Leash (Right Board?)

az<3me

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i agree with everything uve said, but what to do if being in the carrier turns to nightmare? he bites it, scratches it, its almost impossible to take him out without being bitten. he doesnt eat for whole day, doesnt drink, and hides somewhere in the house. trip turns to huge stress. and if we take him to the vet, the it will be almost impossible to put him back to the carrier, he will bite like crazy, scratch, scream, run away-but will not let u put him into the carrier. it all began after his loong trip when breeder send him to us. he was in the train WITH supervision, but that idiot didnt let him out of the carrier for 3 days! after that, all the problems began...during our trips i ususally keep the leash very short, but of course ur right...maybe i should try that soft cat bags? u kno like soft carrier? i dunno...
 

goldenkitty45

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Try the soft sided kind. Another few suggestions (to do at home).

Put the carrier out and put catnip in it or feed him in the carrier. Start with the food bowl at the front (so he's not going in there). The keep moving it back till he's inside the carrier eating. Do NOT close the door yet. When he's more comfortable with things and realize the carrier is not bad, then close the door (don't lock it) behind him when eating - then when he's done, he can push it open and not panic.

After awhile you should be able to shut the door when he's eating in there. When he's fine with that, then start gently encouraging him to go in the carrier (even use one/two treats). Close the door and start carrying the cat/carrier around in the house. If he protests, talk to him but don't let him out till he is quiet.

Sphynx's are smart cats - it should not take you too long
 

az<3me

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thank you so much for ur help!
of course im gonna do that, and i will let you know once he is okay with the carrier


p.s. he is devon rex
but yeah sometimes even smarter than his meowmmmmmy
 
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jarvis

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Thanks everyone...

As far as the carrier goes: Ike hates it too...not THAT bad...but she cries and cries and CRIES...but I've noticed it's not the carrier that she ahtes, but the car ride. Just ebing carreid/at the vet, she's fine in it (she feels safe in there and hides from the other pets... but something about the noise or the rattling of the car freaks her out!

The only thing I've noticed that helps any is talking to her...I turn the radio and the AC don and just let her hear my voice and stick one finger through the slots of the cage.

I hope I can get her used to the car enough to enjoy the ride instead of freak out.

As for the leash, I plan on going shopping todya for a harness and hopefully I can see what she's up to as far as that goes
 

goldenkitty45

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Yes you are right - I only glanced at the picture - he looked "naked" to me. Devons are used in the Sphynx breeding programs and look similar at times. Any of the rexes (devon/cornish) are darn smart cats.

I bred Cornish, they don't look anything like the Devons
 

goldenkitty45

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That's what Charlie does - we also turn on the radio and stick our fingers in the carrier. He's gotten better with riding. The only problem we still have is him messing in the carrier at some point. So we have bags and paper towels ready at all times when he's in the car
 
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jarvis

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Thankgoodness Ike hasn't messed in the carreier yet!


Here's an update...I bought a harness and leash yesterday and got some toys for her too. I figured they'd distract her.


The harness was kind of difficult to figure out...but once I got it i was easier to put on the next time. At first she was really uneasy and tried to chew on it...etc. But after an hour or so of having it on and distracting her with toys, she forgot she even had it on

I plan to let her wear it all the time when I'm in the house (except at night)...then I'll leave it on all the time...then add leash...so on so on...

I put the leash on for a little bit yesterday...I tried to show her that it was connected to her AND me...her response was biting it...I followed her around my room a bit and I plan to move on to walking her around the house this week.
Thanks guys!
 

siggav

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It's actually not a good idea to have a cat in a harness all the time.

Harnesses are specifically designed to hold the cat and not break away and let them get out of the harness so if it gets stuck on something the cat can be in a lot of trouble.

Putting it on under supervision for short periods at a time should be plenty to get a cat used to it. Then once they've learnt that the harness means they get to go outside most cats accept it easily and sit still and even purr when it's put on.
 

coaster

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Ha ha ... please tell my boys they're supposed to sit still and let me put their leashes on!!
 

bastet&figgy

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My Bengal, Bastet, loves walking on her harness....we take her to Petsmart and all over the neighborhood...I normally carry a feather stick with me so that i can "direct" her when she wants to go in a different direction. She is a bit unusual in that she seems to really enjoy it.....going for walks lets her burn off some Bengal energy (which means we all sleep sounder)

Figment, my ragdoll, on the other hand would rather hang herself from the leash than be lead by it. She satisfies her desire for "outside time" by looking out the window.

Both are strictly indoors otherwise and on flea preventative. If you decide to take your baby outdoors make sure that you treat for fleas and ticks and by her a harness that fits perfectly so she can't wiggle out. It's also a good idea to vaccinate your cat as if she were an outdoor cat since she may be exposed to other cats during your outings. Be prepared for the fact that she may not like it at first or at all.

Good Luck!!
 

catsread

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About a month ago I adopted a 9-month old male cat, and have now started him on the training process. He is only on the wearing the harness around the house for a couple of hours stage right now. I have a website about harness and leash training based on my personal experiences training the other cats. PM me if you want more information. Hope that it will give you some tips on the process. It does take some patience, but well worth the time.
 
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jarvis

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Originally Posted by catsread

About a month ago I adopted a 9-month old male cat, and have now started him on the training process. He is only on the wearing the harness around the house for a couple of hours stage right now. I have a website about harness and leash training based on my personal experiences training the other cats. PM me if you want more information. Hope that it will give you some tips on the process. It does take some patience, but well worth the time.
Yeah, I'll PM you if I run into any problems! Thanks!
I read the website and everything looks great.

I have been REALLY lucky with Ike. She's never had any major problems with the harness and she already lets me put it on with no problems and just goes about her day with it on (never w/o my supervision!). I have put the leash on once or twice and used a toy to guide her around the living room. After reading what everyone said, I am going to wait to use the leash again until she fully understands that putting the harness on means a good thing (give her extra love and treats...etc.). Slowly but steady.


Thanks for the help everyone!
 
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