Teaching how to wear a harness

 The weather is starting to finally break and it looks like spring is about to make a come back.    Yesterday it was a beautiful day and I decided to open all the windows and finally get some fresh air in the apartment. The boys were loving being able to enjoy the fresh air and wanted to sit/stand in any window they could get at.

I live in an apartment building on the 12th floor. The balcony is screened in to keep the pigeons off, but I am still a little afraid to let the kittens out to investigate without taking all the right safety precautions. I have areas along the bottom of the balcony that have spots that are open and have placed some pool noodles in some of them to keep from dropping things accidentally and losing them forever. I plan to get more to seal it all in for when the kittens come out.

I thought that starting them out with harnesses and leashes would be the safest way to start the outdoor adventure.  I picked up a few at the pet store and brought them home, measured the kittens for the right size, and proceeded to equip my little Mumsy with the first one. Well, he seemed okay with it for a moment. He then proceeded to roll on the floor and try to bite at it to get it off.    I didn't want the experience to be a frightening one so I took it off. Then it was Simon's turn. He was absolutely horrified. He jumped in the air, smashed off the furniture and ran to hide with it under the bed.
 I took it off as soon as I could get to him, gave him a rub and offered them both a cat treat to make it up to them. All was back to normal.

I am at a loss. I really would love for them to be able to enjoy the spring and summer days out in the sun. Of course it will always be under supervision, but I still think a harness would be the safest way to start to prevent them from jumping or anything that a cat might want to do out there.

How do I train them to wear the harness without having them react so poorly? I really felt like a bad guy for even trying after seeing their reactions, but I really just want them to be able to enjoy the approaching seasons.

2crazykittens said:

How do I train them to wear the harness without having them react so poorly? 

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Lots of patience and time. Ideally you should have started this process months ago.

I have a harness that a TCS member made for me. I've been trying to get my cat to go outside. Problem is, he's like your second cat. Anything that isn't my hand on his back and he freaks out. It doesn't help that he's skittish in general. 

Tagging @catbehaviors  because she gave me some pointers. 

You have to train them to see the harness as a fun object. Start out by putting the harness next to their dish. Let them associate seeing the harness as something pleasant, such as mealtime. I make a show of taking out the harness, and putting it next to his bowl, before feeding him, so to him, if I take out the harness, it's food time. 

I don't know if that works for me - I tried that for a couple of months and he didn't seem to show any improvement. So I tried something else. Knowing that he gets freaked out by foreign objects other than my hand on his body, I started petting him with a pair of gloves on. This one I had more success with - although I still kept doing the harness by the bowl thing. It took me another two months or so before he's completely okay with me petting him with gloves. Recently I managed to put a small washcloth for a few seconds on his back and he didn't seem to mind. I gave him treats for being calm.

I will continue to do this washcloth-on-his-back thing for, I suspect another month or two. That's the whole idea. For me, I had to get him used to a foreign object first. Once I can put the harness on his back without him freaking out, then I will proceed to get him used to the harness, a process which can easily take another few months for such a skittish cat.

To recap: Baby steps. First, harness near bowl. Then harness draped over for a few seconds. Then a few minutes. Then one buckle on the harness. Then two buckles. Keep repeating. Once they are okay with the harness fully attached, let them walk around the house (not outside, not yet!) in it for a few minutes a day. THen take it off. Repeat again. THen put a leash on the harness, and let them walk around the house again, with them guiding you. Once you can do that, you're ready to take them out!

Different cats will take different amounts of time. Some cats are confident, bold and curious, and they may take to a harness within a few tries. Some, like mine, may take months, or probably never will. Don't rush the process.

Wow thank you so much for your detailed response! You have wonderful suggestions I could try out. I know I should have started this months ago, it would have likely went a lot smoother, but I honestly did not think it was going to be that difficult to get the cat to wear it. Heck I was thinking it would be a welcomed thing after all the reward is going outside! I can be patient though, and I think that I will start out with it by the food bowl to let them both get used to just seeing it around. Then I will move on with the other suggestions.

