Outdoor harness aggression

Recently I've been taking my indoor male 5 year old cat outdoors, as he's very bored and gets into trouble inside. He wears a comfortable harness and I follow him around the backyard on a leash. He has all his shots to be able to go outside.
The past few times we've been out he's been scared by a neighbour dog barking or onto a strong scent and going somewhere I didn't want him to, so I tried to lead him away. He all of a sudden got aggressive towards me and has gouged my legs twice and seems to be almost scared of me. I had to hold the back of his neck and scoop him up and bring him in tonight.
Please help! He's always desperate to go out and loves it, but I can't keep getting attacked by him. He's normally very affectionate.

It sounds like the sensation of the harness tugging on him when the leash is taut is freaking him out. It's not hurting him I'm sure, but he doesn't understand what's happening which is causing him to react in fear. Unfortunately you can't explain the concept to him, but perhaps you can desensitize him to it.

I would work with him lots inside in a controlled environment first and practice leading him around with a tug on the leash, with LOTS of treats involved. Start very small with just the tiniest of tugs and a quick release, followed immediately by a treat and praise. If you gradually increase the intensity of pulling on the leash over time in a calm environment and create positive associations with it, when he's actually outside and stressed and his leash gets pulled on he'll recognize the sensation as something familiar rather than scary. With a little bit of finesse you can also teach him that the leash tug means to go a different direction.

Hi Jlgagne.  Please use the search feature for good information and guidance on Redirected Aggression.

Do you own your dwelling place and backyard?  If so, there is much you might do in the way of a Catio, or kitty-safe outdoor enclosure.  Do a search for Catio for some inspiration.

In the alternative, you might try exhausting him regularly with indoors play.

If you must continue to walk him, see and refer to the post here by Red Top Rescue on a reliable harness arrangement:

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/320047/homemade-cat-harness-for-hecate#post_4019022

There are some very tightly woven, rip- and puncture-resistant pants made by leading manufacturers of outdoors sports clothing.

Be sure to keep your boy up-to-date on his topical bug repellent treatments.

jlgagne said:

Recently I've been taking my indoor male 5 year old cat outdoors, as he's very bored and gets into trouble inside. He wears a comfortable harness and I follow him around the backyard on a leash. He has all his shots to be able to go outside.
The past few times we've been out he's been scared by a neighbour dog barking or onto a strong scent and going somewhere I didn't want him to, so I tried to lead him away. He all of a sudden got aggressive towards me and has gouged my legs twice and seems to be almost scared of me. I had to hold the back of his neck and scoop him up and bring him in tonight.
Please help! He's always desperate to go out and loves it, but I can't keep getting attacked by him. He's normally very affectionate.

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My boy craves to go outside.. Unless I lock both the main and screen doors he can open them, so I have to be very careful.  He has an enclosure that he can access through the wall, lots of vertical space etc and really is very happy.. his 'outside' thing is more a habit as he doesn't have a clue what to do when he gets out there and if he manages to escape he waits for me to come and get him..

Recently I picked him up and took him out to the front of the yard while saying goodbye to a friend.  He became completely spooked, clawed me badly and hid under a bush, shackles up.  It's outside his territory and it completely freaked him out.

So what I'm saying is, they may go on and on about wanting to go out, but in the long run it's more the instinct of wanting to do it more than the reality of being out there.  The fact that he's attacking you indicates that.

I'd go for redirecting his attention when he hounds you to let him out, and, if you take him out on a harness, just do a very small, 'safe' area.  You could gradually extend it, but it does need to be gradual.. they're territorial animals after all.

Thanks for the advice! We stick to the backyard only, and he fully explores the whole thing. He seems to be triggered when he is on a strange scent, so it must be redirected aggression.