Cat Suddenly Relaxed While Wearing Harness?

[linkworshiper]

The other day, I took Mr. Jenkins on a walk in my cat-backpack for the first time. Whenever I bring a cat on a walk, even in the backpack, I put him into a harness with a leash just in case something happens. This was the first time I brought this particular cat on a walk as he is one of my recent adoptions. What's amazing is that when I came back, I didn't take the harness off right away, but it seemed to completely sedate him. Mr. Jenkins has struggled with some fixation/aggression towards another one of my cats and I've been a bit at a loss at what to do. My question is about why the harness seems to have this effect on him and if it's okay to use it as a calming method. He's much less active while wearing it, so I don't want to risk losing his funny little personality, but I also want my other cat to feel safe. Mr. Jenkins has improved a lot in general with his behavior towards the other cats, but he's still not perfect. Anyway, thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
I'm wondering if there was much time for you to observe him in the harness, before you put him in the backpack?

The reason I'm thinking about this is because I'm remembering my angel Poppycat's initial reaction to being in his harness, which, after he got over simply flopping on his side, was a little the same as Mr Jenkins regarding being subdued. However, that effect didn't last all that long after he learned that although it felt strange, he could move.

I don't see any reason not to leave the harness on for a little while, but I don't think you'd want to for extended periods of time, ie; it's not the same as leaving a breakaway collar on all the time.

 

[linkworshiper]

Hi!
I'm wondering if there was much time for you to observe him in the harness, before you put him in the backpack?

The reason I'm thinking about this is because I'm remembering my angel Poppycat's initial reaction to being in his harness, which, after he got over simply flopping on his side, was a little the same as Mr Jenkins regarding being subdued. However, that effect didn't last all that long after he learned that although it felt strange, he could move.

I don't see any reason not to leave the harness on for a little while, but I don't think you'd want to for extended periods of time, ie; it's not the same as leaving a breakaway collar on all the time.

He never did the flop, which all of my other cats have done in the harness. When we were on the walk, he meowed pretty much the whole time, but I think it was because he didn't like the bounce of my walk. He quieted down when we sat down in a park and I unzipped the hatch enough for him to poke his head out. He's figured out he can walk around and jump. Just now he was sitting on my desk and then jumped off and climbed onto a cat tree. Earlier I saw him jump off a chair and climb onto a sofa. I take the harness off when it's mealtime and when I go to bed (he sleeps with me). When he's out of the harness, he is like a gazelle and very needy. He follows his humans EVERYWHERE and loves to circle feet. When he gets into trouble is when all of the humans and cats are relaxing. Maybe he gets bored? I have had good results with throwing little cat toys around for him, but he's not always interested in them. When he's not, he tends to fixate on the other cats in a negative way. His tail goes nuts and then he pounces. Or, he used to pounce... now he just lays on top of the other cats, but the other cats are not thrilled by that either.

 

[Furballsmom]

You may find that as time goes on, he'll become less and less subdued by having the harness on.

Have you considered clicker training for him? Would he like a cat wheel?

 

[linkworshiper]

You may find that as time goes on, he'll become less and less subdued by having the harness on.

Have you considered clicker training for him? Would he like a cat wheel?

I don't doubt it. This cat wasn't born yesterday, haha. Clicker training might work. He does like his treats, which I hand out sparingly. I worry a cat wheel would just become a place for my fatty-fat-fat cats to just sleep. Also, I'm not sure it would take his attention off Rigatoni, the cat he fixates on. There are times I'll throw every toy I've got every which way and he won't even blink. I can't tell if he's still trying to dominate Rigatoni or if he's trying and failing to be friends with him. Only one of my other cats has patience for him, but whenever he tries to interact with Mr. Jenkins, they'll smell each other for a bit, and then Mr. Jenkins moves on. I don't get it.

 

[Furballsmom]

This cat wasn't born yesterday, haha

lol, love that!

 

[linkworshiper]

Well, one of my cats definitely was, so it's an important distinction. I like to say that he looks like a throw pillow and is about half as smart XD

 

[Furballsmom]

lol

 

[Alldara]

linkworshiper He may benefit from a thunderjacket.

We noted that Magnus gets agitated and then does thinks he's not supposed to do. He moves just fine in a harness now; he attempts to scale trees, but he benefits from it.

When he starts getting agitated and crying he can sometimes benefit from being picked up and hugged for a bit. It helps him to settle.

We believe it to be separation anxiety. He had it bad at first. He didn't tolerate us working in separate rooms during WFH at first! He has many reasons to have this fear! He's better the longer we have him for.

 

[linkworshiper]

So, um... small update. I allowed Mr. Jenkins to keep the harness off after meal time, and things seemed okay... until my pissy cat decided to hiss at him and a nasty cat fight ensued. This has been the biggest problem with Mr. Jenkins... he doesn't come to play. He will kick some tail if he's bothered, which is why his fixation on Rigatoni has been an issue. Now I've got a cat who refused to come out from under the bed and Mr. Jenkins closed in the bathroom. I'm so mad at myself. I should have put the dumb harness back on. He's definitely way better than when we first got him, but it's not kumbayah and roses just yet. I have a feeling something happened before we adopted him. I'm pretty sure he used to be someone's pet and I think he got dumped because he had tooth issues and he's FIV+. (Another concern with the fighting, sigh.)

 

[Furballsmom]

I'm sorry that happened! Don't be mad, there's no way you could know.

I apologize if I missed it, but have you tried any calming products?

 

[linkworshiper]

I'm sorry that happened! Don't be mad, there's no way you could know.

I apologize if I missed it, but have you tried any calming products?

We give him gabapentin in his food, but I think he's started to figure out when it's there. Today he didn't finish his meal so I'm not sure he got the dose. Gaba is also pretty expensive so I'd like to talk to my vet about other options, honestly. We have a couple of those Feliway plug-ins around the apartment and at one point, he had one of the pheromone collars on, though I'm not sure how much good they did. (They worked on one of our other cats when he first got him a few years ago, but I get not all of them are built the same lol.) A friend suggested a calming probiotic they give their cat, but we haven't tried that yet because I'm not exactly sure what it is and they don't seem to have anything like that at Petco. At night, Mr. Jenkins sleeps with us and he'll literally just curl right up in my fiance's arms and sleep like he's a great big stuffy, so it's not a people thing. He actually follows my fiance pretty much everywhere and will drop whatever he's doing to be around her. Doesn't quite help me at the moment as she is out and I am home on dad duty.

I also just let Mr. Jenkins out of the bathroom but with the harness on. Somewhere on the internet I read that giving him an overly-long time out won't work.

 

[Furballsmom]

Somewhere on the internet I read that giving him an overly-long time out won't work.

Yeah, I'd agree with that.

I've never heard of a calming probiotic, -- probiotics are bacteria and yeasts that live in the body (think yogurt).

 

[linkworshiper]

And like magic, harness is on, and he's sitting in the bedroom with Liam, who is often scared of him but isn't running this time. Renji is still under the bed but Renji is also the butthead that started this whole thing so

 

[Furballsmom]

Lol, cats never a boring moment

 

[linkworshiper]

As a former preschool teacher, I would like to just add that all this chaos is still better than having human kids haha. Sorry mom.