I am really hoping that they will get used to the idea at some point, spring is almost here and what better way to enjoy it than laying out in the morning sun! My balcony is screened in but I am still hesitant to let them out on it without safety first just in case. You never know what could happen and I would never want one of them to get hurt.

Thank you again for your help. I will start with the baby steps and see how it goes.

I purchased one of those cheaper figure 8 harnesses (not what I intended to take them out on) and let Si, now we're doing it with Monty, play with the harness as much as they wanted.   To actually go outdoors they both have the Coastal Pet varieties of harnesses that are - at least in my first instance with Si - more secure.

Little by little, I would just lay it on their back while distracting with a favorite treat in hopes of getting them to associate it with good things.   I would lay it on the floor the way I wanted them to step into it by positioning a treat, over and over and over until I knew where to place the treat for them to step into it.   We were doing this several times a day, almost like a play session before each next step.

Si has long known that the moment I pull out that harness we're going exploring so he is indeed quite happy to let me put it on him.  And he still gets a treat for standing still while I snap it in place.  Monty is still learning but I hope that Si's excited vocalizations when he sees me pull the harness out will continue to translate to his little brother that it's a good thing when you see that thing

Now we just need some warmer weather here in North Texas so I can get both outdoors at the same time to see how little Monty likes it.

Well, I admit I was a bad mommy.  I took the "toss them into the pool" approach.

Okay, it wasn't that bad.

I just put the harness on them for a minute at a time.  Worked up to 5 minutes over time (a couple weeks).

Then one day I just decided that we weren't going to play the song and dance anymore, put the harness on and took them outside.

Once they were outside, they were much more interested in other stuff that they forgot about the harness completely.

Now they associate the harness with going outside, and their squirming as I put it on is more out of excitement than apprehension.

I might just have to do that myself. @Matts mom and @Furmonster Mom. These two kitties will never make it out this spring otherwise. I know it is no big deal and all, but I think in the end they would love to be outside although they might be a little scared at first and I won't push them too much.

When we have another nice day I think I am gonna give it a go!

My two boys don't struggle much when I put on their new harnesses, but once they're strapped in, they put on a big show like there's a 20 pound weight on their back. They flop to the ground or slink around like salamanders an inch off the ground. But once I nudge them out onto the porch and they hear birds and smell the smells, they seem to forget about it....although they don't really move around. They were outdoor/indoor once but they kept disappearing, so harness only now.

Can I suggest you first let them have the harness on in the house and without the leash attached.
Let the kitties get used to the fact that they got a harness on even if they do not know what it will do, at least not yet


The kitties can flop about and be like salamanders.  It seemed to be a common trait, even with mine, for a couple of days

Then you put the leash on and 'guide' them about in the house.

Then they can be taken out.

No tugging or dragging of them ever

It got to a point that Dommie need no harness at all and followed us willingly the entire day up the mountain side


With my wife





Dommie would come into the ocean when I called out to him to join me

Wow @shanlung those pics are amazing! Your cat is beautiful. I would love it if that could be my boys one day, even if it's only on the balcony at first.

I was a little concerned about Simon my little tabbies reaction to the harness when he flipped around the house and ran to hide. I certainly did not want him to be terrified of the harness. I think maybe if I put it on him a little loose around the torso like @Matts mom did and hope that would help him get used to the feeling.

2crazykittens,

If harness is loose, the kitties will get out in half blink of the eye.

Harness must fit well.  Leave just harness on kitties for a few days at home in apartment and let them get used to harness.

When they no longer object or show distaste to harness then you clip the leash on and walk your kitty inside the apartment or home.

Never dragging them.  Just guiding them to let them get used to and accept your guiding.

I think all will agree that it is impossible to force kitties to do things they do not want to do.

It is ok to guide them.

This must be a long term goal.  

Never ever think it is just a matter of getting harness on and dragging kitty about.

Make it fun , and they will accept that in spirit of fun.

For those interested in harness for kitty, I wrote a fair bit of that in an earlier thread in thecatsite thread below

training for harness & leash

Those who want to see photos of how Tinkerbell harness looked like on Ivan can see that here in my wife Flickr

Many shots so you can see how the harness is worn on Ivan from different angles and how you can make that harness

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shimmertje/sets/1428189/detail/

How to make the harness that fit your beastie (or birdie) is here even if the details were for a birdie.

