A Walking Harness--- for a Small Cat?

Geekomatic on 04/07/2016 - 23:09
Last edited 05/07/2016 - 08:26 by 1 other user

Hi all.

We moved to an area/house where the house has a couple of small patios but no where for our little Devon Rex to "run free", at all.

However, across our street is a very nice reserve— pretty much quiet 99% of the time. I've carried her over & watched her wander until I needed to go home.

But when anyone but me takes her, she'll act-up & has bolted back across the street to home. I'm afraid she'll be hit by a car.

I found some cute, cloth harnesses on ebay- but the dolts don't provide actual "belly size", only x-small, large, etc…("how long is a piece of string", thing). I emailed them for sizes, but they never replied.

My cat is pretty small & delicate. I don't want a standard harness.

Anyone here found a good alternative harness?

Ta!

Home & Garden

Comments

  • altomic on 04/07/2016 - 23:43

    Look for a rabbit harness

    • Geekomatic on 05/07/2016 - 01:52

      Thanks for that!

      I went to have a look & I think I found the same harness as before— only a different seller who has posted actually sizing.

      Ta

  • Diji1 on 05/07/2016 - 01:38
    -2

    So your cat doesn't to go to the park and now you want to harness it to oppress it some more and make it go to the park.

    • Geekomatic on 05/07/2016 - 01:56
      +1

      No, my cat is a devon rex who was born & raised as a breeder. When she was no longer able to have litters, she was sold off. She has no "street smarts" & is actually nervous outdoors on sidewalks, etc. So, I carry her into the reserve & she seems to like to there. I sit & let her roam— but when spooked, she dashes & I'm afraid for her.

      Not too sure your intent with your comment? Seems kind of mean.

    • endotherm on 05/07/2016 - 10:29

      a.k.a. a house cat. They are quite content being indoors and safe all the time, and have exclusive domain over their territory. House cats typically live longer and are quite happy. Allowing brief supervised visits outside or to a park is a treat and generally appreciated as it satisfies their sense of curiosity and exploration, but they will be a little nervous and ill-at-ease as it is unfamiliar territory and they will be mindful of another cat having marked the territory and the potential conflict and fight. They can get spooked easily in these circumstances. A full body harness is a great idea, but there might be a bit of difficulty training older cats to be comfortable in them. If they don't like it they usually "go limp". Daily training so they get used to it, even short durations if they are averse to it, or just wearing the body harness around the house if they are more comfortable will get the best results. Don't force them, some cats just refuse to wear them but others wear them just fine. As long as it is snug without crushing the animal and it should be secure enough. As you are aware cats can become fantastic contortionists when it suits them and may escape from the harness if badly spooked. Typically harnesses are rated by how many kg the animal weighs. There is not a lot of difference with body ratios and leg positions between breeds, so basically one size fits all (within the weight range).

  • AJW on 05/07/2016 - 10:15

    Not being a cat person, the x-small dog harness fits our 2.5kg mini jack russel. We had a kitten collar for a few months as they are smaller vs dog sizes, but the x-small harness has always fit well and needs loosening from minimum size. As you said its hard to judge sizes by a photo, but you can take your cat into city farmers/pet store and try the harnesses on for sizing.

    When you say small and delicate, I'm not sure why the harness wouldn't be suitable - the harness has chest and neck adjustments so you can get it tight but not restrictive. You would hate for a cloth or 'pretty' harness to break when she pulled….

  • [Deactivated] on 05/07/2016 - 10:18

    That depends on your budget.

    I bought from Ebay once, wasn't too happy with the quality and sizing was a bit off. Later on I realised that Woolies sells similar stuff for few dollars more. But I wouldn't consider those harnesses suitable for your cat.

    Harnesses for cats and rabbits are usually straps with no paddings. You can consider a harness for tiny dogs. Recently I got a Puppia harness from a pet store for my dog (he's about 4.5kg). It was expensive but I'm pretty happy with it.

    I would suggest that you go to a pet store to feel the quality of the materials yourself. You may also bring your cat to make sure that the harness fits well.

  • Glider on 05/07/2016 - 11:43

    You're best bet is to go to the pet shop to look at them rather than buy off the internet. That way you can see the sizes in a real way and know if the straps look too bulky.

    Our cat has a harness and he gets excited just like a dog when we get it out to take him outside. He got used to it as a kitten by wearing it for short periods around the house without a leash, then wearing it around the house dragging the leash. His harness is a simple small sized dog/cat leash that is just straps. I think padding would add unnecessary bulk. He shouldn't be pulling on it enough to warrant padding really. You only need it to be secure but comfortable.

    Like another poster said, despite wearing a harness, if my cat gets startled and goes full berko he might be able to wiggle out of it in a panic by pulling hard in odd directions. I once had him outside on the leash hooked over a garden tap while gardening and turned around to an empty harness and a cat on the other side of the driveway sniffing lavender.

