i have a cat her name is angel and i take her out in front of the apt on her harness and we set outside.
pr,pr.
-
Too many ads? Join our community of cat lovers now to reduce ads by 90%! Click here to join for free!
Cat,s on a Harness
- Thread starter angel
- Start Date
i have a cat her name is angel and i take her out in front of the apt on her harness and we set outside.
pr,pr.
I got a harness for Nikko but have only used it a few times. He despises it! To see him wear it you would think I had taken him to a medieval torture chamber and tied him to a rack! He can barely stand up let alone walk...and not because it is too tight, I don't fasten it too tight. It just seems that it is an awkward feeling for him and all he can focus on is how do I get outta this darn thing! Even when it was snug he was eventually able to get out of it. I was hoping that he could join me in my small yard while I garden but since he won't put up with the harness he has to instead sit inside and watch me from his cat perch.
My cat Mandy is 14 months old & she has worn a harness since about 6 weeks old. We go outside the apartment to the entry area so she can sit & look around & smell things, etc.
She used to walk around quite a bit but for several weeks has been content to just go out for a few minutes.
She wears her harness most of the time. I take it off occassionally for a good grooming session. When ready to put it back on her she seems happy to have it back. Comes right to me when she sees it then sits still while I put it on & fasten it.
Isn't she a good kitty?
She used to walk around quite a bit but for several weeks has been content to just go out for a few minutes.
She wears her harness most of the time. I take it off occassionally for a good grooming session. When ready to put it back on her she seems happy to have it back. Comes right to me when she sees it then sits still while I put it on & fasten it.
Isn't she a good kitty?
All McKinley does all day long (when she's not sleeping) is sit by the window and look outside. She also has snuck out onto the balcony once or twice which I think is extremely dangerous for her, but she always wants to go out there.
So I thought that being an indoor 5th floor apartment cat in New York City, that she would love to go out on the balcony on a harness with me and check it all out!
Well I was sadly mistaken. All I have to do is put that harness on her and not even buckle it and she lays on the floor and crawls under the coffee table or couch and wants nothing to do with it. She hates it!
So I thought that being an indoor 5th floor apartment cat in New York City, that she would love to go out on the balcony on a harness with me and check it all out!
Well I was sadly mistaken. All I have to do is put that harness on her and not even buckle it and she lays on the floor and crawls under the coffee table or couch and wants nothing to do with it. She hates it!
I ask the age since what worked with my kitty may not work with an older/wiser cat.
I got the smallest harness & had it when I brought Mandy home at 5wks of age. After a week or so while she adjusted & learned to explore & started to play I put the harness on the floor for her to 'check it out'. Next day we sort of played with it - I dragged it around for her to follow a fe times, than just draped it across her shoulders for a second or two. The next day more of the same & then tried buckling it loosely.
She didn't care for it at first, tried to get it off so I distracted her with some other play. The she let it stay on without fuss.
I left it on here all the time. She is also a completely indoor kitty, 3rd flr apt. so I figured there wasn't anything much she would get tangled up with. Also I was home with her at all times when she was that little. She still didn't much like having it put back on when I did take it off.
That's another story though which I can go into if you would be interested later. First get to the point where she will accept having it put on her.
Good Luck, Betty & MANDY
I got the smallest harness & had it when I brought Mandy home at 5wks of age. After a week or so while she adjusted & learned to explore & started to play I put the harness on the floor for her to 'check it out'. Next day we sort of played with it - I dragged it around for her to follow a fe times, than just draped it across her shoulders for a second or two. The next day more of the same & then tried buckling it loosely.
She didn't care for it at first, tried to get it off so I distracted her with some other play. The she let it stay on without fuss.
I left it on here all the time. She is also a completely indoor kitty, 3rd flr apt. so I figured there wasn't anything much she would get tangled up with. Also I was home with her at all times when she was that little. She still didn't much like having it put back on when I did take it off.
That's another story though which I can go into if you would be interested later. First get to the point where she will accept having it put on her.
Good Luck, Betty & MANDY
Actually a little over 2. I will try those techniques, but when I have tried, she acted so weird. Not like she was in pain. She basically didn't fight it at all but really appeared terrified and/or uncomfortable. I'll keep trying slowly, but I just don't want her to feel traumatized.
Tabatha, my 2 year old cat, loves the harness (now), however when we first tried to put it on her she would lie on the floor sideways and try and scrap it off. We kept putting it on her and eventually she would walk around the house with it on with no problems. Once she was comfortable with it on we took her outside. But we didn't do both at once. Now as soon as I pull it out of the cuboard she's on me in seconds waiting for me to shap it on.
Maybe McKinley finds trying the harness and being outside just too much change??
Just an idea that worked for me...
Debbi
Maybe McKinley finds trying the harness and being outside just too much change??
Just an idea that worked for me...
Debbi
You might want to try putting a piece of food down in front of your cat as a distraction--this worked for mine. When I was harness-training, my cat hated it and would squirm while I was putting it on. But, once I tried the treat-method, everything was different.
Out of our 3 kitties only one likes to be on the harness, our female black tabby, Cherokee. She loves the outdoors but I get very nervous about her being out. She walks and walks and tries to run. There are too many cruel individuals out there who can be mean to catsSo, unless she is on the harness, in her kitty carrier, or our arms, she gets a glimpse of the outdoors from the window.
