Harness Training: Opinions?

[tnbsp]

What are your opinions on the safety, benefits/Concerns of harness training your cat?

I bought harnesses for my two boys last week. (Kitty Holster). I've been introducing it slowly and they are warming up to it, learning to walk in it (still a bit wobbling, but getting much better), and have explored a little bit of the porch that my door is attached to. (door/my area with the cats is on a 2nd story floor above a garage at my mother's country home, where we are currently staying).

Basically, while doing this a few questions have popped up in my mind and also by some friends and family who have been concerned/supportive.

1) How dangerous is this? What if my cat escapes? Is it not worth the risk?
2) If my cat does become more confident being outside, will I need to be more worried about a door dashing habit forming?
3) Why do people do this anyway? Why take the indoor cat outside? Is it actually a good idea or not... am I just putting myself and them up for failure or a disastor?

Both of my cats are microchipped and wear collars with IDs under the harnesses. I was thinking this would be a good opportunity for them to go out, exercise, know the territory so that if indeed they did escape they would know the grounds. They would NEVER be allowed to go out alone, only with me.

What are your opinions about this? Worth the risks? I'd love to know your thoughts and opinions, both the pros, cons, for and against. thanks!

 

[MRG2018]

My cat loves to take daily walks in the apartment building hallways. Occasionally he sees people outside and gets excited to go out. So i am training him to use a harness as well.

One of the risks is picking up a disease/parasite.

 

[Furballsmom]

Yes, there's a risk. A squirrel, bird, another cat, a dog - I had my guy in his harness on a long leash in the back yard. He chased something, hit the end of the leash, swapped ends and was trying to back out of the harness.
I was talking to him and moved fast to get some slack in the line, all turned out well in that case.
If the harness fits an actual escape is less of an issue, but still...
I have read about door dashing becoming a problem - in my boy's case he didn't really get that way.
People, including me, feel that the mental, emotional and physical exercise is very valuable.
There are a lot of other people who feel that outdoors is a lousy idea, even when supervised because they're cats. They are fast, agile and things can go bad in an instant.

 

[MRG2018]

Yes, there's a risk. A squirrel, bird, another cat, a dog - I had my guy in his harness on a long leash in the back yard. He chased something, hit the end of the leash, swapped ends and was trying to back out of the harness.
I was talking to him and moved fast to get some slack in the line, all turned out well in that case.
If the harness fits an actual escape is less of an issue, but still...
I have read about door dashing becoming a problem - in my boy's case he didn't really get that way.
People, including me, feel that the mental, emotional and physical exercise is very valuable.
There are a lot of other people who feel that outdoors is a lousy idea, even when supervised because they're cats. They are fast, agile and things can go bad in an instant.

Very true.
My cat has been a door dasher since i got him, and already dashed into a few neighbor's apartments- so I had to put him on a harness. Initially he just sat down- as if he was protesting. And then i would remove it after 5 mins. I got a bigger harness which is slightly lose and doesnt make him walk awkwardly - and he tried the same trick yesterday. Sat down, no movement. A door opened and off he ran like the speed of light. So now i know he is just pretending.

Considering how fast they are- its always a risk to take them outside. So i take him only in the hallways. Or use the Sherpa wheeled carrier bag so i can take him around in the building.

 

[tnbsp]

Thanks so much for your responses!

Thankfully, neither of them is a door dasher... as of yet. They have been more worried about what is on the other side, but that could probably change with the outside door. hmm.. that is a little worrisome.

I took them out again today. One at a time since my husband couldn't join us. They were both much more curious and ready to explore even more areas. Gannicus did get a little spooked when my parents walked out of their house and he started moving back towards my door. (we temporarily live in a little apartment over my parents' garage). He was moving quickly and tugged on the leash, but once we got back to the door he calmed down and wanted to continue, but I can see that if he was moving really fast that could be a problem.

So some questions are:
How long of a leash would you recommend using outside? Is a bungee one better?
How often do your cats spook after having gotten fairly used to the outdoors/hallways,etc?
What is the recommended course of action for a cat tugging on the leash?

 

[Furballsmom]

I have a really long cord type of leash that has some give to it, so that it isn't such a hard jerk to him when he's pulling/tugging, plus it actually eliminates some of the tugging. This much length requires me to be in the moment with him, which is a good thing anyway but yet on the other hand gives him a little feeling of being able to go somewhere, I think.

He still spooks and heads back into the house, for instance if there's a big noisy scary trash truck in the neighborhood, etc lol

If he's tugging to get to a safe place, go right with him. If he's tugging because he wants to investigate the neighbors yard, with some give in that cord I just let him tug and eventually walk up to him, pick him up and we go elsewhere

 

[Daisy6]

There is only one right answer: It is not worth the risk.

