Cat harness - a good or bad idea?

melorablack

As soon as I put a harness on one of my cats she sits down and refuses to move an inch :rotfl:

One of the others heads for the nearest car/bush to sit under and then refuses to come out. :rolleyes:

My cats aren't to pleased with it as you can see.

lostinrates

RacyRed wrote: »

lostinrates did you clicker train your cats when they were kittens? I've a feeling that any attempt to train my lot would be met with total disdain.

No. We did loosely ''train'' the cats but as a game (I was in the past an equine scientist with an interest in behaviour, so everything is a learning experience for me with the pets: they are allexpected to contribute to my knowledge and experience in some way) but had not really been interested in clicker training as I find it, personally, difficult, though I do agree its a very clear way of training if you are trained to it yourself.

We only integrated click-style (I make the noise instead of using a clicker, but its the same theory) training later, and its moderately successful with the cats ..ours are siamese who are fairly responsive to this sort o thing anyway.

The real trick, MO, is to get the treat right. For one of our cats any treat will do, but the other is only interested in Thrive freeze dried treats. And only fish or chicken. These are also, now, what I use for work with our dogs too: they are remarkably palateable and a very good size for click/rewards. We buy them in bigger bags mail order: the little tubes are too small and we get through hem quickly, though I use the tube to dispense when ''working'' the animals: indeed, druming my fingers on the tube is our cue for pay attention and come home/back to me for both the cats and dogs. A highly powerful tool, Thrive treats!:D

squeaky

Cats tend to take to training best when they are very young kittens - the younger the better. Following a "mummy cat" procedure works well, I've found.

So for instance, once Sally could get onto my computer desk and start walking on my k eyboard I used "Technique One" of "Mummy Training"... which was to bat her one! Of course, I didn't actually belt her - I just tapped the offending paw(s) with a finger until she took it off the keyboard. Even now, as a five year old she'll either carefully step over the keyboard, or walk round it.

For cars... when I first let her out I didn't actually let her go free, I carried her out and made nice noises and stayed close to the house with several repeats and each time came "home"very slowly with lots of pauses from as little as ten feet away to start with, so that she got time to have a good look and pick up landmarks on how to find her way back. Once we reached the road (I'm the last house in a dead end) I waited until a car came and then used "TechniqueTwo" of "Mummy Training"... I paid noticeable attention to the car as soon as it was within eye and ear shot and made sure that Sally was aware of it too. Then I hissed at it. Then I slowly and without panic made my way to the nearest safe kerb and, once there, made nice noises again. Sally doesn't bother hissing at cars now that she's all grown up, but she does still just walk to a safe place without panic when a car starts down the road.

BOTH techniques were use the morning she tried climbing up my legs before I'd had time to get my trousers on! OUCH!!! She only ever did it once!

So it can work very well. Honest

the_devil_made_me_do_it

Extremely bad idea.

picklepick

i think the best thing is to introduce it slowly. show your cat the harness, place it in its bed so it smells familiar before u even attempt to put it on the cat. then put it on for a minute, indoors, give lots of affection and treats etc. then slowly increase the time with the harness on. dont attempt to attach a lead until the cat is fine with the harness on. then let them trail the lead around for a while indoors before you try holding it. cats are good at squirming out of harnesses so dont try taking them outside until they're fine with having it on! good luck

picklepick

the_devil_made_me_do_it wrote: »

Extremely bad idea.

wow that was helpful....

lostinrates

picklepick wrote: »

i think the best thing is to introduce it slowly. show your cat the harness, place it in its bed so it smells familiar before u even attempt to put it on the cat. then put it on for a minute, indoors, give lots of affection and treats etc. then slowly increase the time with the harness on. dont attempt to attach a lead until the cat is fine with the harness on. then let them trail the lead around for a while indoors before you try holding it. cats are good at squirming out of harnesses so dont try taking them outside until they're fine with having it on! good luck

exactly. And tiny amounts of time. Less than minute on at first, just monets, then gradually build. This is something to do very slowly IMO.

I would say, its highly, highly likely cats will not take to it. If hat is the case IMO it would be cruel and pointless to try and force the issue.

deedeeliz

The thing Nova's wearing in that picture is actually a petmet walking jacket. I only have one though so Mia makes do with a normal one.

Here's a video of what happens everytime they go outside, they ignore me and chew grass hehe

moomin5

Your cats are cute deedeeliz my dogs always like to have a munch on the long grass when they go out too.

Maybe could look into one of those pooch handbag jobbies to carry the cat in Racyred, rather than traditional carriers. Perhaps you could visit friends gardens as new places to go if Daisy takes to the harness as would be safer than anywhere public where you might meet dogs.

RacyRed

Hiya Devil! Ok, want to tell me why?

deedeeliz, Nova and Mia look as if they are really enjoying being out in their coat/harness, I hope Daisy takes to it like that!

When Yogi arrived he and I had fun making his toys (I did the making, he supervised and made suggestions :rolleyes: ) so my home is mostly stocked with home made toys plus some basic balls with bells and so on. Yesterday I invested in some interactive toys for them, including a feather tickler (they all love that!) and a ball you put dry food in so they have to roll it about to get it out. Daisy love snacking on biscuit at this time of day and I can hear a lot of "rattle, rattle, crunch" sounds coming from the kitchen... That one is working then.

As recommended I've started Daisy off getting used to a harness, just leaving it around for her so far, sight and smell stuff. Lets see how she gets on.

Moomin5, I found a soft, shoulder carrier that might do the job. Pets at home have some, but they are more expensive, don't flatten and didn't have the top opening, which I think I prefer for Daisy.