New member but not new to cats.
Years ago (like over a decade) I successfully trained a foster kitten to walk on a harness.
One of my current cats, Esme, I've tried on a harness - she plays dead. I've tried different locations, balcony (she's always wanting to go out there), in the apartment, in the hallway - flops over dead.
So no harness for Esme - life goes on.
But we just adopted Timothy, who weighs 23.4lbs. Dude needs exercise.
I got a harness for him. I put it on him and took him into the hallway and unlike Esme he did not flop over, but was most resistant to walking. That WAS his second day home though, so I was probably expecting too much. I tried him in the hallway on his fourth day home (today is day 6) and he just meowed at me to go back in the apartment.
I'd like to train him to use the harness so that we can walk in the hallway and stairs, if that's not too much (he waddles/has a bit of a limp, though is capable of jumping up and off of the couch and bed, even though we got him stairs for the bed, he prefers jumping. Vet has examined him and doesn't think he's arthritic (couldn't feel joint thickening), thinks the gimp is just due to weight).
Any suggestions? He has glucosamine treats, and we do have Temptations too, but we're trying to diet him obviously so I don't want to be giving him 1,000,000 Temptations as it defeats the purpose.
I'm thinking to put him on the harness and just sit in the hallway with him until he gets curious and explores. Alternatively I could carry him to the other end of the hallway and see if he figures out walking back to our apartment (Esme, bless her heart, did not figure that out).
I'm hoping that that he didn't flop while in the harness means it's not too late to train him to use the harness relatively easily - but any suggestions are appreciated.
Years ago (like over a decade) I successfully trained a foster kitten to walk on a harness.
One of my current cats, Esme, I've tried on a harness - she plays dead. I've tried different locations, balcony (she's always wanting to go out there), in the apartment, in the hallway - flops over dead.
So no harness for Esme - life goes on.
But we just adopted Timothy, who weighs 23.4lbs. Dude needs exercise.
I got a harness for him. I put it on him and took him into the hallway and unlike Esme he did not flop over, but was most resistant to walking. That WAS his second day home though, so I was probably expecting too much. I tried him in the hallway on his fourth day home (today is day 6) and he just meowed at me to go back in the apartment.
I'd like to train him to use the harness so that we can walk in the hallway and stairs, if that's not too much (he waddles/has a bit of a limp, though is capable of jumping up and off of the couch and bed, even though we got him stairs for the bed, he prefers jumping. Vet has examined him and doesn't think he's arthritic (couldn't feel joint thickening), thinks the gimp is just due to weight).
Any suggestions? He has glucosamine treats, and we do have Temptations too, but we're trying to diet him obviously so I don't want to be giving him 1,000,000 Temptations as it defeats the purpose.
I'm thinking to put him on the harness and just sit in the hallway with him until he gets curious and explores. Alternatively I could carry him to the other end of the hallway and see if he figures out walking back to our apartment (Esme, bless her heart, did not figure that out).
I'm hoping that that he didn't flop while in the harness means it's not too late to train him to use the harness relatively easily - but any suggestions are appreciated.