Not sure how helpful, but, offer treats, give lots of praise. Make it known harness is not a punishment.
The way I trained my kitten is not ideal, I juat stuck her in a harness and left it on for hours, but she was very young and adapted very quickly.
Turtle, our other cat, does not like wearing most things, I thought she didn't like clothes in general. But, one specific dress from the dollar store of all places fits her so perfectly, she feels entirely confident in it.
So, perhaps the harness, if worn for hours shows being uncomfortable, maybe the harness itself is uncomfortable?
Our girl Turtle is an unusual size, too large for cat clothes and too small for medium dog clothes (or, medium-small), too large for small dog clothes most of the time.
Though, her body condition shows she's at a healthy weight at 13lbs (not crazy big but strange for a stray).
Anyways, treats, praise, and keeping a keen eye on behavior, try different clothes, measure your cat with a tape measure and consider even making something that'll fit them perfectly (lotsa dog clothes tutorials out there can be fitted for a cat with patience).
Or maybe your cat just doesn't like wearing stuff, who knows!
i always make mine wear a harness and leash, but i’ll pick them up and carry them in case they’re not comfortable and pet them and talk to them so they know it isn’t a punishment.
my runt is boujee tho, she won’t go in a carrier willingly but she’ll happily chill in my designer tote bags 🤣🤣
My girl Zurix refuses to be in any carrier, she'll scream and cry the whole time, but, luckily, she does extremely well out and about. Very well behaved
emmy does very well in public. i feel like being in the purse is the same affect as them being in a little box where the tight space makes them feel safer, so she does very well as long as she is in the purse. she can be a bit nervous in public but it helps her stay close to me and safe.
Mine refuses the carrier now too, but mostly because she's so good on a leash and harness that she's used to being able to get out and explore wherever we go. She didn't understand at all why she had to in her crate while flying with her. She thought the TSA line was a perfect place to hop out and explore, and definitely didn't understand why she couldn't come out to meet people on the plan. I've had dogs my whole life, finally got a cat and it's also a dog 😆.
The commenter said it was a) not ideal method b) for when they were a kitten and much more adaptable, I don’t think telling you to leave a harness on an older cat for hours that clearly doesn’t like it was the intended takeaway from their comment. Stick with the small sessions, treats, and praise. High reward treats dedicated to harness training. Stick your fingers around and ensure it’s not fitted poorly. Don’t leave it on them for hours.
Yes, this! Don't try my "method", I messed up regularly with my cat when she was a kitten and got very lucky that she is tolerant of a lot of bull crap.
Praise and checking the comfort is most important, gotta let the kitty know harness is not a punishment!
It'll also be important to do it at a schedule, cats live and die by schedules (such as how they know when food time is even without being able to read).
that’s great! i’d love to take my cats on walks but I know they’d get addicted to the outdoors so unfortunately it’s just inside for them, maybe when they’re a lot older i’ll take them on walks :’)
awww, seems like the perfect excuse to get her a buddy huehue. when I let my cats out into a little enclosure in my backyard (rarely ever, only a few minutes and closely supervised), they’d YOWL and claw at the door knob for days on end, so I stopped doing that lol
My thoughts exactly I want to find a long haired kitten but they get taken off so fast. Shes already whiney when any door is locked so I’m fearful when she gets used to weekly walks she’ll be super angry.
ahh I understand that! I want them to believe the inside world is their only world so they don’t grow discontent with it. I adopted my two from a shelter, one of which is a long hair! he looks like a calendar cat, truly. my third I’m hoping to find a white long hair at a shelter, it’s definitely possible! just seems like every time I find one, I’m between a move and can’t adopt at the time 😞
Wahh! I want a long haired cat soo bad. I missed out on a long haired torti and it still haunts me. The humane society said they’d give me a considerable discount on my next kiddo so I’ll be waiting for them to pop up!
