Training Adult Cat To Harness

[jarn]

New member but not new to cats.

Years ago (like over a decade) I successfully trained a foster kitten to walk on a harness.

One of my current cats, Esme, I've tried on a harness - she plays dead. I've tried different locations, balcony (she's always wanting to go out there), in the apartment, in the hallway - flops over dead.

So no harness for Esme - life goes on.

But we just adopted Timothy, who weighs 23.4lbs. Dude needs exercise.

I got a harness for him. I put it on him and took him into the hallway and unlike Esme he did not flop over, but was most resistant to walking. That WAS his second day home though, so I was probably expecting too much. I tried him in the hallway on his fourth day home (today is day 6) and he just meowed at me to go back in the apartment.

I'd like to train him to use the harness so that we can walk in the hallway and stairs, if that's not too much (he waddles/has a bit of a limp, though is capable of jumping up and off of the couch and bed, even though we got him stairs for the bed, he prefers jumping. Vet has examined him and doesn't think he's arthritic (couldn't feel joint thickening), thinks the gimp is just due to weight).

Any suggestions? He has glucosamine treats, and we do have Temptations too, but we're trying to diet him obviously so I don't want to be giving him 1,000,000 Temptations as it defeats the purpose.

I'm thinking to put him on the harness and just sit in the hallway with him until he gets curious and explores. Alternatively I could carry him to the other end of the hallway and see if he figures out walking back to our apartment (Esme, bless her heart, did not figure that out).

I'm hoping that that he didn't flop while in the harness means it's not too late to train him to use the harness relatively easily - but any suggestions are appreciated.

 

[red top rescue]

I have a friend with several successfully trained harness cats. The first thing she does is put the harness on for an hour or so and just leave the cat to o whatever (in the house). Often they just lie there. Sooner or later, they will move around. She does that several times before she gets to the point of leaving the harness on inside all the time. Once the cat is so used to the harness he doesn't notice and acts normally, then the short visits outside begin. One of her cats wants to be walked all over the neighborhood, along the same circuit every night, and she trots the whole way. I asked her to write up a short tutorial for you and here it is:

"Getting them acclimated to the harness is best done after they've been asleep awhile, and are hungry, bored and ready to play. They all flop and protest at first, and maybe they can hold out longer than you, but calling their bluff and leaving the harness on, for hours even, lets them know that their protesting isn't going to work. Whether they've accepted the leash or not, once they know the ONLY way they're going outside is on the leash they learn to live with it even if they never learn to like it. It only took Sarah a few times, but it took Samson 50+ times. Begging to go out, being told no, getting the harness on, protesting the harness, getting outside with the harness then protesting the harness while outside, walking like he had a 50 lb weight on his back, wanting back in so he can have the harness removed, begging to go back out, lather, rinse repeat over and over.

I've found that having the retractable leash attached to the tip of the door frame has been key to building their tolerance to the leash. Of course the small 9 ft flexi-leash is best, attached somewhere overhead and anything removed within the 9 ft range that they can get tangled in- lawn furniture etc. They will go directly to the end of the leash first every time and protest more, flopping and tangling themselves if unsupervised. -another reason the proper harness is used.

H-style leash, with the chest part removed and replaced with a wide enough band, collar or cut belt that has the choke action so that it tightens around the chest ONLY when they pull themselves to the end of the leash. After they get the idea of the "porch" or whatever 9 ft area you give them, they'll be more grateful to be allowed to go further and won't give as much resistance. Let them walk you, don't try to walk them. When they try to walk places you cannot follow them in, like under cars or in bushes, or anywhere else you don't want them to go hit the button on the leash and lock if you like, and they'll figure out another way to go after a few tries of getting their way. But drag a da bird toy or piece of long grass and try to lure them where you do want them to go. You can also throw rocks in the direction you want them to go and make them think its little critters hiding from them.

Pic attached, the leash clips onto the carabiner. May not can find these types of collars anymore, I think they stopped making them, but its doable with other modified belts or collars- it just takes some imagination and engineering. Good luck!"

 

[Mystikal kitten]

I was able to successfully train my cousins 2 year old male cat, Rigby, to a harness just by putting it on Rigby for an hour then slowly keeping it on him until he wanted it off. I also would allow Rigby to sniff it at first. I no longer keep the harness on him seeing how I was told by my cousin that Rigby didn't need to be trained to a harness seeing how he is strictly inside cat and didn't need to go outside. Rigby was so used to the harness that all I would have to do is take it off the hook and he would jump up onto the arm of the couch and wait for me to put it on him.
Midnight and Tyge will have nothing to do with the harness and runs from me and it so instead of putting them through that trauma time after time I no longer attempt to.

 

[Mystikal kitten]

Rigby with harness on, begging to go outside.

 

[raysmyheart]

Hi, and welcome to the site from R raysmyheart and Speedy! Glad you are here!

My Speedy is Siamese/calico girl, about 5 1/2 years old, very mild and sweet in personality. She came from a rescue. The first summer, I purchased a harness and thought we could zip out the door. My problem was that I tugged on her a bit hoping she would start walking about. What she did was lie on the floor, I am convinced because of my tugging and me not appreciating her walking when she was ready.

