How do get my cat more comforable being outside on his harness?

Hi there! My cat Wally is about 11 months old and is terrified of being outside. It does vary. Last summer he enjoyed being outside on his harness so long as it was warm, not too windy, no noise (lawn mowers), and a limit of a couple meters away from the house. It's been warmer out lately, so I've tried taking him out. It's sometimes difficult to get him to be outside now for more than a few seconds or minutes. I think that if he learned to be comfortable at least on the perimeter of the house, he'd find lots of things to enjoy.

He generally comes to the door if I show him his harness and open the door. But once he gets outside, he's easily spooked! I'd like him to feel that his territory isn't limited to inside the house. And sometimes he is okay with exploring, but this is very rare. Sometimes treats work. Other times they don't. I've even tried just feeding him closer and closer to the open door. Results vary.

My ma even bought him a stroller! He's comfortable inside it until I take him outside. Then he starts licking his lips nervously and meowing. He's clearly scared. A sudden wind or the feeling of grass beneath his toes seems foreign to him. I adopted him at 4 months and harness trained him at that age. There was some moving that took place when he was 5-6 months old--that maybe why he feels he needs to stay in his territory.


I always let him back inside when he starts panicking.
Any ideas?

If it were me, I would leave him be. He is obviously very content to be inside.

I have a mesh cat tent that I use outside.  I'm wondering if getting one of those and putting a covered cat bed inside it would help with being outside?  He would be outside, but have a safe and warm place to retreat to.  He'll get some fresh air, and maybe after a while of nothing hurting him he will understand that it is safe to come out of the cat house/bed and sit in the open mesh tent, and eventually walk around.  Might be worth a shot if you really want him to explore the outdoors.

Harness training is way safe than having a free roaming cat but you still should get Wally on some flea, tick, and heartworm preventatives. Have you tried walking him inside the house first to get him used to the harness? Being in both an unfamiliar environment and have on a new harness can be very stressful for a cat.

He's used to the harness. I'm not letting him freely roam. I just want to be able to make him more confident outside with the harness.

I'd just say don't force him, there are plenty of ways to keep him entertained and stimulated inside

I second every one about leaving him be. Some cats are just as content indoors only. You can't force him to like the outside.

And count yourself lucky that you don't have a cat who tries to bolt out the door every time it opens

Feeding him around the door was a good idea. You could start playing with him also and you may wish to consider placing a couple of boxes or a cat tunnel nearby so that he can feel ok about venturing a little further. We have a portable clothes line with an old shirt on it which my cat likes to get under. She was scared when she was swooped on by a couple of birds awhile ago. If there are bushes near you you may wish to gradually move the shelters toward that area (as long as they aren't poisonous to cats). It's just a matter of getting him used to the sights and sounds of the outdoors again. 

MysticoTala said:

And count yourself lucky that you don't have a cat who tries to bolt out the door every time it opens

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LOL been there before.