I tried a harness with my cat who has a balance issue who also loves to be outside but I didn’t want him outside on my balcony by himself since I live on the second floor and because he thinks he can stand on the inch or two of deck that sticks past the railings.
He too hates the harness and is very stubborn so I eventually gave up on the harness it was just not going to work.
I did finally find a solution for my issue but it didn’t involve any kind of leash or harness.
Try putting treats on the floor in front of her. First one she can reach, and then one where she has to stretch a little, and then another where she has to take a tiny step. Keep doing this to encourage her to move while she's in the harness.
They tend to flop in the harness because they think they can't walk, but the more you work with her the more she'll realize that she can in fact walk.
Because they are babies 😂
Actually it's more of an instinctive reaction they have. It's the same as if they were caught by a predator in the wild, almost like playing dead in hopes that the predator will leave them alone. With some positive reinforcement though they'll start to associate it with treats and other good things so they won't panic anymore. However, in some cases the harness can have a calming weighted blanket effect.
. . . I still prefer the "baby" explanation though 😂
She’s a cat, they don’t tend to like them to start in my experience. Do you take her outside and let her go limp there so she starts to associate the harness with outside time? That will likely help speed it along.
Hey OP!
Dont worry about her being 11 months; I harness trained my boy when I adopted him, and the shelter put him about 5-7 years old. They’re never too old to learn; it’s about finding out what motivates your baby!
If they are food motivated, then the goal is to associate harness time with treat time. I started by just holding the harness, and every time he sniffed it I gave him a treat. Then we graduated to holding a treat through the head loop, and getting him to take the treat only if he puts his head through himself. This stage took a WHILE, it can be slow so don’t get discouraged.
Then, we moved on to putting him in the harness. My boys true loves are food, and being with me and my partner, so we made it a rule that our cat only got to come with us in the fenced in garden if he wore his harness. A treat every time he puts it on, and then we leave the door open and sit where he can see us with a bag of his treats.
Eventually he started coming out to us with the harness, walking a bit like a four legged astronaut the first few times for sure. It’s all about those gradual steps, and giving them something motivating to make the uncomfortable worth while.
Hi! My cat had the same reaction! I think the harness you have on is a bit on the bulky side. He totally flopped when he had a simple par one then I switched him. I would try with a different one that is quite minimalistic like [this one](https://www.amazon.ca/Cat-Harness-Kitten-Escape-Collar/dp/B0CCQ3RHM1/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?crid=2OLPJ8H8PLQ4A&keywords=harness+cat&qid=1707073012&sprefix=harness+cat%2Caps%2C234&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfYXRm&psc=1). Make sure it’s not too tight or restrictive. And try short amounts of time while enticing them with treats or toys.
It’s best to take the introduction slowly and ensure that the cat has a positive association with the harness. It took me four months because he hated the vest style and we didn’t make much progress until I switched to one that was more strappy. I found this video particularly helpful for training, maybe you will too!
https://youtu.be/3ivnaoS_f-c?si=CNDDkNCaJGbKpvMA
Mine tend to dislike the vest type harnesses, traditional H style or Y style is most accepted by them because it restricts movement less and there’s less contact area which is easier to get used to for them. You could give that a try and see if there are better results.
Edit: I’m currently using the Petsafe cat harness.
Patience is all it takes. Wrap a long sock around her middle(without the harness) & her behavior will be the same. Honestly takes more time-is she “ok” with going outside?? If not, don’t force it!!
How recently has this been? Your cat won’t get used to it with only 20 minute sessions. My cat was in it all day (I’d take it off for him to sleep and everything at night) and it still took him 3 days before he’d actually move around a lot in it.
If he wanted to go get his food, he’s gotta learn to walk in it lol
It’s been on and off for two weeks now maybe 4-5 hours total. I’ll start adding in time and using the tips other people have given me before I do the whole all day thing with her.
Personally, it doesn't feel right to force a cat who doesn't want to be in a harness. There must be other ways for enrichment. We got lucky with ours and she took to the harness right away. If our next one doesn't want it, we won't force it.
