming around like her normal self.

Is this normal? I've read about cats that fall down, but not cats that get a personality transplant. For anyone who's experienced something similar, did your cat adjust? I feel like I'm in an episode of the Twilight Zone.

 

[mani]

She's such a little thing and so the vest harness (which I think are the best) covers and hugs a lot of her body.
I've not tried using them with a younger cat but it doesn't surprise me that she's confused. I'm sure you've checked that nothing is too tight or sticking in to her.
My two handle their harnesses pretty well now, but it took quite a while and they still do things a little in slow mo.
If you're wanting to take her for safe walks outside, I'd persevere. You may find that she changes her attitude when the harness = adventure.

 

[Juniper_Junebug]

I'm sure you've checked that nothing is too tight or sticking in to her.

Thanks! I don't think it's too tight, but I'm second-guessing myself because of her strange reaction. The first time I put it on her, I erred very much on the side of looseness, and that was the only time she tried to get out of it (slipping her arm through the neck hole). Since then, I've had it snugger but I constantly check whether it's too tight. She doesn't protest at all when I fasten it on her, which--if she were really hurt by the fit---I would expect she would, based on what she tells me when I do other things she distinctly doesn't like (eye drops, ear drops, cleaning her poopy paws).

Today I picked her up and probed a lot to figure out if it was too tight and that's when she stared meowing. I am learning that she does not like being involuntarily manhandled even though she's otherwise pretty chill, so it could just be that. But I still got worried that she was meowing bc of some other problem I haven't identified. She did meow twice in response to me touching her stomach to check the fit, but I can't tell if that means anything. She did have an incision from her spay surgery more than a month ago, but the vet said it was healed, so I was assuming it wasn't that.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I think, but I would not put money on it, that the problem may be the fact that the harness comes back so far on her body. Now, I only have the one photo to go by, but the end of the harness actually touches her hip joints. It may simply be interfering with her walking, and she is shutting down because of that. You may be just fine when she grows a little, and her back legs are being "strangled" (as she would see it) by the harness pressing the hip joint when she brings her back legs forward while walking.

 

[Juniper_Junebug]

Update: Juno has grown accustomed to the harness and no longer turns into a zombie, so I've been taking her out on my roof deck when it's nice. She has now decided that she needs to go out on the deck every morning, even when it's raining. Having read other posts (e.g., that cats will consider wherever you take them to be their "territory" and need to visit every day), I've decided not to take her anywhere else outside, lest I create a monster. The deck is enough.

The downside of her getting used to the harness is that she can now jump up onto the railing of the deck, which is four stories high. I stop her every time she tries, but I'm going to make a new post seeking help with that. I know she just wants a good viewing spot, but I can't risk having her fall. (I have nightmares about this, quite literally).

 

[fionasmom]

Oh my gosh that little face and hard look that you are getting is just too much! What a little cutie.

 

[Juniper_Junebug]

Oh my gosh that little face and hard look that you are getting is just too much! What a little cutie.

Funny you should mention the facial expression. There, it is an accurate reflection of her feelings toward me at the time. But she gives me that look ALL THE TIME. I snapped the photo below while she was making biscuits and purring.

I think my kitty just has Resting B* Face

 

[fionasmom]

I think so but she is such a cutie. The slanted eyes make her look irritated but if you study her you can see that she is relaxed and happy.

 

[egofailure]

I am so happy to have found this story about Juno, as I'm now experiencing a similar situation with my 8 lb. cutie, Sasha, who is now a few months past 2 years old.

After spending a few days associating the harness with treats and pets, Sasha let me put on the harness, and she immediately turned into a hospital patient who was calmly waiting for surgery. Since then, our time outside has (gradually?) improved, although I still have to carry her in and outside the house; and once outside, she sits on the grass, occasionally crawling a step or two, before plopping back down to the ground. Today, she sat upright and attempted to walk up the deck step but then dropped back down like a drunken pop star.

The one exception to this was last week when I positioned her in a different area of the yard. She seemed more alert, taking a few steps here and there. Then, after a company car from the next-door yard began backing up (which made an alert sound), she booked it! Unfortunately, I couldn't keep up, and she reached the end of the leash, which gave her quite a jolt.

The good news? I think she's been vocalizing a lot more about going outside, especially on lovely days when the birds are chirping. When I approach her with the harness, she's game! She comes towards me and allows me to put on the harness relatively easily. She also seems to have been in a better "mood" after a little bit of time outside.

Of course, I just don't want to see her hurt, so I wondered if another harness might be better for her. After reading about Juno's success with it, however, I think I'm going to be a little more patient.

 

[IzzysfureverMom]

Well you did better then I did with one of mine. Most worked out fine even if it took a bit. The one though every time I put it on her she would walk around backwards ever single time.Just kept doing it until you took it off.

 

[egofailure]

Update: Sasha's progressing nicely! She's become more mobile in the harness with each day. The few times she's been startled, I've been able to keep pace and scoop her up without an issue. We've reached an "agreement" to go out every AM. Today she was adamant about keeping the routine ... even in the rain. She lasted longer than I thought (15 minutes). Fun times!