Comments on: Harness Training A Cat: Easy Steps So Your Cat Will Actually Walk In One

By: Stephanie Mantilla

Stephanie Mantilla — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 18:26:46 +0000

In reply to Amethyst.

Hi Amethyst,
That’s wonderful that your cat seems comfortable with you putting the harness on them. Since your cat isn’t moving around as much once the harness is on, I’d focus on getting them comfortable with movement wearing the harness before training the leash portion. Sometimes it takes cats a little while to get used to wearing something around their torso. In order to keep it positive, I’d do short sessions with your cat wearing the harness for 1-3 minutes tops and use high-value treats your cat loves. Don’t be afraid to keep things moving slowly if your cat isn’t completely comfortable wearing the harness yet. It’s better to move slower rather than make wearing the harness something they dislike.

By: Amethyst

Amethyst — Mon, 11 Jul 2022 08:48:12 +0000

Hello Stephanie.
I have been living with my 1yr old cat and I am in the process of harness training. There is something that I don’t understand: my cat is perfectly happy to let me put the harness on. She lets me pass it through her neck and buckle the torso strap. She does not fall when I put it on. She is able to move and jump when needed. However, I do notice a significant decrease in mobility. I tried to entice her by using the wand toys and the kicker toys. When she wears the harness, she seems unfocused and she is zoning off. Her reflexes are not as spontaneous as they were when she is off the harness. I don’t know if I am supposed to wait till she maintains normal activity with the harness on before I move forward to the leash. If yes, do you have any suggestions? Thank you so much.

By: Stephanie Mantilla

Stephanie Mantilla — Mon, 21 Mar 2022 18:56:22 +0000

In reply to Susan.

Hi Susan,
The howling could be due to your cat having so much fun outside they want to do it more. In this instance, to get it to stop, make sure you don’t accidentally reward or give the scratching/howling attention. You can also use a visual cue to let your cat know they’ll be getting to go outside. For example, if the harness is hung by the door in view all the time, you could instead put the harness into a drawer and only bring it out when you’re going outside with your cat.

Another possibility is that your cat could want to go outside to meet other cats if they haven’t been spayed or neutered yet. If that’s the case, having the procedure done can change the behavior. If you think the howling may be medical-related, it’s always best to do a vet visit.

Hope this helps.

By: Susan

Susan — Sun, 20 Mar 2022 22:19:45 +0000

Great article, thanks! I’ve trained my indoor one yr old cat to wear a harness and had him outside three times, however he has now started howling constantly to go out and scratching at the door, which he has never done before. I can’t let him out as I have no garden so not sure whether to stop the training or if the howling to go out will stop. Do you have any advice on this?