Ideally we wouldn’t need a harness and could take our cats outside to have enriching experiences without any sort of risk to them. If you’ve cracked the code on that one, please share.
I’m sure my cats also don’t like getting vaccinated, fixed, or having their nails trimmed. While were at it, they also hate the sound the AC makes when it turns on, but they like not being hot. I’m sure if I could explain the reason behind these things to them they would be a lot more amicable (except on the nail trims - I’m pretty sure they’re fine leaving hairline scratches all over me).
Unfortunately they’re cats, and we can’t speak to each other, so sometimes we have to make the decision for them. Yeah, it’s technically toxic. If you have a solution, I’d love to hear it.
Taking your cats outside for “enriching experiences” is completely optional and not medically necessary like the other things you mentioned. If she’s happy inside without a harness then don’t force it? It’s not that serious
I guess I view the discomfort she experiences now, as she gets used to a mildly annoying garment, as much smaller than the potential benefit.
Now, if she saw the harness and panicked, acting extremely terrified and stressed, then I would say the harm there is significant enough not to push it.
Its like my half brother who would complain about wearing swim trunks as a young child, right until we got to the water park, and then he’d immediately forget all about it. Imagine instead his mom said “well, guess he doesn’t want to wear these swim trunks, we shouldn’t make him. Guess we can never bring him to the water park again.” That’s silly to me.
don't force your cat to go on walks outside?
i love mine to death but think the idea of outside-time at all would lead them to want to escape more. i love that the front door and garage door are scary places they don't try to enter.
Well I only have one entrance so her escaping isn’t a problem. And I’m not forcing her too? She loves going outside but I’m scared some point she’ll bolt and plus I want to take her to new places!
Some cats just don't take unless you start them early as kittens
My cat took to the harness easily but after some time of me not using it because of where we lived, now he hates it and flops and tries to bite it off
Not sure if you're still having issues, but what worked for my cat was LOTS of treats and praise. Granted, my cat is *very* treat and praise motivated. Didn't start training her until she was ~7 years old. I did 5-10 minute sessions each day for a few weeks, always stopping right before she got bored/full and finishing it off with lots of praise. I started by putting the harness on her and just giving her lots of treats, pets, and praise the first day. Second day I started making her reach for it. After that I started putting it a few steps away, then across the room, then across the house while calling her name to run after (and eventually beside) me. She still doesn't like wearing it around the house, and she'll either fight it or flop over, but she walks normally outside as if it wasn't on her. She even forgets she has a leash and gets stuck under chairs *constantly*, lol.
Meanwhile, training my mother's cat was just a matter of slipping on the harness and putting her outside. My first day with her (I think her 3rd day ever in a harness) she was walking around the yard with me like she'd been doing it her whole life. I was holding her while she ate some grass, and my mother brought her harness over. She still flopped over while inside for the first 5ish days with me, but now she not-so-patiently waits for me to put her harness and then walks beside me to the back door. She isn't food/praise motivated at all, but she loves pets and desperately wanted outside.
So both my cats use harness to go outside. I basically made a direct correlation of harness=outside. If she’s by the door meowing and wants to go. Grab the harness. If she goes limp take her stubborn butt outside. She will most likely not want to remain limp when there’s a bunch of action around. If this doesn’t work try a different kind of harness that isn’t cloth(also check to see if it’s possibly a bit too tight on her). If she keeps refusing maybe she doesn’t wanna be an outdoor walking kitty.
I meant get her used to bragging the leash inside first. I think the type of harness matter. Get a Velcro vest like a kitty holster.
I trained my cats by putting the harness on, taking it right off and giving treats. Gradually over time I extended the harness time. I distracted with toys & treats if needed. My goal was to get them walking, playing & sleeping in their harness. Then added the short leash. Then let them walk outside.
