My cats became cool with a harness as soon as they understood that it allows them to explore otherwise forbidden places. First I let them just to some spaces in the house they were not allowed to visit before - they were scared but excited. Now I take them outside to quiet places without dogs - they love it, but there always needs to be the box to hide back in if things get too exciting.
When i started training my cat to have a harness he used to just flop to the deck and just be limp.
Apparently they can stimulate a mother cat grabbing them by the scruff of the neck and so they go limp.
I quit Amazon a few years ago, so this is just an XS dog harness i got at rural king. I’m in a small rural town, but i am going to Toledo tomorrow and will head to a pet shop to see if they have any harnesses designed for cats specifically. If anyone has experience taking their cats outside, i would love some advice.
I suppose the best thing would be to start with the backyard then slowly work your way up at their pace (maybe just an open front door if you don’t have a yard). Cat’s are liquid and one of the best examples of that is how hard it is to keep them in any sort of harness. I took my cat out for a walk once with my dogs and he managed to slip out of his harness; I had to chase him for about a block before I managed to corner him in someones driveway. I’m lucky I’m pretty fit else he would’ve been gone.
… I do recall there was someone in …Texas I think? …that made harness’ specifically for cats. Something about avoiding a nerve centre on their back that basically makes them go limp if something pushes against it.
Sadly the one harness my boy hasn’t managed (or indeed, even tried) to escape from was from Amazon.
I’ll leave the link anyway, in the hope you can find something similar: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C93LKV5F - sadly it seems to be from one of those fly-by-night brands so I don’t really like your chances.
You definitely want something a bit thicker / padded though, anything that’s just straight straps seems to get wiggled out of. I can see how the dog harness you’ve got (likely designed with a chihuahua in mind, where neck straps have to be avoided) is a bit too much fabric for a cat’s comfort though.
This said, the biggest expression of displeasure I got to the harness was the cats flopping over and pretending their back legs didn’t work.
Once outside mine seems to very much be a “sniffing the flowers” type of cat, just wanders around near the house taking in the new sights and smells, chewing on a bit of grass, etc. Being an indoor cat, even walking on grass seems to be an experience he doesn’t 100% vibe with. At least I’ve not had to retrieve him out of a tree, I guess?
I tried carrying him 20 paces further from the house and he just made his way straight back to safety. Not with the biggest sense of urgency ever seen, but clearly headed back toward the familiar: https://imgur.com/a/PawWQLT
Best of luck in your search.
Nini did the little flop over and not move when i first pit the harness on her, but she seems to have accepted it and started moving around/climbing the apartment. As i said, I’ll hit up a pet shop when i am in the “city” tomorrow (how did i reachthe point where i felt that Toledo was a "bug city '?!?) and take them out back with me tomorrow. Nini’s mom was a spoiled barn cat, so she’s my little panpered princess. My torti, Boudica, was a stray kitten when i found her, so i think she will be more open to the wonders of my neighborhood. I’ll talk to my vet next time i tale them in, and keep a close eye on them whenever o take them outside just to be safe
