# Bobby's harness training



## ForeverHome (Jan 14, 2014)

Bobby has been showing an interest in the world beyond my door, wandering out into the stairwell a few times, but it was a few nights ago when he shot past me as I came in that I thought I really must see if he will walk on a leash. So today I bit the bullet and bought a cheap harness and retractable leash. 

Bobby on my lap, I slipped the collar part over his head. All good. I slipped it back off. A while later, I slipped it back on again, then his right paw through. Fine. I tucked the strap under him and fastened it. It didn't seem to bother him at all and I was beginning to think this might not be his first harness. He went to sleep. 

However, when he jumped off my lap and started moving around it obviously did bother him. He kept low to the ground and went to hide under a chair. I called him out, took the harness off and showered him with praise and cuddles. He is not a food-driven cat so treats are pointless, except a Webbox stick which they get regularly anyway. 

My question is this - should I leave it on him until he gets used to it, then take it off? Or should I take it off when he gets uncomfortable? I've never done this before. Misha as a kitten fought it so hard we gave up, but when we put her first collar on she strutted about all proud of it and didn't struggle. I've never put a collar or harness on a cat since.


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

I've never done slow training, always just put the harness on and go outside, this is with kittens and cats up to 8 years who've never been on a harness.

Have always found they are far more interested in exploring to be bothered about the harness.

I put it on, go out and take it off soon as we come in, then they associate going out is only for when the harness is on.


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## ForeverHome (Jan 14, 2014)

That's an idea. I wasn't going to take him outside, let him go at his own pace, because there's a smelly echoey stairwell to get through first!


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

What kind of harness is it ? I don't want to worry you but some of the cheap ones available in the stores, (especially the strappy kind, called a Roman harness) are too easy for the cat to escape from. My cat even escaped from one of the velcro 'jacket' type I bought from [email protected]

As Bobby is apparently not a natural candidate for a harness there would be more risk of him trying to escape from it, unless he is completely comfortable with it before you venture outdoors with him. You would be amazed what a cat can escape from if they are determined enough!

The safest cat harnesses available in the UK are made by Mynwood, and by Happy House Cats. My cat has never escaped from one of these. They are made to measure, and are not expensive (around £12.99 for Mynwood).

MynwoodCatJackets.co.uk - The original handmade cat walking jackets

http://www.shop.happyhousecats.co.u...Path=3&zenid=bea3a13358ca422407171eddeb3a27b5

I have used harness and leash with several cats in the past (only one currently) and have only persevered with the training if the cat seemed at least fairly OK with it from the start. Not all cats are, and those I tried it with who got agitated, upset, hid, or just lay down, I didn't persevere with after a couple of tries. But if you're going to persevere with Bobby, then I'd recommend taking the harness off him as soon as he becomes upset with it and leaving it until next day to try again.

It would be interesting to see how he would react if you put the harness and leash on and straight away took him outside, as SC has always done with hers. But as Bobby is such a reluctant taker of the harness I wouldn't attempt to go outdoors without a safe harness on him, and a leash you can wrap round your wrist very securely.

Good Luck


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## ForeverHome (Jan 14, 2014)

Thank you Chillminx. The only other time I've tried a harness on a cat was my kitten Misha and all hell broke loose, so to my mind Bobby seemed to be taking it very well!! It is a strappy one, as I said I wanted a cheap one in case he really didn't take to it but that doesn't mean this has to be the one we go outside with. But it does have a strap under the chest as well as over the shoulders, which I was very keen to have because I don't want any pull on his throat, if that makes sense. 

In my usual way I was going to let him first explore the stairwell in his own time with me on the end of the lead, before venturing outdoors. One of my neighbours had a cat he used to carry from the flat to outside and the cat was terrified in the stairwell. I thought this was a bad idea because this makes two unconnected happy areas separated by a scary bit. 

Another option would be to put his harness on and take him to the car in the carrier, then go for a walk from there. He's not bothered by the carrier. But that wouldn't achieve one thing I hope to achieve, which is that whenever Molly goes to the vets he comes along on the lead to keep her company.

He is not trying to wriggle out of it. As long as he's not moving he's perfectly happy with it. When he moves it must feel weird so he slinks about. That's why I'm interested in just biting the bullet and going out, maybe. Its so hard to decide what's best!


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## lorilu (Sep 6, 2009)

My cats are all harness trained, all but one were adults when I started. The crawling low to the ground is common and will pass once he is used to it.

In my experience one they make the association between going out and the harness, they are fine.