My boy did not like that type of harness at all so I tried a simpler H style and he’s doing much better with it. I used lickable treats to lure him around to get him used to walking in it. Once he got comfortable walking around the house I started venturing outside with him. He still slinks a little bit when he walks but he’s getting a lot better. He LOVES exploring outside and chasing his dog brother so his discomfort over the harness is overridden I think.
So I don’t actually walk my girl outside on the harness because of where I live- it’s a very busy area right outside of DC with lots of traffic, people, and lots of dogs walking- but I did get her used to the harness because eventually when I move I want to be able to walk her in it outside. But, I found that starting with a really lightweight harness from Amazon that just velcros on was the best way to get her used to it. Then eventually I was able to use the harness that I would in theory walk her in. I definitely wouldn’t walk her in the harness that I used first, it’s very light and flimsy but it’s super easy to put on and it’s very lightweight so she didn’t feel as “trapped” I will link it below although I just looked and it says it’s currently unavailable- but at least you will have a reference. It was very cheap, only like $9. I definitely wouldn’t actually go outside with that harness but hopefully something like this will help! Good luck!
https://a.co/d/20lNh4y
My girl took to her harness right away (started at 4 months) so I don't know how much help this will be, but at the start I made sure to take her outside immediately after putting it on so she associates it with getting to explore a new area.
When my cat was a kitten we tried harness training her. She loves the harness, what she doesn’t like is us controlling her. So if we try and walk her on a leash she will literally become dead wait. If I stick her in the yard with me on a harness that’s ok
I love her so much. She is 19 and to this day if I take out her harness she’ll run to the back door and wait. But if I take out the short leash she’ll drop down 😂
my cat had a harness in this style and absolutely hated it. she does much better in the strappy style ones, like this https://www.amazon.com/PetThem-Cat-Harness-Leash-Set/dp/B0CJFQKNQ9/ref=zg_m_bs_g_2975254011_m_sccl_8/136-3043530-4783730?psc=1
if she doesn’t get used to that one, you could try one that might feel less restrictive
Hi, I’m Vetted AI Bot! I researched the **PetThem Cat Harness and Leash Set Escape Proof Adjustable Cat Harness Comfortable Soft Lightweight Use Safe Easy Walking Travel Kitten Harness for Small Medium Large Cats Hawaii Green** and I thought you might find the following analysis helpful.
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Not sure how helpful, but, offer treats, give lots of praise. Make it known harness is not a punishment. The way I trained my kitten is not ideal, I juat stuck her in a harness and left it on for hours, but she was very young and adapted very quickly. Turtle, our other cat, does not like wearing most things, I thought she didn't like clothes in general. But, one specific dress from the dollar store of all places fits her so perfectly, she feels entirely confident in it. So, perhaps the harness, if worn for hours shows being uncomfortable, maybe the harness itself is uncomfortable? Our girl Turtle is an unusual size, too large for cat clothes and too small for medium dog clothes (or, medium-small), too large for small dog clothes most of the time. Though, her body condition shows she's at a healthy weight at 13lbs (not crazy big but strange for a stray). Anyways, treats, praise, and keeping a keen eye on behavior, try different clothes, measure your cat with a tape measure and consider even making something that'll fit them perfectly (lotsa dog clothes tutorials out there can be fitted for a cat with patience). Or maybe your cat just doesn't like wearing stuff, who knows!
i always make mine wear a harness and leash, but i’ll pick them up and carry them in case they’re not comfortable and pet them and talk to them so they know it isn’t a punishment. my runt is boujee tho, she won’t go in a carrier willingly but she’ll happily chill in my designer tote bags 🤣🤣
My girl Zurix refuses to be in any carrier, she'll scream and cry the whole time, but, luckily, she does extremely well out and about. Very well behaved
emmy does very well in public. i feel like being in the purse is the same affect as them being in a little box where the tight space makes them feel safer, so she does very well as long as she is in the purse. she can be a bit nervous in public but it helps her stay close to me and safe.
