Archive for the ‘Cat Harness’ Category
A Cat Harness and Leash To Share The Outdoors With Your Cat
Attaching a leash to a cat collar to take your cat outside is unwise. Many cat collars are either made with elastic or are breakaway collars so a cat can escape if the collar gets caught on something. That means the chances are good that you will be dangling a leash with an empty collar if you try it.
With a cat harness and leash, you can share the great outdoors with your cat. When training your cat to walk in a harness with a leash attached, take it slow. It could take a week or more of working with your cat a few minutes a day before you are ready to go outside together. Introduce the harness to your cat slowly, praising your cat every step of the way. Never reprimand or holler at your cat during the process. This will only instill fear and you may never get your cat to wear a harness or walk on a leash with you.
Once your cat is comfortable wearing the harness, attach a leash and let him drag it around the house for a few minutes at a time. Then practice walking with him in the house while he is on the leash. When he is comfortable with that you are ready to go outside. Start with short excursions, staying close to the house. As your cat adjusts to being walked outside, you can slowly start to extend your adventures.
A Cat Harness To Exercise Your Overweight Cat
Being overweight for a cat is a recipe for disaster. It can cause many medical problems. Limiting food intake will help your cat lose weight but your cat may just need more activity in it’s life also. I have found that I can get my cats to move around a lot more by letting them chase the red dot from a laser flash light. Another option is taking your kitty for walks. This alternative will help keep both you and your cat in good condition.
You should never try to walk your kitty in a collar. A squirming cat can easily get out of a collar. The best option is a cat harness. It won’t choke your cat if she decides to pull and it gives you some degree of control. It will usually take a few days just for the cat to get used to wearing the harness. You should start slowly. Once you get the right size cat harness, leave it out somewhere your cat can have access to it. Let her sniff it and play with it a little. Next, put the harness on your cat and leave the it on for short periods of time to start out with. You will want her to get used to it before you try walking her. After she is used to wearing it, attach a leash and let her drag it around for brief periods of time. Your final step in training your cat to walk on a leash will be walking her around inside your house. When you are both comfortable with walking in the house you will be ready for the first big outside adventure.
Keep the first few excursions outside short, staying close to the door. As your cat adjusts to being walked outside you can extend your excursions, but again, take it slow.
The key to success is praise and petting. Never yell at your cat or swat her during this process. Reprimanding your cat will only instill fear in her and she will never want to go near the cat harness.
Is Your Cat Overweight?
We all love to spoil our pets and one of the most common problems associated with spoiling your cat is obesity. If your cat weighs 20% more than what your vet feels is it’s ideal weight, your cat falls into this category. If your cat’s weight is 1-19% more than it’s ideal weight, it is considered overweight.
Being obese is a problem in itself but it also increases the risk of many other health disorders including lower urinary tract disease, aggravation of osteoarthritis, joint stress, diabetes mellitus, Hepatic lipidosis(fat deposited in the liver), non- allergic skin diseases, decreased stamina and heart problems. Obesity in your cat can also decrease the ability of the immune system to function properly or cause breathing problems.
For what ever reason, some cats are just prone to gaining weight. Some medications your cat may be on can cause weight gain. But for the most part, having an overweight or obese cat is as simple as your cat taking in more calories than it burns off.
If your cat is overweight, consult your vet for a healthy eating plan to help him lose the excess weight in a safe manner. Losing the weight to quickly can cause another set of health problems or even death.
Increasing your cats activity level will also assist in weight loss. Play with your cat often. Move food and water dishes to an area that requires more walking. And for a more direct approach to exercising, get a cat harness and leash and walk your cat around the house or even out side.
Light or low calorie cat foods will help maintain your cat’s weight once it has achieved it’s ideal weight.
What Your Cat Should Know
You never know when you might have to take your house cat out of the house. It could be an evacuation for a natural disaster, a house fire, a gas leak or just a trip to the vet and it will be much easier if you prepare in advance.
Teaching your cat to wear a cat harness and walk on a leash and/or teaching him to go in a crate can save a lot of time and maybe even save your cat’s life if disaster strikes.
In our previous post we discussed how to train a cat to go into a crate. Today we will talk a little about the cat harness and leash training. Training a cat to walk on a leash will be a lot more challenging than teaching a dog. It will take more time and a lot of patience, but it can be done if you have the patience.
Teaching your cat to wear a harness and walk on a leash must be done with positive reinforcement only. If you reprimand your cat in any way, you will do nothing more than instill fear in him and he will disappear every time he sees the cat harness.
When you bring home the new cat harness, show it to your cat. Leave it out for a day or two where your cat has access to it. Every time he goes near it praise him. The next step is putting it on your cat. Put it on him and praise and pet him all the time he has it on. just leave it on for a couple of minutes. repeat this process a couple of times a day for a day or two, each time leaving it on a bit longer.
The next step will be clipping the leash to the harness. Let your cat drag the leash for a few minutes. When the cat is used to the leash, pick it up and walk a few feet with your cat. Repeat this process a few times a day, praising and rewarding your cat with treats.
Once he seems to have adjusted to the cat harness and leash you are ready to take him outside. Make the first few trips outside short and stay close to the door. You can gradually extend the length of your walks as your cat gets used to it.
Two Things Your Cat Should Know
There are two things that every house cat should know. Now you may be thinking your cat is way too independent or arrogant to learn anything. Granted, it takes a lot more patience than it does to teach a dog something new, but cats are indeed teachable.
