Harness and Leash, strange behavior !

[khadijah]

Hi everyone !

Maybe someone can help me with ideas of getting my 5 month old kitten used to his harness and leash.

Basically what has happened is I think we pushed him too soon and have blown it !

We tried him first with the harness for a couple of days and he was marvelous, he really didnt mind it at all, so then I tried the leash, and pushed his toy around the floor while holding the leash, It went suprisingly well.

Then couple of days later we thought we'd try him outside, (we have a closed in porch area) again no problems at all, but then we got a bit excited and thought we'd try him outside, so we opened the front gate, and he really enjoyed just sitting there watching all the things going on, then he got up and had a little creep along the floor, then he started acting all funny, he would get up then he collapsed on his one side, like as though he'd had a stroke, my dh freaked out, he thought he'd been poisoned (it was quite funny actually) I assured him it was ok, he was just reacting to the leash, and all the excitement of being out in the big world for the first time, So we took him back inside.

SO the problem now is that we tried the harnes again inside the house and he's doing that strange collapsing thing again, in fact he refuses now even to walk, its like he;s scared and acting submissive, its really horrible ! my dh wants to forget the whole thing, he sais is cruel, but Im very disappointed, the whole thing was going really well until we rushed the poor cat, and now we've blown it !

So what to do ???? do I still have a chance to train him, or have I pushed him too quickly ?

I would appreciate any comments or ideas.

Thanks so much

Khadijah

 

[dragonlady]

Is the cat behaving normally when the leash isn't present? Is the leash too heavy for him? Most cats either try to bolt away and pull out of the harness or sit absolutly still. Falling over is not normal and you should have your kitten looked at by a vet.

 

[hissy]

I would just be guessing but it is possible that there was an internal problem you were unaware of and the harness rubbed or put pressure or just exacerbated the problem. I would take your cat to the vet and soon to be checked out.

 

[jason]

One of my cats does the same thing when I tried using the harness. I did everything right with the introduction and all but the cat just never went for it. As soon as I put the harness on, cat collapsed to the floor. I don't mean she laid down. It's like her legs gave out and she just fell. It's still a good idea that the vet checks her but keep in mind that some cats just don't go for it.

 

[sicycat]

I say forget it and keep kitty inside!

(but I'm biased lol)

 

[khadijah]

// As soon as I put the harness on, cat collapsed to the floor. //


Yes Jason, thats what Im talking about !!!

And thanks everyone for the vet advice, I am going soon to start getting him a passport for travelling, so I'll tell the vet and see what they say.

And in answer to the other questions, the cat is the picture of health, he does act perfectly normal as soon as the harness is taken off, and he was acting normal the first few times we tried it, it was only showing him the outside that made him act funny ! Its one of those light weight nylon ones and the leash is the same, very light.

I do think I might not bother with the whole thing, I just thought as he's such an inquisitive cat he would have appreciated little walks, Ive concluded that its not safe to let him out, its quite busy and I hear a lot of cats fighting in the nights in this very street.

Well thanks for the input, I'll see what the vet says then maybe take it from there.

Thanks again

Khadijah

 

[superkitty]

My cats did the exact same things when we first started them on the harnesses outside.

Kayla had the most reaction: she would suddenly become "paralyzed", just flop/collapse on the floor, creep around on her belly, make little darting runs from place to place, and any number of other things I can't recall now like we were trying to kill her. This is perfectly normal behavior. They feel restrained and in danger, they don't feel like they can dash and hide if they feel threatened. Basically they feel very vulnerable. It'll take time to build trust and tolerance of the harness.

The most important thing is to watch them EVERY single second when you've got them on the harnesses. My cats all enjoy the "outside" playtime now, and come running when they hear the clinking.

 

[khadijah]

Dear Superkitty,

I was very releived to hear that your Kayla reacted the same way, that makes a lot of sense what you said about not being able to "dash" and "hide". I explained what you said to my dh so hopefully he wont get angry if I continue with the training. And thats great motivation to hear about your lot running when they hear the clinking !


Thanks a lot
Khadijah

 

[russian blue]

The best way to leash train is s-l-o-w-l-y! I started Nakita when she was young and spent two months training her since it was winter and too cold to go out. Now we go for daily walks outside (actually she demands her walk after supper)!

