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Calling all catblr folks who harness and walk their cats: any advice to smooth out the bumps of early training? I know patience and persistence are both key, along with positive reinforcement. And, in my case, keeping the dog upstairs where my in-laws live when training sessions take place.
For reference, Jiji is 3 1/2 and I don’t know much more about his history than the shelter I fostered and ultimately adopted him from does. He wore the harness for five minutes today, pausing from his escape struggles only long enough to eat his lunch, and then promptly got it off.
I've decided to retrain my two cats to wear harnesses because they love going outside and Guen especially just starts chirping and zig-zagging wildly in glee which is, obviously, a bit unpredictable and stressful for me if she's untethered.
But while Zak is taking to it just fine as she was started as a kitten, Guen is strongly ~autistic~ and hates anything being on her body and acts like she's been suckerpunched with a shit-covered hand every time I put the harness on her.
We'll get there, especially when I go grab a couple of vest harnesses as I think they'll be a bit more comfortable and safe for them. I just want to see the pure ecstatic joy and excitement in her eyes again.
Vaiya is really scared of her harness, or at least used to be. With a lot of patience and rewards I've at last gotten to the point where she'll voluntarily stick her cute little head through the loop and stay there (for another sunflower seed) for a bit! She used to attack the harness just for existing near her, or your hands if you held it. I know it's not because anyone has ever forced her into one because I've had her since she was a baby and never would.
I think it might just be because it looks like a snake to her? Which makes her slowly overcoming her (instinctual?) fear even more brave.
The construction of Aviator harnesses doesn't seem ideal to me to be honest. A tight non-adjustable loop around the neck is bound to make most birds panic, and I really wonder how long it will take before I'll be able to get the rest of it on her. At this point the loop around her neck is really something she only tolerates for a few seconds, even with additional bribes.
Baby Girl learning the truth of the age-old proverb: if we want the rewards of Going Outside we must first submit to the horror of Wearing A Little Vest 😔
Bonus to add to my growing folder of Sage Reaction Images:
Speaking of cat harnesses. Rebel has been adjusting well to this cheap harness we got for conditioning purposes. Some mild scratching and weird walking at first, but she is back to running around with Aayla.
We’re putting it on in the evening to try and associate it with her dinner. Harness on and then she gets fed.
She was very afraid of the harness at first so we’re going from square 0 of “if you show any interest in the harness you get a treat.” Tabitha has come up with her own methods, though.