    My cat is also street-dumb like yours and doesn't notice anything like other cat or dogs or people approaching until they're basically in front of him. So the person walking him cannot become complacent just because he has a harness. They need to know to watch for danger and actively prevent bad stuff happening (usually by just calmly picking the cat up and walking away).

  • Cave Fire on 05/07/2016 - 11:54

    Interesting, was just reading about this topic a few hours ago. Found this article Here that seems like it has good advice regarding the harness training. It's towards the end of the article.

  • endotherm on 05/07/2016 - 12:36
    +2

    While on the subject of training cats…

    How To Give A Cat A Pill :

    Pick cat up and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens its mouth, pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.

    Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.

    Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away. Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm, holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of ten.

    Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call spouse from garden.

    Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, hold front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold head down with a ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.

    Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered figurines and vases from fireplace and set to one side for gluing later. Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with head just visible below armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw, force mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.

    Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans. Drink one beer to take taste away. Apply Band-Aid to spouse's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.

    Retrieve cat from neighbour's shed. Get another pill. Open another beer. Place cat in cupboard and close door onto neck to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put cupboard door back on hinges.

    Drink beer. Fetch bottle of Scotch. Pour shot, drink. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Apply whiskey compress to cheek to disinfect. Toss down another shot. Throw tee-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.

    Call fire department to retrieve the cat from tree across the road. Apologize to neighbour who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat.

    Take last pill from foil-wrap. Tie the little bastard's front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table. Find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of fillet steak. Be rough about it. Hold head vertically and pour 2 pints of water down throat to wash pill down.

    Consume remainder of Scotch. Get spouse to drive you to the emergency room. Sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye. Call furniture shop on way home to order new table.

    Arrange for RSPCA to collect cat and call local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters.

    How To Give A Dog A Pill :

    Wrap it in bacon.
    Done.

  • jennkei on 05/07/2016 - 20:25

    All the harnesses I've looked at on Ebay (though admittedly they were dog harnesses) had actual measurements for sizing. If the one you're looking at doesn't, look for other entries.

    If your cat is the struggling type/likely to escape a harness if they're spooked, I do not recommend a soft rabbit harness unless you get an adjustable (preferably not velcro..) one that you can ensure is snug. I've put this on an adult cat before http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Small-Pet-Dogs-Cat-Puppy-Angel-Wi… and was surprised they actually didn't really mind, haha. I use Ezydog harnesses on my dogs, though I'm not the one who purchased them.

  • altomic on 05/07/2016 - 22:58

    How about this from ever buying?

  • ChillBro on 05/07/2016 - 23:05

    I think you definitely do need a harness otherwise it'll end up like this https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/256019

  • Geekomatic on 06/07/2016 - 12:54

    Hi all,

    @altomic: that's the same one I had seen on ebay, but the site owner had no actual sizing. I then looked onto other sellers & found that one + it listed size around chest.

    I don't think she's the type to suddenly twist & turn to get away— & I always have my eyes open for kids on bikes, dogs, etc… that might spook her. My plan (should a big dog appear from nowhere) is to toss her up into a tree & worry about getting her down after the danger passes- lol.

    Now, whether she'll "like" it, at first, probably not. But if I can get in on her & then immediately take her to the reserve, I think she'll catch on that it means "outdoor time" & hopefully, will become something she looks forward to.

    Thanks, everyone!

    Jynxthanks you, too… :)

  • Geekomatic on 07/07/2016 - 16:44

    Thisis the one I decided to test out. I bought the XS & if it's still a bit large, I can always cut it down some & restitch.

    I'll try to remember to update this- but you know how long it takes those cheap, HK ebay items to arrive?

    ;)

    • altomic on 03/09/2016 - 19:16

      hey, have you received and tested the harness? got a photo? i'm curious to see how your cat handles it.

  • Geekomatic on 03/09/2016 - 19:24
    +1

    I did & it's not quite right, fit-wise. It's a bit large, but it's also not the right shape to contain a cat (small chests). They're contortionists & when they want out of something, they twist until they do. My cat was able to wrest herself free within a few seconds- lol.

    Now, the bright-side is that she didn't go ape-sh*t like I'd imagined. I put it on her & immediately went across to the footpath within the reserve. It was quiet & she just walked & sniffed as usual. I couldn't coax her to walk along by tugging, though. But again, good first time effort. Then, she decided she wanted to go back, so I followed along. When we hit the front lawn, she did a "drop & twist", escaped the harness & ran for the front door.

    YMMV, but if your cat hasn't been trained from birth to a lead, it'll be a slow & steady process. I'm now looking at standard harnesses (one around the neck/one around the chest) so I can cinch it down a bit better.

    :)

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