Help with cat walking dilemma

[Willowwombat]

I just moved to a new place that has a lovely outdoor space through French doors.

My old place had 2 second-story balconies that my cats had free access to. This place is a rancher with no balconies.

My one cat is leash trained, and although she grumbles a bit, she's actually pretty happy to go out with me for an hour just poking around the garden and getting used to the house from the outside.

My rescue cat, Dude, is very jealous. He's desperate to get out there, but he's not leash trained. I actually got him to accept the harness and leash a couple of times and he did go out; he was predictably terrified and wouldn't really explore, but he obviously wants to go out because he howls and howls and won't stop. However, he will no longer accept the harness and leash. He goes to the door, and I pet him and get the harness out and he just runs away. The problem now is that he runs away from me all the time, like he's afraid of me, not just at the door.

Not sure what to do but this situation needs a resolution.

 

[Furballsmom]

In the meantime, can you obtain something like this?
https://www.chewy.com/furhaven-soft...id9d8uyg-jRX066X8kJ1N_8HiA7DtRHUaAoFHEALw_wcB

For the harness, I'd take quite a few steps back. Try just leaving it lying on the floor for a few minutes where he can see it (not near water or food). Then for longer timeperiods, --hopefully he eventually will get brave enough to sniff it.

Then start working with treats, where you have the harness in your hand while standing away from him (maybe in another room) and he sees it, but do nothing with it except put it aside, talk to him and give him a treat right away. Do this repeatedly until you can get closer to him without him getting up or walking/running away.

If you need to get him to accept your presence first, without the harness and without him moving away, try sitting on the floor while working on your laptop or whatever, talk to him, and have a favorite treat handy but let him approach you.

After that, all of which will take a while, there might be something here;
Harness And Leash Training For Cats - TheCatSite

 

[Willowwombat]

I'll check those out, thanks.

My Willow learned almost immediately when she was a kitten that the leash meant going outside but Dude is eleven, and has been an indoor cat all his life. The balconies were exactly right for him so he's pretty upset at the loss of what seemed to him like freedom.. Eventually, when I have some energy, I'll be putting in a catio, but that will a while yet; probably next Spring. .

 

[heatherwillard0614]

If you want to add a step in between what Furballsmom said you can try doing what was mentioned then do the step I added and continue with what furballsmom said

For the harness, I'd take quite a few steps back. Try just leaving it lying on the floor for a few minutes where he can see it (not near water or food). Then for longer timeperiods, --hopefully he eventually will get brave enough to sniff it.

Put a treat on it and let him eat it off of the harness. Then let him walk away. Once he is done you can put the harness wherever you keep it do this for a little bit.

Then start working with treats, where you have the harness in your hand while standing away from him (maybe in another room) and he sees it, but do nothing with it except put it aside, talk to him and give him a treat right away. Do this repeatedly until you can get closer to him without him getting up or walking/running away.

It will just take patience, time, and love, but he will get there.

 

[Willowwombat]

It's not going to work. He finally accepted the leash and we went out for a few minutes, which he liked. But when we came in Willow was waiting at the door and actually attacked him, which she has never done before. And she hissed at him and growled, too.

I've had the worst year of my life this year, including the death of my partner of 40 years, and a move that took everything out of me, and I can't have this going on, too. So far they've been good together but this is disheartening and I do not have it in me to work on cat problems.

 

[Furballsmom]

I'm sorry
When you're ready to try again, get the cat mesh tent and put Willow out in it when you're walking him, and also use this

From valanhb
You put a dab of vanilla extract under the chins, at the base of their neck (by the spine) and at the base of the tail (again, on the spine not the underside of the tail!) of all of the cats to make them smell the same. Cats recognize each other by scent, so if that kitty smells the same as "me", then he must be a friend. Kitty logic at it's finest.

This trick works when introducing cats into the household as well, or during a reintroduction after a redirected aggression event.

Also, it's possible that calming products and low volume Cat Music will help them - they both are like little sponges for your emotions.

 

[Alldara]

There may be other cat smells outside in the new place. We had to stop letting ours out for awhile in our new place due to deferred agression every time they came in. It was hard because they missed it and were used to the balcony but my neighbour let their cat out unsupervised all the time and my cats would smell it and Nobel would attack Lily.

After they moved, we never had this problem and both could go out separately or together.