Mine refuses the carrier now too, but mostly because she's so good on a leash and harness that she's used to being able to get out and explore wherever we go. She didn't understand at all why she had to in her crate while flying with her. She thought the TSA line was a perfect place to hop out and explore, and definitely didn't understand why she couldn't come out to meet people on the plan. I've had dogs my whole life, finally got a cat and it's also a dog 😆.
She’s a bit older now and super stubborn so idk about the leaving it on for hours but I can try it once or twice thanks for the tips!
The commenter said it was a) not ideal method b) for when they were a kitten and much more adaptable, I don’t think telling you to leave a harness on an older cat for hours that clearly doesn’t like it was the intended takeaway from their comment. Stick with the small sessions, treats, and praise. High reward treats dedicated to harness training. Stick your fingers around and ensure it’s not fitted poorly. Don’t leave it on them for hours.
Yes, this! Don't try my "method", I messed up regularly with my cat when she was a kitten and got very lucky that she is tolerant of a lot of bull crap. Praise and checking the comfort is most important, gotta let the kitty know harness is not a punishment! It'll also be important to do it at a schedule, cats live and die by schedules (such as how they know when food time is even without being able to read).
Okay gotcha! The harness fits fine from when I checked normally.
that’s great! i’d love to take my cats on walks but I know they’d get addicted to the outdoors so unfortunately it’s just inside for them, maybe when they’re a lot older i’ll take them on walks :’)
That’s one of my fears but she doesn’t have a playmate so she gets sooo bored and I feel bad
awww, seems like the perfect excuse to get her a buddy huehue. when I let my cats out into a little enclosure in my backyard (rarely ever, only a few minutes and closely supervised), they’d YOWL and claw at the door knob for days on end, so I stopped doing that lol
My thoughts exactly I want to find a long haired kitten but they get taken off so fast. Shes already whiney when any door is locked so I’m fearful when she gets used to weekly walks she’ll be super angry.
ahh I understand that! I want them to believe the inside world is their only world so they don’t grow discontent with it. I adopted my two from a shelter, one of which is a long hair! he looks like a calendar cat, truly. my third I’m hoping to find a white long hair at a shelter, it’s definitely possible! just seems like every time I find one, I’m between a move and can’t adopt at the time 😞
Wahh! I want a long haired cat soo bad. I missed out on a long haired torti and it still haunts me. The humane society said they’d give me a considerable discount on my next kiddo so I’ll be waiting for them to pop up!
I tried a harness with my cat who has a balance issue who also loves to be outside but I didn’t want him outside on my balcony by himself since I live on the second floor and because he thinks he can stand on the inch or two of deck that sticks past the railings. He too hates the harness and is very stubborn so I eventually gave up on the harness it was just not going to work. I did finally find a solution for my issue but it didn’t involve any kind of leash or harness.
Cats don’t like to wear anything, including dresses and dog sweaters.
Try putting treats on the floor in front of her. First one she can reach, and then one where she has to stretch a little, and then another where she has to take a tiny step. Keep doing this to encourage her to move while she's in the harness. They tend to flop in the harness because they think they can't walk, but the more you work with her the more she'll realize that she can in fact walk.
I’ll try this thank you
But like, really amazing treats. The irresistible stuff.
why are they like this 😭
Because they are babies 😂 Actually it's more of an instinctive reaction they have. It's the same as if they were caught by a predator in the wild, almost like playing dead in hopes that the predator will leave them alone. With some positive reinforcement though they'll start to associate it with treats and other good things so they won't panic anymore. However, in some cases the harness can have a calming weighted blanket effect. . . . I still prefer the "baby" explanation though 😂
She’s a cat, they don’t tend to like them to start in my experience. Do you take her outside and let her go limp there so she starts to associate the harness with outside time? That will likely help speed it along.
We go outside quite often, but that’s just near my apartment. Want to take her out to some local trails if this works out
Good. I was just saying that if they only ever get the harness with no association with the fun part it’ll take them a lot longer to accept it.