One, a rescued stray who never had any interest in going outside for the first year she was with me, continued to walk in a crouch in harness for months. Then she forgot about it, except when she saw me watching her. As soon as she saw me looking she would start crouch walking again, it was hilarious. Now it's 6 years later and she doesn't pay any attention to it at all.

I always introduced harnesses slowly, leaving it lying around the house first until it became a familiar object, then draping it over the intended cat, so it became that cat's, before actually putting it on.


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

Meeko hated a harness at first ,he tried all sorts to wriggle out of it.When that didn't work he did the legs don't work/up-turned turtle routine so I gave up for a while.
Once his run was built and he had been out a few times I bought a Mynwood harness.He still wasn't keen in the house so I tried putting it on him and carrying him out to his run,setting him down and just letting him wander about, he seemed much more at ease with it so I put the lead on and opened his run door and he ventured out ,a bit wary at first but was soon off exploring.
As already said Mynwood harnesses are very good but even they are not escape proof .There have been a few members say that their cats have escaped from them so be sure you don't go out into an open area until Bobby is happy and relaxed,even then be aware if he spooks at something he just might wriggle out of the harness,no matter what type you use.Good luck with it


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

I only use dog harnesses, in Roman style - they are not cheap and better styled than the cat harnesses that are an H style that goes around the cats neck, while a roman harness sits in a V down the chest.
I've also got a Puppia harness and used that without issues. 

There was a recent thread in cat chat with cats who have escaped from the Mynwood harness, I've never had any come even close to getting out the harness I use. 
So nothing is 100%, depends on the cats. 

Bobby may not want to go outside at all, going through a door that was closed doesn't necessarily mean he wants what is on the other side of it.


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## ForeverHome (Jan 14, 2014)

He has been out sniffing around in the stairwell but it's true he may not want to go out-out, hence I don't want to spend silly money on a harness at this stage. He has already made me throw away money in 3 figures in the past year, between refusing to touch the raw he'd been eating for 3 years, throwing up Felini, and a few other changes of heart. 

Anyway - please tell me more about this V harness. The one I bought has a chest strap and it's a puppy one. The cat ones didn't have the chest strap and also the shoulder strap was way too short. I was lucky to find a girl in the shop who has a Raggy herself and pointed this out to me. To be honest when he decided he didn't like it much he hid, he made no effort to wriggle out of it, just sat there looking forlorn.


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## ForeverHome (Jan 14, 2014)

This is the harness in question, looks small but it slips on over his head ever so neatly.


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## Jesthar (May 16, 2011)

I picked up a handmade harness for Lori very similar to a Mynwood at a TICA show recently. I haven't started a 'serious' training routine with her yet, but I pop it on her round the house for a few hours from time to time. She's not 100% happy about the putting on process yet, but once it is on she pretty much ignores it, helped along by my breaking out the Flying Frenzy for a bit.

Haven't introduced the lead into the equation properly yet, though, as she still regards it as a plaything! 

Charlie has a cheap Pets at Home nylon strap job I used to introduce her to the garden when she first came to me (I was less educated when I bought that!  ), but she's a lot less wriggly than Lori and has never even bothered to experiment with escaping from it.


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## ForeverHome (Jan 14, 2014)

So you are introducing it gradually, do you take it off when she gets too unhappy with it or is that the time it should stay on so she gets used to it?


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## Jesthar (May 16, 2011)

To be honest, once I'd go it on her she wasn't unhappy with it, so I just left it on until I had to go out as I didn't want to leave it on her unsupervised, which was a couple of hours in total. I'm just about to do the same thing again


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## ForeverHome (Jan 14, 2014)

Well I'm back properly after the weekend and I popped Bobby's harness on earlier. He slunk around and I almost had a moment of weakness when he came to me clearly asking me to take it off, but I stroked him and encouraged him to play a little. Then he wandered off, and now he's in his basket curled up sleeping with his harness still on!


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## Jesthar (May 16, 2011)

That's great  Lori does pretty much the same, gives me an 'Oh, _mum!_' look, but quickly forgets the indignity


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## ForeverHome (Jan 14, 2014)

Update, a week on. Bobby is having his harness on for longer each day. He is beginning to resist it being put on - not aggressive but he does try to slink away. Once on, he makes no effort to get rid of it but he slinks low to the ground and won't do anything except lie down and sleep. For the first time today he has actually got on my lap voluntarily with it. 

