Come on, kitty: Adventures with cats in harnesses
As promised in the April 25 issue, when I told you about Willy and Matty’s itch to get outside, it’s finally time to talk about using harnesses to help your indoor cats safely explore and enjoy the world on the other side of the windows. And as it turns out, we’re going to talk about it over two columns. Cat harnesses look like dog harnesses and function in essentially the same way, but you shouldn’t expect introducing your cat to a harness to be as simple as introducing your dog to one, unless you have the coolest, most laid-back cat on the planet, so this time we’ll talk about getting your cat used to the harness inside, and next time, we’ll head out the door.
As for these cats, initially getting them into the Come with Me Kitty harnesses wasn’t too difficult because they don’t mind having their bodies manipulated a bit as long as they’re getting attention, and the package insert provides detailed instructions and helpful diagrams. I kept them comfortable on the couch while I worked on the harnesses, but they did start to tire of the off-and-on when I had to keep adjusting the straps in an effort to get the right fit (this isn’t necessary every time the harness is used, just the first time). And then when I picked them up and put them on the floor, and they realized what I had done to them, they were suddenly not so happy.
You know how some things are funny-sad? Funny-sad best describes the sight of Matty and Willy in the harnesses for the first time. The highlight came when Matty tried to walk. She swaggered around for a few feet looking absolutely drunk before ultimately tipping over and then flipping over onto her back like a turtle, three legs stuck out to the side a bit and one leg stuck straight in the air. She was probably horribly distressed, and yet I couldn’t stop laughing. I’m awful.
Willy was fairly freaked out too. He rolled around a few times, trying to free himself of the contraption, but ultimately gave up and proceeded to just lie there, as if he feared trying to move. He was settled on the floor and appeared to be in a calm state when Matty approached him from behind and sniffed his butt. Instantly upon feeling something behind him, Willy soared across the living room, like he’d been shot out of a cannon, and onto the couch to a human lap in a mere two jumps. So maybe he wasn’t feeling so at ease after all.
The moral here? Don’t expect to put your cat in a harness and take him outside on the same day. The cats will need several short periods of hanging around inside while wearing the harnesses first. But you can speed up the process by making harness time fun for them. There’s nothing about the harness, when fitted properly, that keeps the cat from walking. Matty just hasn’t adjusted to the way that it feels yet and so moves cautiously and awkwardly. Willy, on the other hand, though he’s not going to bring it to me in his mouth, asking to be put in it, walks around just fine in his harness now.
After giving them some time to just lie around and cuddle with you while wearing the harnesses, put your cats on the floor across the room from you and go to the other side and show them something they can’t resist, so that they want to walk across the room. In our case, shaking a container of treats or a tin of cat nip brings them running (or in Matty’s case, bumbling), and then not only is harness time associated with something positive, but the cats also learn that yes, they can get around with these strange straps around their body.
Next issue: we talk about how to ease the cats outside and about Matty and Willy’s first-ever experience with grass!
Stephanie Ernst can be reached at mail@stephanie-ernst.com. You can read the Furry Five’s bios and see their photos by visiting www.TheFurryFive.com.