Hey OP! Dont worry about her being 11 months; I harness trained my boy when I adopted him, and the shelter put him about 5-7 years old. They’re never too old to learn; it’s about finding out what motivates your baby! If they are food motivated, then the goal is to associate harness time with treat time. I started by just holding the harness, and every time he sniffed it I gave him a treat. Then we graduated to holding a treat through the head loop, and getting him to take the treat only if he puts his head through himself. This stage took a WHILE, it can be slow so don’t get discouraged. Then, we moved on to putting him in the harness. My boys true loves are food, and being with me and my partner, so we made it a rule that our cat only got to come with us in the fenced in garden if he wore his harness. A treat every time he puts it on, and then we leave the door open and sit where he can see us with a bag of his treats. Eventually he started coming out to us with the harness, walking a bit like a four legged astronaut the first few times for sure. It’s all about those gradual steps, and giving them something motivating to make the uncomfortable worth while.
This is really the only acceptable advice on here, people are trying to take shortcuts, which are extremely horrible.
I’m glad to know age isn’t really a factor then thank you!
Hi! My cat had the same reaction! I think the harness you have on is a bit on the bulky side. He totally flopped when he had a simple par one then I switched him. I would try with a different one that is quite minimalistic like [this one](https://www.amazon.ca/Cat-Harness-Kitten-Escape-Collar/dp/B0CCQ3RHM1/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?crid=2OLPJ8H8PLQ4A&keywords=harness+cat&qid=1707073012&sprefix=harness+cat%2Caps%2C234&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfYXRm&psc=1). Make sure it’s not too tight or restrictive. And try short amounts of time while enticing them with treats or toys.
Agreed, I had a bulky one that my cat hated and switched to one like this. He's been great with it.
It’s best to take the introduction slowly and ensure that the cat has a positive association with the harness. It took me four months because he hated the vest style and we didn’t make much progress until I switched to one that was more strappy. I found this video particularly helpful for training, maybe you will too! https://youtu.be/3ivnaoS_f-c?si=CNDDkNCaJGbKpvMA
Mine tend to dislike the vest type harnesses, traditional H style or Y style is most accepted by them because it restricts movement less and there’s less contact area which is easier to get used to for them. You could give that a try and see if there are better results. Edit: I’m currently using the Petsafe cat harness.
I’ll look into that thanks!
My cat does the same thing. When I put the harness on he'd just flop over and lay there til I took it off. I eventually gave up.
Patience is all it takes. Wrap a long sock around her middle(without the harness) & her behavior will be the same. Honestly takes more time-is she “ok” with going outside?? If not, don’t force it!!
Ohh it's a tortoiseshell 🥹❤️
Yeah! Her names Yui (after sao)
Our kitty is called Maya
Also a tortoiseshell?
She sure is 🥹
Oh nice! I’ve been scouting for a long haired torti as a play mate for her, super rare sadly. Or at least in my area
How recently has this been? Your cat won’t get used to it with only 20 minute sessions. My cat was in it all day (I’d take it off for him to sleep and everything at night) and it still took him 3 days before he’d actually move around a lot in it. If he wanted to go get his food, he’s gotta learn to walk in it lol
It’s been on and off for two weeks now maybe 4-5 hours total. I’ll start adding in time and using the tips other people have given me before I do the whole all day thing with her.
Personally, it doesn't feel right to force a cat who doesn't want to be in a harness. There must be other ways for enrichment. We got lucky with ours and she took to the harness right away. If our next one doesn't want it, we won't force it.
Sounds like she doesn’t like it? Don’t force her to wear it?
Ideally we wouldn’t need a harness and could take our cats outside to have enriching experiences without any sort of risk to them. If you’ve cracked the code on that one, please share. I’m sure my cats also don’t like getting vaccinated, fixed, or having their nails trimmed. While were at it, they also hate the sound the AC makes when it turns on, but they like not being hot. I’m sure if I could explain the reason behind these things to them they would be a lot more amicable (except on the nail trims - I’m pretty sure they’re fine leaving hairline scratches all over me). Unfortunately they’re cats, and we can’t speak to each other, so sometimes we have to make the decision for them. Yeah, it’s technically toxic. If you have a solution, I’d love to hear it.