 

[tnbsp]

There is only one right answer: It is not worth the risk.

Hi Daisy, could you elaborate a little bit more about why you feel that way? I'd like to understand your opinion. thank you!!

 

[tnbsp]

I have a really long cord type of leash that has some give to it, so that it isn't such a hard jerk to him when he's pulling/tugging, plus it actually eliminates some of the tugging. This much length requires me to be in the moment with him, which is a good thing anyway but yet on the other hand gives him a little feeling of being able to go somewhere, I think.

He still spooks and heads back into the house, for instance if there's a big noisy scary trash truck in the neighborhood, etc lol

If he's tugging to get to a safe place, go right with him. If he's tugging because he wants to investigate the neighbors yard, with some give in that cord I just let him tug and eventually walk up to him, pick him up and we go elsewhere

Good to know! I just purchased a longer chord that also is a bungee, hopefully that'll work well.

 

[Daisy6]

Hi Daisy, could you elaborate a little bit more about why you feel that way? I'd like to understand your opinion. Thank you!!

Certainly, I would be glad to.

1. Cats have been known to slip out of harnesses. She could do that when she is distracted.
   
2. Mosquitoes, ticks, and mites are all disease carriers. You have to choose one topical flea treatment and none of them kill everything. If your cat is outside, her risk of being bitten by these insects skyrockets.
3. Smokers might be in the area with their cigarettes out. Unless you smoke in the house, it is obvious what this means. Small animals need much less smoke to get sick from it.
4. Something that scares her can cause redirected aggression - attacking a person or animal who was not the source of a negative emotion because the source can't be attacked. This could result in the cat being mean to or afraid of you.

 

[tnbsp]

Certainly, I would be glad to.

1. Cats have been known to slip out of harnesses. She could do that when she is distracted.
   
2. Mosquitoes, ticks, and mites are all disease carriers. You have to choose one topical flea treatment and none of them kill everything. If your cat is outside, her risk of being bitten by these insects skyrockets.
3. Smokers might be in the area with their cigarettes out. Unless you smoke in the house, it is obvious what this means. Small animals need much less smoke to get sick from it.
4. Something that scares her can cause redirected aggression - attacking a person or animal who was not the source of a negative emotion because the source can't be attacked. This could result in the cat being mean to or afraid of you.

Thank you! I'm going to take what you've said into consideration.

 

[Daisy6]

You're welcome.

 

[CommonCatOwner]

Didn't see this mentioned but an extra step is a reflective collar with ID tag and bell in case the cat does free itself.

 

[1 bruce 1]

IMO, there's a risk involved but only a little bit more than training a pup to a harness or collar/leash. That risk does include disease, but depending on your area, your vaccine schedule and where you frequent, this risk can be slashed IMO.
For a cat (or even a small dog or any puppy), the risk also includes things like loose dogs, idiots with large, predatory dogs on flexi's that think your puppy/cat on harness is a good way to "socialize" their known killer, etc.. That's when you get to play psycho owner and threaten them with anything from bear/pepper spray to a lawsuit (depending, again, on your area.)
Benefits? You're the "cool person" with the cat that walks on a leash.
In the face of problems, cats are small and easy to grab up.
Cats get to see the world with you and aren't confined. Confinement to a house is not a bad thing if leash training is not optional (WAY better than free roaming pets IMO), and most people will probably want to take a picture or video of your super cool cat that walks on a leash.
Just be safe. Don't be afraid to be the protective owner of your precious cat, and don't be afraid to tell the owner of the random pet Husky or German Shephard that is eyeing your cat like it's a snack to back the "F" off. Polite behavior IMO does not count in this instance. Idiots abound. If you're urban, owners of predatory dogs will probably approach you, wanting to "socialize" their dogs that like to kill small creatures with your cat. Don't associate with them and don't be afraid to tell them you will call AC on their dog if anything should happen.
If you're rural, or even suburban, the odds of this happening are lessened (usually).
Enjoy the experience, and be proactive for their safety. (this, again, depends on your location and what you're liable to run into on a walk.) You aren't the steward for your neighbor or their dog. Be safe, be cautious, and have fun =)

 

[weebeasties]

Years ago I had two that were harness trained. They were older cats, maybe 8 or 10 years. We lived in the country on several fenced-in acres so the likelihood of running into a vicious dog was nil. They enjoyed it very much. I kept them on a short leash so I was always within a couple of feet of them. That proved useful the day Buster and I almost stepped on a snake! Thankfully it was a small, harmless one but it taught me to always be scanning our surroundings instead of just looking at the cat.
Also, these two were very well behaved babies. They ALWAYS came when called. I think that is a good trait for them to have if they ever manage to get out of the harness.
Mine were never door darters, possibly because they were older when we started? Also, I NEVER let them walk out the door. I would put on the harness and leash and carry them out. That may have helped cement the idea that they only went outside with me.
If you have a cat that is easily spooked, I would reconsider letting them out. My former two were smart, well behaved, and not easily frightened so they were good candidates. My current cats are different. They are not exactly the adventurous sort. I don't think they would enjoy the experience. (I actually have a couple that are terrified of an open door.)
Good luck on your adventures!