So what are the two things your cat should learn to do? One is to wear a cat harness and learn to walk on a leash. The other is to go into a crate on command. Whether it is a planned trip, a natural disaster, a house fire, a gas leak or just a scheduled trip to the vet, sooner or later your cat is going to have to leave the house. The voice of experience says it is easier to get your cat into a cat harness or a crate when you need to, if you take some time to teach your cat in advance.
Teaching your cat to go in a crate will be easier than teaching your cat to wear a cat harness. Set a crate out for your cat with the door opened. You might want to throw a towel or some kind of cushion in the crate first. Put your cat’s favorite toy and a treat in it. When your cat goes in the crate, praise him. Do this a few times a day for a couple of days. Never praise him or give him treats when he comes out though. After the first couple of days, when your cat is used to the crate, close the door on it after he goes in. Praise him, give him another treat and leave him in there for a few minutes at a time before letting him out. Extend the time you leave him in the crate every day.
In our next post we will go over the dos and don’ts of teaching your cat to wear a cat harness and leash.
Walking Your Cat In A Cat Harness
Cats are known to be a little more independent than their household counterpart, the dog. They are not always quite as accepting of things as a dog would be. One example of this is the adjustment to wearing a leash and being walked around.
It can be very risky to allow a house cat to roam free outside. Traffic and predators are safety risks for any cat, whether they live in an urban setting or a rural setting.
Although it might take a little longer to acclimate a cat to being walked around on a leash, it can be very rewarding for both the cat and the owner. It allows you and your cat to enjoy the great outdoors together in a safe, controlled manner.
When walking a cat, here are a few things to keep in mind. A cat collar should be used for ID tags and as fashion accessories only. Cats have an incredible ability to wiggle out of just about anything, including collars. Do not try to hook a leash to a cat collar to walk your cat.
Invest in a good cat harness and leash. A properly fitted cat harness will be comfortable for the cat and will help prevent escape. Once you get a cat harness, show it to your cat and then leave it out where he can see it and even play with it if he wants to. Take your time with each of these steps. You know your cat better than anyone else. Do not progress to the next step until your cat is comfortable with the step you are working on. After a day or two, put the harness on your cat. Leave it on for short periods of time until he is used to it. Once he is used to the harness, attach the leash to it and let him drag that around for short periods of time. When it seems he has adjusted to the harness and the leash, pick up the leash and walk around inside your house a few times.
Now that he has adjusted to all of that, it is time to take him outside. Keep your first few outdoor adventures short and close to the door. As your cat adjusts to walking, you can venture further away.
How To Harness Train Your Cat To Go On Walks
Your house cat sits staring longingly out of the window and as a responsible cat owner, you know you should never allow her to run free outside. Still, you feel guilty about not letting her experience the joys of the great outdoors and getting the exercise she needs. A cat harness and leash will provide an opportunity for both you and your cat to enjoy the health benefits of daily walks. Here are some tips for training your cat to walk on a leash.
- DO NOT USE A COLLAR. Most cats do not like being pull around by the neck and you do not want to take a chance of injury to the delicate throat area.
- Purchase an adjustable cat harness and leash. Your cat will be much more comfortable walking in a properly fitted harness (Snug but not tight-to loose and your cat will be able to squirm out of it).
- Show your cat the harness while giving her treats and petting her. Do not try to put it on her right away.
- Leave the harness out where your cat will have access to it. Allow her to get used to it being part of her environment for a few days. Let her play with it. Give her treats and pet her when you see her making contact with it.
- One your cat is use to the harness being part of her environment, offer her some treats and pet her while you put the harness on her. Give her more treats and praise when the harness is on. Remove it immediately if she gets upset. Repeat this process until she is used to wearing the harness.
- Now that she is used to the harness, clip the leash on. Continue to pet her and praise her and give her treats while gently applying pressure from the leash.
- Play with your kitty while both the harness and leash are on her. Now you are ready to take kitty out on her first walk when she seems to be comfortable with both the cat harness and leash.
- Pick kitty up and take her outside. Keep the first few walks short and pleasant. Set her down and show her the door to get back in and walk her around the yard the first time out.
- Now your are ready to take longer walks. Find a safe quiet place to set kitty down and let her play and explore. After some conditioning your cat will come to enjoy these little excursions. If your cat has a bad experience though, you may find it difficult to get her back outside again.
Even though your cat has a harness on, I urge you to make sure she is wearing a cat collar with up to date ID tags on it. If your cat should escape, that could be her ticket home. If you plan on letting your cat play in the grass, you might also want to consider some type of flea and tick prevention.
A Cat Harness For Your Christmas Kitty
Picture this. You are walking down the street and you see someone walking
their pet. You glance down to see what kind of dog it is and to your surprise it is not a dog. Its a cat. It brings a smile to your face.
If trained properly most cats will enjoy the fresh air and walks as much as dogs. However, you should never just hook a leash to your cat’s collar to take him for a walk. They don’t call them break-away collars for nothing. If your cat decides to bolt, you will look pretty silly walking with a leash and an empty collar not to mention the danger your cat could now be in.
A cat harness and leash made for walking your cat is the answer. It allows more control, keeping your cat safe and secure. The proper cat harness will allow for a custom fit so it will not put pressure on the cats delicate throat. So go on out there and enjoy the fresh air with your cat!