I don't feel we're making any progress at all, his response to it is exactly the same as it was on day one. He lets me put it on but now protests a bit which he didn't before, but then again he has jumped with it. No amount of treats, praise or cuddles seem to be making any difference. 

Part of me says keep putting it on daily and he will get used to it, and once he's ok with it we'll try going out. The other part of me thinks this just isn't going to happen. There is absolutely no point taking him outside if the whole thing is going to be unpleasant for him because he isn't used to wearing the harness.

Hmm.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Well, based on my own experience with harness training, I would say if he is not beginning to get used to it after a week of trying to get him to accept it, he never will. 

You are right, if all he will do is lie down when he has the harness on then it would be pointless taking him out. Although - it might be worth trying it once outside with him, e.g. putting harness & lead on, carrying him to the garden, putting him down and seeing how he reacts. There is just a slight possibility he may be so interested and distracted by all the new sights, scents and sounds that he forgets about the harness. Not promising mind

I am going through the same thing atm with my two 11 mth old kittens, and it is not going well at all. So far both of them hate the harness and try to get it off.  I will persevere a few more times and if no progress is made I'll abandon the idea. In their case I only wanted to do it as a preliminary to them going outdoors for the first time on their own (nervous 'mum' not wanting to let go of babies, kind of thing)


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## ForeverHome (Jan 14, 2014)

Thank you CM that is helpful, I find it hard to judge how much stress is worth the effort as I generally don't ask my cats to do anything at all they don't want to do, except go to the vets. 

Problem is I'm on the 2nd floor and there's a a bit of grass outside and a playing field maybe 150 yards away. So there's a lot to get through before getting anywhere nice. We could meet dogs and we will certainly find dog smell. 

Bobby is going out into the stairwell of his own accord, which I don't encourage but I allow as long as it's late at night and quiet. So I was hoping he might come out on the lead and I could encourage him to explore further in his own time. I could carry him down. He doesn't like being picked up (  for a Ragdoll!) so was hoping not to go that way. 

Anyway I'm glad I didn't spend a lot on a harness at the moment!


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## Sophiebee (Jul 9, 2013)

I did harness training differently to the recomended way, i put lokis harness on, and carried him outside wearing it, first for 5 minutes, then 10, then when he was comfortable i put him down outside and let him explore. Treats were given then the harness was taken off as soon as we went back in. So that way the harness was only associated with being outside. He now comes running if i pick the harness up and even lifts his paw so i can put it on (this is the same boy who flat out refused a collar and would go mad trying to get one off when i did get it on him.) He never once walked funny or sulked about the harness.

I know all cats are different and this was just my way of doing it, but thought id share, would he let you carry him down in his carrier if he doesn like being held?


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## ForeverHome (Jan 14, 2014)

That's an option Sophiebee. I was so torn whether to take the plunge like you just described or not. I think it may be the only option now though. I did just clip the lead on and take him to the door, he started to walk outside then realised he still had this uncomfortable thing on and slunk back in. Such a shame, he is so curious to explore the stairs and I really hoped this would be the safe way to accommodate his curiosity. 

He is a good traveller by car, I am even thinking about finding a nice safe place outdoors where we can go by car in the carrier, no dogs, to give him a taste of the world I'm trying to open up for him.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

ForeverHome said:


> He is a good traveller by car, I am even thinking about finding a nice safe place outdoors where we can go by car in the carrier, no dogs, to give him a taste of the world I'm trying to open up for him.


When I lived in a 4th Floor flat many years ago I used to take all my (indoor) cats in the car once a week to my friend's house about 15 miles away. She had a large garden, which was well fenced, and well away from traffic.

I started off by walking my cats there on leash and harness, then in time I took the harness off and just let them wander around the garden on their own for an hour. It took 2 of us to keep track of them, but it did work, and I kept it up until I was able to move to somewhere they could go outdoors.


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## Sophiebee (Jul 9, 2013)

Could be worth a try, exploring everything might just make him forget about the harness.


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## ForeverHome (Jan 14, 2014)

Well, I think I've made the decision. I'm going to give him a few days' rest from it, then put it on and take him either to the woods or the field nearby, or further to a secure spot, and see how we go. If it goes badly, then I will only use the harness when Molly goes to the vets so he can come with us and see that no harm comes to her 

Thank you all for your input, suggestions and support. To be honest I was surprised to read Chillminx's first reply sounds like he's maybe not going to take to it. I will just give it that one more go taking him out but that's it if he doesn't show any more positive signs then I will add it to the long expensive list of things Bobby didn't want. Will update in a while when we've tried going out.


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