 

[maggiedemi]

Hi. Just to let you know, Demi got out of the Kitty Holster and was gone for 2 days, just backed right out of it. He was playing in the woods with the neighbors' cat. If I ever get another one, I will get the Come With Me Kitty harness, that straps them in better.

 

[Azazel]

Completely agree with weebeasties that it depends on the cat. Some cats really love to explore and are confident enough that they don't get easily spooked in the face of new territory and danger. Others not so much. My one girl is a scaredy cat. She's super confident inside the house because it's what she knows, but it takes her a long time to warm up to people - she will often hide if something is new and I tried carrying her outside one time but she freaked out and ran back inside the house. I realized it's just way too stressful for her to take her outside and she's perfectly content inside so I don't try anymore. But, I do make sure she always has an open screened window to look out of and to breathe in fresh air.

My one boy is the most confident cat I've ever had. He is what Jackson Galaxy would refer to as a "Mojito cat;" lots of mojo. He explores outside with his head up high and doesn't give a f---. If you have a cat like this, I do strongly encourage walking them outside in your arms as someone else mentioned. That way, they won't know that they can actually walk outside on their own and it will discourage door dashing. Also, I always stay close to my cats on leashes. I'm always walking with them. I don't ever put them on a leash and tie it to something. I'm very cautious with watching them to make sure they don't ever escape (and of course, you have to make sure the harness fits properly).

 

[tnbsp]

Thank you everyone for your tips, advice, and opinions so far. I'm going to take it step by step, cautiously to see if this will work for my cats or not. At the moment I'm living in the country, so we have lots of space and no traffic, and no people walking dogs... at least not often. I think it'll be good testing ground. We might move to a city in the future, and then I'll take into assessment again about whether to continue. I just want to them know the territory around the house, for the moment.

Also thanks for the advice ( weebeasties and A Azazel ) about picking up the cat and not letting them walk out.. I'm going to do that from now on. I was just letting them walk out the door on their own while on the harness...

And that's interesting to hear about the kitty holster from M maggiedemi . Has anyone else had this experience? When I was researching I heard a lot of people claim the holster was one of the bests for avoiding escapes, which is why I got it. What harness do you all prefer and why?

 

[Azazel]

And that's interesting to hear about the kitty holster from M maggiedemi . Has anyone else had this experience? When I was researching I heard a lot of people claim the holster was one of the bests for avoiding escapes, which is why I got it. What harness do you all prefer and why?

I use kittyholster, but it has to fit properly. I have noticed that the smaller sizes don't fit very well for small-framed cats. They seem to be too wide in the neck area.

 

[1 bruce 1]

Years ago I had two that were harness trained. They were older cats, maybe 8 or 10 years. We lived in the country on several fenced-in acres so the likelihood of running into a vicious dog was nil. They enjoyed it very much. I kept them on a short leash so I was always within a couple of feet of them. That proved useful the day Buster and I almost stepped on a snake! Thankfully it was a small, harmless one but it taught me to always be scanning our surroundings instead of just looking at the cat.
Also, these two were very well behaved babies. They ALWAYS came when called. I think that is a good trait for them to have if they ever manage to get out of the harness.
Mine were never door darters, possibly because they were older when we started? Also, I NEVER let them walk out the door. I would put on the harness and leash and carry them out. That may have helped cement the idea that they only went outside with me.
If you have a cat that is easily spooked, I would reconsider letting them out. My former two were smart, well behaved, and not easily frightened so they were good candidates. My current cats are different. They are not exactly the adventurous sort. I don't think they would enjoy the experience. (I actually have a couple that are terrified of an open door.)
Good luck on your adventures!

This is an absolutely perfect example!
Know your location, potential threats, and know your cats.
I have two cats exactly that, if outside, they come when called better than most dogs but the others don't, so I don't venture out with them.
One is harness trained, well...kind of. She flops on her side and lays there like "my legs don't work in this thing" but if we just wait, she eventually gets nosy and starts investigating.
When I lived in a very urban area, I had two pet dogs and couldn't even walk them down the block without running into someones aggressive off leash dog. It was a nightmare, so I stopped walking my dogs. These dogs were older when I moved rural and boy did they love it!