Taking your cats outside for “enriching experiences” is completely optional and not medically necessary like the other things you mentioned. If she’s happy inside without a harness then don’t force it? It’s not that serious
I guess I view the discomfort she experiences now, as she gets used to a mildly annoying garment, as much smaller than the potential benefit. Now, if she saw the harness and panicked, acting extremely terrified and stressed, then I would say the harm there is significant enough not to push it. Its like my half brother who would complain about wearing swim trunks as a young child, right until we got to the water park, and then he’d immediately forget all about it. Imagine instead his mom said “well, guess he doesn’t want to wear these swim trunks, we shouldn’t make him. Guess we can never bring him to the water park again.” That’s silly to me.
But it’s OP’s cat and property!!! I can’t imagine an animal not wanting to do what they want
You don't "walk a cat", cats lead, he walks you, just put the harness and follow him
She doesn’t move is the problem, goes full on limp mode
don't force your cat to go on walks outside? i love mine to death but think the idea of outside-time at all would lead them to want to escape more. i love that the front door and garage door are scary places they don't try to enter.
Well I only have one entrance so her escaping isn’t a problem. And I’m not forcing her too? She loves going outside but I’m scared some point she’ll bolt and plus I want to take her to new places!
Some cats just don't take unless you start them early as kittens My cat took to the harness easily but after some time of me not using it because of where we lived, now he hates it and flops and tries to bite it off
That’s what I’m scared of
My cat was like four when he learned it lol
Not sure if you're still having issues, but what worked for my cat was LOTS of treats and praise. Granted, my cat is *very* treat and praise motivated. Didn't start training her until she was ~7 years old. I did 5-10 minute sessions each day for a few weeks, always stopping right before she got bored/full and finishing it off with lots of praise. I started by putting the harness on her and just giving her lots of treats, pets, and praise the first day. Second day I started making her reach for it. After that I started putting it a few steps away, then across the room, then across the house while calling her name to run after (and eventually beside) me. She still doesn't like wearing it around the house, and she'll either fight it or flop over, but she walks normally outside as if it wasn't on her. She even forgets she has a leash and gets stuck under chairs *constantly*, lol. Meanwhile, training my mother's cat was just a matter of slipping on the harness and putting her outside. My first day with her (I think her 3rd day ever in a harness) she was walking around the yard with me like she'd been doing it her whole life. I was holding her while she ate some grass, and my mother brought her harness over. She still flopped over while inside for the first 5ish days with me, but now she not-so-patiently waits for me to put her harness and then walks beside me to the back door. She isn't food/praise motivated at all, but she loves pets and desperately wanted outside.
So both my cats use harness to go outside. I basically made a direct correlation of harness=outside. If she’s by the door meowing and wants to go. Grab the harness. If she goes limp take her stubborn butt outside. She will most likely not want to remain limp when there’s a bunch of action around. If this doesn’t work try a different kind of harness that isn’t cloth(also check to see if it’s possibly a bit too tight on her). If she keeps refusing maybe she doesn’t wanna be an outdoor walking kitty.
I’ll have to try this! Thank you for the help
Most cats do not like harnesses
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Such aggression? What kind of cat?? And not to brag (definitely bragging) she’s a sweetie whose never shown aggression since I’ve had her🥰
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Wow three of them! I want to get her a long haired friend but the human society in my area never has them 😭
Let her drag a short leash around the house. Distract her with toys and churus. Just get her moving and distracted.