The second summer, I put the harness on her (mind you the harness had been hanging around all winter). I let her get used to it for very short periods, when she wanted it off, I took it off. Then after a week of that, I put on the leash to the harness with not one bit of a tug. I suggest doing this close to the door you will be going out. Several days I stood there for minutes and minutes with no initiation on her part. When she wanted it off, I took it off. She was, however, listening to the noises outside, I could tell. Eventually, with one arm, I opened the door, still without any tugging. One day, she stood up from hearing the noises and smelling the air outside and slowly started to walk. I let her do everything her own way. We have been going once a day or more during good weather for several years now.

Since she came to live with me, we have had a major street re-vamp, bringing my house 50% closer to traffic than when we began walking. Now Speedy is sometimes scared of the front yard. I just pick her up, then we do our walking in the back. A couple of times she has gotten very frightened by car noises that she jumps and I am afraid she will get loose or tangled. Sometimes I am laughing because she will hear a noise in the woods and start running toward the door with me running to keep up! Quite a sight. The key is to do it all on the cat's terms. I don't know if all cats would go outside.

Please let us know how you are progressing and sorry I was so long writing! All the best from Marianne and Speedy!!

 

[Mystikal kitten]

There's Rigby with harness and leash attached which was a big NO-NO even for the couple of minutes it took to get those pics seeing how now he wants to go outside and I can't give in.

 

[raysmyheart]

I forgot to say, even if a cat will not walk on a harness, it is still very therapeutic to hold a cat and walk around outside. The cat will be very interested in the sounds and it is a change of pace, fresh air, stimulation. Just be sure to have the harness on and hold onto the leash for safety.

 

[Mystikal kitten]

Nope not even allowed to do that. Strict instructions that I have to follow seeing how my every move outside is being watched (security cameras around property)

 

[jarn]

Thank you all! This is great! Lots of detail and super helpful - you guys, and your friends, are awesome!

Timothy wore his harness for around 1, 1.5 hours after work today - until he started fussing at it. Completely fine with it for the most part.

I wasn't planning on taking him outside, but into the hallway and stairwell in our apartment building. Maybe one day outside, but for now, I'd like to have him do stairs for exercise. That may be hoping for too much though. My foster kitten liked to walk around the block. More stimulation I guess. I would just hope that there wouldn't be issues with dogs.

 

[Mystikal kitten]

I'm glad Timothy kept the harness on for that long. Whenever you have a day off put it on him in the morning whatever time you get up then let him decide when it's time for it to come off wait a few hours (3-4) put it back on him and once again let him decide when it's time to get it off. Eventually you'll see he'll want it on for longer periods of time.
When Rigby doesn't have the harness on, it hangs by the door so he can see it and if he wants it on he has his own way of letting me know. Sometimes I have to fit with Rigby to get it off him seeing how if he had his way he would keep it on 24/7 but he's so energetic that I would be worried if he would catch it on something and get caught up. It doesn't have break away latches like collars do.

 

[karrotlover]

Thank you all! This is great! Lots of detail and super helpful - you guys, and your friends, are awesome!

Timothy wore his harness for around 1, 1.5 hours after work today - until he started fussing at it. Completely fine with it for the most part.

I wasn't planning on taking him outside, but into the hallway and stairwell in our apartment building. Maybe one day outside, but for now, I'd like to have him do stairs for exercise. That may be hoping for too much though. My foster kitten liked to walk around the block. More stimulation I guess. I would just hope that there wouldn't be issues with dogs.

Sounds like you guys are making great progress! My cat was only 6 months old when we first started leash training him, but I imagine the technique is similar. The key to training my cat was distraction. He loves to play with the Da Bird wand toy, so right after I put the harness on indoors I would whip out the wand and distract him with the feather toy. After chasing it around a bit he would remember that he has this jacket on, and he would try to bite it or back out of it, at which point I would take it off before he got too agitated. Naturally his tolerance period got longer and longer, and now he can wear the harness pretty much indefinitely. So I suggest using whatever will distract him from the fact that he has a harness on, although at 1 - 1.5 hrs sounds like he may not even need it!

I found that the type of harness matters a lot to the comfort/tolerance of the cat. My cat trained first with the Come with Me Kitty harness (nylon straps + plastic clasps) but we eventually switched to a custom fit Mynwood Cat Jacket. I can tell he is much more comfortable in it, and I find it is much much more secure than the Come with Me Kitty harness.

 

[dustydiamond1]

View attachment 188889 View attachment 188890There's Rigby with harness and leash attached which was a big NO-NO even for the couple of minutes it took to get those pics seeing how now he wants to go outside and I can't give in.

Poor Rigby. Can't you please talk your cousin into letting him go out on a leash since he loves to so much and does so well?

 

[jarn]

I found that the type of harness matters a lot to the comfort/tolerance of the cat. My cat trained first with the Come with Me Kitty harness (nylon straps + plastic clasps) but we eventually switched to a custom fit Mynwood Cat Jacket. I can tell he is much more comfortable in it, and I find it is much much more secure than the Come with Me Kitty harness.

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That's another reason I'd like to keep him in the building for now. I don't think the harness is the most secure but it was the only one I could find that was big enough for a cat his size!!!!!