About to try harness walking outdoors: a couple of questions

[chat2008]

We have managed to practice leash and harness walks indoors with our purely indoor tabby, excited to introduce her to some outdoor walks.  However, before we begin, we have two concerns:

1. Do indoor cats suddenly become very demanding to be let out?  I realize every cat is unique- ours is a very sweet cat but are we opening pandora's box here?

2. How high is the threat of fleas or other parasites from walking them on the grass?  I guess I know the answer: it goes from basically zero to something , and we should then start a flea prevention treatment- but we hate the thought of any toxicity from those formulations.

Thanks.

 

[rad65]

1. YES. Lol, my cat Memphis is a half-siamese tuxedo cat, and he whines with the best of them when he wants to go out. I have to keep a back window open or he will whine nonstop, and every time I walk toward my kitchen (where the back door is) he runs after me and stops at the back door, expecting me to let him outside.

2. I don't bother with flea treatments because my cats are only outside when I'm outside playing with them, about ten minutes at a time. I have been taking my cats out consistently, about 4 or 5 times a week, every warm day for the past year and a half, and they have never gotten any fleas or other parasites.

 

[farleyv]

Like you say, every cat is different.  Yours may just be happy to go out for the occassional walk.

If a cat goes out on the grass, they do pick up fleas.  There might just be a lower concentration of them in a certain area.  I don't like toxicity either, but fleas are not good for a cat, human or a house.  So mine get advantaged even though they are in an enclosure 3 feet off the ground.

Good for you to take the kitty for walks and not let him run loose.

 

[aeevr]

1. I think the answer to 1 is "It depends." Some cats are born door darters and never quit trying and some never ever want to leave the comfort of their home.

My cats door dart when the back door to the fenced in yard is open, but never the front door to the street. The street potentially has loud children, dogs, sprinklers, etc. They only leave out the front door cautiously.

So I think it also depends if the cat has a traumatic experience outside or not.

2. In the winter and in dry climates flea infestation is less likely. If you live in a house with a lawn, you could apply beneficial nematodes to the lawn. You can check for fleas by flea combing the cat after the walk.

 

[otto]

My cats are harness trained. I take them out into a fenced yard where they do their own thing, wearing their harnesses and dragging about 8 feet of lightweight polyrope behind them. I never leave them alone out there, even though the fence is six feet with an overhang and none of them have ever shown any signs of wanting to escape.

If I am ready to go in before they are, I call to them and tell them it's"time to go in". They respond by walking or running to the door where they line up and wait for me to take their harnesses off. The three cats I have now are not the "original" cats I first trained to harness, those cats are at the rainbow bridge now, I have been doing it this way for 14 years. No cats have EVER whined to go out at any other time, or tried to dash out the door when I come in or leave the house. The "original" cats learned that there would always be another time outside. As new cats came in, they learned from the first cats.

Today we spent two hours out there, since it is unseasonably warm. While they do their things, I sit in a chair and read my book (this time of year) or work in my gardens, (in season)

It's wonderful, for all of us.

 

[meuzettesmom]

All my eight cats are different, as night to is to day.

Some want to go outside. Some will allow the leash to be on. Some rather be free. Too run.

Its hard to explan the cruelity of humans to treat cats like vermon. I don't even understand it.

The flea thing is the least of my worries. Fleas can be killed.

Of course if you live in a area that has lots of fleas in  the sand. That would be scary.

Just becareful out there if you do deside to try it.

But. they say once a cat goes outside you can't change their minds to stay inside ever again.

 

[nekochan]

I've had some cats who were more interested in doors and the outdoors after I started taking them out on a harness, and some who were not. So it depends.

Also besides fleas you should watch out for ticks as well, and additionally there are mosquitoes out there which can carry heartworm so that is another thing that they can be exposed to. Of course an indoor cat could also encounter a mosquito but it's less likely.

 

[x2006nkg]

We've taken Riley out (male tabby, 9 months old) a couple of times of the harness. He is an indoor cat, unless harnessed. Now he begs to go outside all the time. We have two doors to get into our place (one opens to the enclosed porch and then one to the house) so he will often times run out of the house when we get home. Thankfully with the double doors he can never go anywhere though. Lately he's been getting better since it's nicer out, we open the windows to the screen and he gets fresh air from there.

For the fleas, I don't know much about that, but I know as soon as you take them outside there it can happen. I just talked to my vet and explained what I would be doing in the summer (outside harness) and she gave me some type of preventative treatment. 

 

[jcat]

Jamie demands to go for a walk as soon as I get home in the late afternoon, and mid-morning and late afternoon on weekends. He doesn't let up till he gets his walk(s). We've never had trouble with fleas (touch wood), but he's picked up ticks, so he gets a thorough combing as soon as I bring him in.

 

[GoldyCat]

Each of my cats is different and I don't think taking them outdoors makes much difference in whether or not they try to get out. I have two door dashers who have been indoor kitties all their lives. Merlin usually doesn't do the door dash on his own, but he will follow Shareena if she gets out. They don't do the door dash as often since I screened in my patio and put in a cat door so they can go out there. Three of my indoor only cats will eventually poke their noses out if I leave the door open too long, but they don't make a break for it. Goldy had probably been living outdoors for just a few weeks when I took her in, and Hercules may have been outdoor for years. Both of those will look at the open door and then go find a nice safe place indoors to curl up and go to sleep. None of them cooperate with with walking on a leash.

 

[meuzettesmom]

I have trouble with three cleaver door dashers. Some followers. Only two out of eight are not interested in the outdoors.

Mittens does not want to be trapped by no harness, no collar. He doesn't want to be trapped by anything. He wants to run.

Peanut my one year old, willling to do anything as long as he is with me. He is the one I want to try for the bike path with everything going by. Some super early morning he and I are going.

Meuzette too, is like Mitten, rather walk out there by herself. Insulted hage with a harness on.

Caz and Lucky, Mittens litter mates, rather stay in. You can leave the door wide open and they don't even go near the door.

Speedy lives up to his name and going out is his game.

Ray she is my black cleaver kitty who waits for her opprotunity, Then she is gone.