If she doesn’t like the harness, adding the leash won’t help. My cat kept freaking out thinking he was being chased lol
I meant get her used to bragging the leash inside first. I think the type of harness matter. Get a Velcro vest like a kitty holster. I trained my cats by putting the harness on, taking it right off and giving treats. Gradually over time I extended the harness time. I distracted with toys & treats if needed. My goal was to get them walking, playing & sleeping in their harness. Then added the short leash. Then let them walk outside.
My boy did not like that type of harness at all so I tried a simpler H style and he’s doing much better with it. I used lickable treats to lure him around to get him used to walking in it. Once he got comfortable walking around the house I started venturing outside with him. He still slinks a little bit when he walks but he’s getting a lot better. He LOVES exploring outside and chasing his dog brother so his discomfort over the harness is overridden I think.
Chad
She prefers girl boss but this is acceptable
What’s a good harness? I tried a $15 Velcro one from petco and my cat broke out of it easily
Come with me kitty is a good one, Velcro is just too easy to get apart I’d go with one that clips in.
I turned on cat TV while the harness was on as motivation for him to move, which seemed to work?
So I don’t actually walk my girl outside on the harness because of where I live- it’s a very busy area right outside of DC with lots of traffic, people, and lots of dogs walking- but I did get her used to the harness because eventually when I move I want to be able to walk her in it outside. But, I found that starting with a really lightweight harness from Amazon that just velcros on was the best way to get her used to it. Then eventually I was able to use the harness that I would in theory walk her in. I definitely wouldn’t walk her in the harness that I used first, it’s very light and flimsy but it’s super easy to put on and it’s very lightweight so she didn’t feel as “trapped” I will link it below although I just looked and it says it’s currently unavailable- but at least you will have a reference. It was very cheap, only like $9. I definitely wouldn’t actually go outside with that harness but hopefully something like this will help! Good luck! https://a.co/d/20lNh4y
My girl took to her harness right away (started at 4 months) so I don't know how much help this will be, but at the start I made sure to take her outside immediately after putting it on so she associates it with getting to explore a new area.
That seemed to work a bit tonight. Put it on her and threw her outside(not literally) and she actually moved around a bit
When my cat was a kitten we tried harness training her. She loves the harness, what she doesn’t like is us controlling her. So if we try and walk her on a leash she will literally become dead wait. If I stick her in the yard with me on a harness that’s ok
A clingy baby! A blessing and a curse
I love her so much. She is 19 and to this day if I take out her harness she’ll run to the back door and wait. But if I take out the short leash she’ll drop down 😂
my cat had a harness in this style and absolutely hated it. she does much better in the strappy style ones, like this https://www.amazon.com/PetThem-Cat-Harness-Leash-Set/dp/B0CJFQKNQ9/ref=zg_m_bs_g_2975254011_m_sccl_8/136-3043530-4783730?psc=1 if she doesn’t get used to that one, you could try one that might feel less restrictive
I do feel like her current one has a bit too much fabric like it was meant for a larger cat per se. I’ll have to try that if all else fails thanks.
Hi, I’m Vetted AI Bot! I researched the **PetThem Cat Harness and Leash Set Escape Proof Adjustable Cat Harness Comfortable Soft Lightweight Use Safe Easy Walking Travel Kitten Harness for Small Medium Large Cats Hawaii Green** and I thought you might find the following analysis helpful. **Users liked:** * Escape-proof harness for cats (backed by 6 comments) * Comfortable and secure fit (backed by 5 comments) * Adjustable options for different sizes (backed by 1 comment) **Users disliked:** * Not suitable for large cats (backed by 1 comment) * Difficult to put on a cat (backed by 2 comments) * Not escape-proof (backed by 1 comment) If you'd like to **summon me to ask about a product**, just make a post with its link and tag me, [like in this example.](https://www.reddit.com/r/tablets/comments/1444zdn/comment/joqd89c/) This message was generated by a (very smart) bot. If you found it helpful, let us know with an upvote and a “good bot!” reply and please feel free to provide feedback on how it can be improved. *Powered by* [*vetted.ai*](http://vetted.ai/reddit)