Harness training advice, Please!

Well, I got a harness and tried it on Booger today and boy did she NOT like it at all. She wouldn't stand up. She'd just lie there and wrestle with it trying to get her chin under the strap and gnaw at it. I even took her green fuzzy toy and tried to distract her and even THAT didn't work (and you all know how positively OCD she is about her green fuzzy). I took her out on the porch and sat her on the floor and she just layed there but at least she stopped struggling. I think the distraction of being outdoors helped.

When the weather is nice, I always open the front door and she'll sit for hours looking out the screen door sniffing the air and watching birds and such. So I thought that if I could get her harness trained, I could let her lose on the porch and take her for my daily walk down to the mailbox (about a block away). I know she'd enjoy that.

I recall reading somewhere that a cat will adapt to wearing a harness if you introduce it slowly, just have them wear it a few min each day to start with. Any advice or words of wisdom for me?

Since laying on the porch seemed to calm her/distracted her enough to stop her struggling I was thinking of putting the harness on her and laying her on the porch for a few min each day so that she'll relate the harness with 'outside' (which is where she really wants to be).

 

That sounds like a good idea...I think that will help if she really enjoys being out there. Another thing you can do is put the harness on her and offer her several extra special treats, then take the harness off and repeat 2 or 3 times daily. This will also help her associate the harness with good things. Good luck.

 

Copper hated his too when we were inside. But like you said, he was distracted when we went outside. Also, having "his girls" (the dogs) out there helped too. Sabrina did not tolerate it AT ALL. So I gave up with her. She just sits in the open windows and screen door and sniffs now. Funny thing is if I open the door, she will run the other way. And she was an outside cat. I guess she knows how scary it can be out there LOL.

 

nern, Booger doesn't like treats...I've tried several brands. The only treat she goes nuts over is tuna and I have her on a strict schedual with that. Only twice a week. Good idea though.

coppersmom, Booger is super interested in getting outside...lately she's been trying to squeeze out under the two inch space between the screen door and the floor that's open heheh. And also lately, when I open the door, I have to shoo her back as she sticks her head out...she's not door-darting yet but I suspect she's heading in that direction down the road.

She's was so funny with the harness when I took her on the porch...she would just lie there. I tried to pick her up and put her on her feet and she just acted limp LOL But she didn't struggle against it like she did indoors. She just loves being outside and was so distracted by it, I'm thinking/hoping this is gonna work. Hubby suggested I take her down the steps and lie her on the grass but I think I'll do the porch for a few days first. She's never been outside before other than in her carrier for a 5 min drive to her vet's. I don't want to overwhelm her all at once.

 

LOL Booger sounds just like Copper was. I would carry him out on the grass and he would lie there all limp too. And then crouch and kinda crawl around--not standing up fully. Then he would stare up at the sky like "wow! what a high ceiling!" Now I let him out without the harness but he's such a chicken he just goes right off the steps and eats grass. I'm always right there because I'm such a chicken. If he hears ANYTHING he will dart right back to the door. Once he even opened the storm door and let himself back inside before I could get to it. But I will admit that now he will dart out the door. I have to really watch him.

Good luck!

 

I had to start harness training Vianne when she was about 8 months old and she didn't take to it at first either. I started her off wearing her harness around the house for a couple hours everyday for about 5 days or so, then i hooked her leash to it and would hold the end while i was sitting at my desk doing homework or on the computer for awhile and i did that for several days so she could learn the limitations of the leash. Then i started trying to walk her down the hallway on the leash which was a very tedious process. I went thru a lot of treats, but i gave her one everytime she took a step towards me. I would walk away from her to the end of the leash then call her to me and give a gentle tug. Eventually she started making some very slooow cautious steps. But she wouldn't walk on the marble floor, just the carpet for some reason. After she got used to that for a few days, i took her outside and tied her up out there everyday for several day for a few hours at a time. (covered area with shade, water, table and chairs by the pool and she was always supervised). I'd play with her outside tied up and she'd chase any bugs that got near and seemed fine with it, so then i started her on a routine walking route down the sidewalk. I always took her the same way everytime and at first i'd carry her til we got to the sidewalk and then se her down and start walking. At first, she would stop every 2 steps to listen to something or smell the air or try to eat grass. After awhile tho, she got more comfortable and would trot along with me. At first she was out of breath quickly and would pant, so i'd let her rest A moment and then pick her up and continue walking our route. Then she'd squirm when she was ready to walk again. She will still stop if she hears people talking across the street or a car door slam or something like that, but for the mos part she's really good at it now. She will even break into a full run with me sometimes and i can barely keep up. Mostly i just try to keep us at a quick walking pace or jog. One time i can remember we were running full speed down the sidewalk and i was trying my best to keep up and keep an eye on her and watch in front of me at the same time, and i didn't notice until they were nearly right on us this woman walking her dog coming right toward us and Vianne didn't bat an eyelash cuz she was running on HER sidewalk, lol. So just have patience and she will get it. But the big this is making them comfortable, becuz if i vary from our normal jogging route, then Vianne will revert back to taking cautious steps and stopping at every sound to sniff the air and even hissing if she doesn't like where i'm trying to walk her. So i would plan out where exactly you want Booger to walk with you before you try to take him out. And do the same thing everytime. Good luck!

 

My pretty little kitty just listens well.

Of course I traeined him to listen to commands when he was a little kitten.

Hes sooo cute!

 

I don't have any experience with harness training, but I wanted to wish you both good luck I'm sure Booger will love to be outside when she gets used to wearing it!

 

After a long, patient struggle I finally got one of my cats to wear a harness, he was only about 6 months old though, I gave up with my older cat, he didnt fight it he just froze...I had this 'great' idea one time to just let him be after I put the harness on, I ignored his 'playing dead' for half an hour, he hadnt moved AT ALL :shock: then I felt guilty so I took it off.
Its soooo much easier training dogs than it is cats. :lol:

 

LOL I know what ya mean! Well, Booger just turned 1 yr old late last month so she's still pretty young and I'm hopeful.

Today, it's really nasty, cold and windy outside so I didn't want to take her out. But I put her harness on her with not too much trouble and she did the 'lay flat on the floor' trick and occasionally backed up with her belly on the floor. She'd roll over and then back onto her belly again a few times but at least this time, she wasn't fighting the harness at all. I tried to keep her preoccupied by playing with her, talking to her and petting her. I even got her to chase the laser lite once! But as soon as she remembered the harness was on, it was down on her belly again LOL

I kept it on her for about 15 min. I'm going to up the time every couple of days.

So the good news is that she did better today than yesterday

 

:lol: Good luck...let us know how she does.

 

HE listen ( and I think trys to learn ) when I play recorder.

I attatch him to a leash on his collar insted.

He is too skinny and small for all the harnesses we have.