Leave the harness out for the cat to play with and to get used to it. Then when the cat is used to it, put the harness on for very short periods and distract him/her with treats and playtime. Whenever the cat starts struggling with the harness on, take it off since you want the harness to be a positive experience, not a negative one.

When the cat is used to the harness, attach the leash and walk around the house. Once the cat is totally comfortable, then venture outdoors.

Plus, it's important to always carry your cat over the threashold when you go outside. If you let the cat run out the door with the harness on, the cat won't know the difference when you don't have the harness on him/her. Therefore, the cat may run out every chance the door is opened.

You may also want to try different types of harnesses. Some cats may never get used to the harness and may always see it as an uncomfortable situation.

 

[sammie5]

Mine did the same thing, its like the harness makes the bones in their legs collapse.

The funny thing is, now that they know the safe spots outdoors, they are quite happy on the harness, and walk quite happily along their regular routes. But once we are back indoors, I get collapsing cats again until I take the harness off.

 

[superkitty]

The "boneless" cat syndrome! Got that here for a while too. Patience is key.

Russian Blue is right on the dot, those are excellent points!! I do the same things. Then when I open the door/screen, even if they're right in front, they don't dash out. Remember, it's one thing when you've got the harness indoors, they know their surroundings, but the new outside is overwhelming, and they need to get their bearings. Of course, now that I'm posting, I can't think of the other points I wanted to make, but I'll edit this when I remember.

 

[natasha02]

Hello Harness and Leash, strange behavior!

I had exactly the same issue with my 15 year old indoor-outdoor cat.  We are moving and I need to take my cat cross country in the car, which is a 3 day trip.  I recently trained her to put on the harness after 6 days and about 30 treats.  When she tried to walk, she stood up slowly and then tried to take a step and just fell over.  This same process occured for the last 3 days.  She just give me a look that says,  "No, I'm not a dog and I won't walk when you want me to.  Cats rule, not humans!" 

Did you ever get your cat to use the leash and actually walk?  

Dianne

 

[GoldyCat]

Hello Harness and Leash, strange behavior!

I had exactly the same issue with my 15 year old indoor-outdoor cat.  We are moving and I need to take my cat cross country in the car, which is a 3 day trip.  I recently trained her to put on the harness after 6 days and about 30 treats.  When she tried to walk, she stood up slowly and then tried to take a step and just fell over.  This same process occured for the last 3 days.  She just give me a look that says,  "No, I'm not a dog and I won't walk when you want me to.  Cats rule, not humans!" 

Did you ever get your cat to use the leash and actually walk?  

Dianne

Welcome to TCS. I'm sure you didn't notice that this thread is 11 years old, and it's not likely that anyone is still following it.

Many cats don't like harnesses and your cat's behavior is fairly typical. My cats think that going for a walk means they ride on my shoulders and I do the walking. :lol3: Try putting the harness on for just a few minutes at a time without attaching the leash. Take it off as soon as she starts showing signs of stress. You can do this several times a day, increasing the time by a minute or two each time. Once she starts walking around normally with the harness on you can attach the leash. Don't hold onto the leash or try to lead her anywhere, just let her drag it around loose to start with. Be patient. The process could take days or weeks depending on the cat, and there are some cats who simply never get used to it. Good luck with your move.

 

[3catsnow]

Our kitten did the same thing at first.  He doesn't like to follow on the leash but wants to lead.  He often plops down in the grass, nibbles a bit and then tries to catch bugs.  He now whines at the door to go out.  He still fights the harness and leash but if he wants to go out that is the only way.

 

[malt]

My older cat did the collapsing cat routine when I tried her on the harness when we first moved. Funnily enough, it was only when she stretched her front legs out/up too far - walking normally, she was fine. I thought it was because the harness was too tight and it was somehow affecting her in the same way that grabbing the scruff of her neck did. No idea if the harness was actually too tight or not - I did keep it as loose as I could without her escaping, but she's a very large kitty and the piece between the collar and the chest straps wasn't very long. Never occurred to me that it could be a behavioural thing. For her it was just for a few days before I knew I could let her outside freely without her running off anyway. I wasn't worried by it, but I wish I had caught it on camera because it was very funny! 

 

[Lord7sins]

Don't be discouraged it's actually normal my cat did the same thing the first week but what's more important is be persistent and continue going through the process it gets frustrating in the beginning, and it doesn't get much better during the process but eventually overtime your kitty should take well to the harness and Leash.