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- Oct 21, 2020
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I'd love to know if my harness training is going normally or spectacularly awry and I should abort mission. My Juno is six months old, and I got her a harness so we can eventually go out on my roof deck safely.
At first, I was just worried about getting it on her, but I think I've found the right type (goes over top of her, then velcroes around neck and torso), and, unlike ones she has to step or walk through, she let's me put it on her with no resistance or protest.
But then.... The harness turns her into a totally different cat.
I have since read that her first reaction was normal, because the harness triggers some sort of instinct to go limp when caught by a predator. She didn't fully fall over but she looked like a stumbling drunk. I tried hard not to laugh.
But now it's day four of harness training, and while she's not falling over or tripping, the harness seems to make her catatonic. She mostly just sits in one place and stares into space. Today, she made it up four stairs and then just sat there staring blankly until I managed to coax her up, very sloooowly, with the enticement of her favorite treat (which I reserve for harness training). When I tried the fishing rod, she "chased" it at a quarter speed. It's like the harness switches her into slo-mo.
Until today, she didn't seem to be too distressed by the harness, other than turning into a zombie. But today she meowed a lot after we got up the stairs (and she is not very vocal), so I took it off early. Once off, she was zooming around like her normal self.
Is this normal? I've read about cats that fall down, but not cats that get a personality transplant. For anyone who's experienced something similar, did your cat adjust? I feel like I'm in an episode of the Twilight Zone.
At first, I was just worried about getting it on her, but I think I've found the right type (goes over top of her, then velcroes around neck and torso), and, unlike ones she has to step or walk through, she let's me put it on her with no resistance or protest.
But then.... The harness turns her into a totally different cat.
I have since read that her first reaction was normal, because the harness triggers some sort of instinct to go limp when caught by a predator. She didn't fully fall over but she looked like a stumbling drunk. I tried hard not to laugh.
But now it's day four of harness training, and while she's not falling over or tripping, the harness seems to make her catatonic. She mostly just sits in one place and stares into space. Today, she made it up four stairs and then just sat there staring blankly until I managed to coax her up, very sloooowly, with the enticement of her favorite treat (which I reserve for harness training). When I tried the fishing rod, she "chased" it at a quarter speed. It's like the harness switches her into slo-mo.
Until today, she didn't seem to be too distressed by the harness, other than turning into a zombie. But today she meowed a lot after we got up the stairs (and she is not very vocal), so I took it off early. Once off, she was zooming around like her normal self.
Is this normal? I've read about cats that fall down, but not cats that get a personality transplant. For anyone who's experienced something similar, did your cat adjust? I feel like I'm in an episode of the Twilight Zone.