And in above , more photos of Dommie in the ocean like below

Thank you @shanlung.  Great thread about training to wear a harness.

Yesterday we had a very nice day. (Can't say that today we seem to be having a blizzard). Anyway, Mumsy was very insistent that he needed to go and be outside. I made sure to cover all the holes and cracks he may be able to get through and let him out of a few moments. He was in kitty heaven. He was loving the wind in his fur, the sun on his back and most of all, eating a fly from the balcony floor. It looks like he is ready to be outdoor, monitored of course.

Simon on the other hand seemed quite freaked out by it all. He stood mostly right in the doorway, peering out the screened in balcony bars down at all the goings on of the great outdoors. He didn't really know what to make of it all and seemed to rather be indoor than out. He really did not make it much past the door of the apartment. I was kinda surprised because Simon tends to be more the fearless cat between the two of them.

The whole event didn't really last too long. Maybe about 5 mins and we all went back in. I fear I have created a monster though with my little Mumsy. He wanted to be out all day. He cried and yowled at the door for most of the afternoon.

How are the kitties doing now?! Enjoying their outdoor time, I hope!

My Friedrich doesn't mind his harness at all (never has) but I'm having the darndest time getting him to walk with me using the leash. On our deck he mostly sits and sometimes paces back and forth stalking the birds. When we're on outings to the pet store he prefers to be held or he plops down on the floor and refuses to move.

Very cool.

We started harness training as soon as they could wear them.

Do you guys take them off? We never have. Seven cats over 14 years. It was nice. When we moved to Alaska, potty breaks were so easy.

rachelinaz said:

Very cool.

We started harness training as soon as they could wear them.

Do you guys take them off? We never have. Seven cats over 14 years. It was nice. When we moved to Alaska, potty breaks were so easy.

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I take the harness off when we're home, so he only wears it when we're out and about.

I stumbled over a harness for my 3yo jinx (when he was a bubba) only because he would not wear a collar..haha so naturally my next cat got the same..when it came to the next, I put one on her and she back flips like a looney too!! I caved and got her a collar. Now she wants to go out at night so I put the harness on her to go out in the dark..she army crawls (which is what my other 2 did), if I give her a tug she hisses (lol) so I let her crawl for a bit and then I pick her up. The other 2 got it so natural so I feel you!

Ours always wear theirs all of the time. Down fall right now is they are growing so fast we are constantly adjusting them.
My next step is their name on their harnesses. And seeing how much it is to chip them. Right now,

MusicalCats said:

I take the harness off when we're home, so he only wears it when we're out and about.

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So far this time around, THREE for three. We have one harness that glows. I love it. So much easier to find them. Amazing how they can hide.
When Walter is big enough, he is getting a glowing one. Most of the time they can hide like you have no idea. Lol. Crazy little buggers.

Cass said:

I stumbled over a harness for my 3yo jinx (when he was a bubba) only because he would not wear a collar..haha so naturally my next cat got the same..when it came to the next, I put one on her and she back flips like a looney too!! I caved and got her a collar. Now she wants to go out at night so I put the harness on her to go out in the dark..she army crawls (which is what my other 2 did), if I give her a tug she hisses (lol) so I let her crawl for a bit and then I pick her up. The other 2 got it so natural so I feel you!

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Haha thats cute! Mine all have supervised outside time with just collars and a bazzillion bells with me and my partner but i use the harnesses if i take them out when its just me home. My 2 (we have 4 but my partners is mostly outside) eldest wore nothing but until 1 has a chest protrusion so cant wear hers and then we got a kitten who is a real little calico cow (haha) and refuses to wear one. Now they all have collars but jinx (my eldest) and Lola (kitten) have their "harnies" to go out at special times! Funny how cats are all so different hey.. Bella (my middle girl) has to mostly be forced outside and everything is so scary for her so she stays close, Jinx and Lola would run a mile!

Where did you get the glow harness??