There are different reasons to put a harness on your cat: to walk him outside without risk of escape or to transport him. You don’t want to see your cat running away for fear of losing him, I understand you completely. The collar is not the ideal solution because he could remove it by moving. Yes, but by the way, how do you put a harness on your cat without him being able to remove it?
How to place the harness on your cat?
Putting a harness on your cat is not always fun, especially if your cat is not used to it. A cat can move a lot and it is sometimes difficult to hold him, and it is even more complicated when you are alone to do it.
It wiggles, twists in all directions, in short it does not make your task easier, and by wanting to do it quickly, the risk is of course to put it badly and thus risk of escape.
Often, on the packaging, you will find a picture of the cat with the harness placed on it. This is a good basis to know how to put it in place. And on the back you will often find advice
Here is how to put it on to avoid stress:
- Choose a quiet time, if your cat has just been fooling around or having fun, it’s not really the ideal time. Calm him down so that the rest will be easier
- First, place the small buckle around his head, so the harness should logically be placed at the level of his shoulder blades
- Open the clip that is located at the level of his belly which will allow you to slide the straps. You will only have to close it until you hear the clip (be careful not to trap the hair which would not be pleasant for him and especially it could reopen)
- Adjust: don’t forget to take the time to adjust your harness, depending on the model, buckles or rings allow you to make a custom fit. Do not tighten too much, your pet must be able to move and breathe. But if you leave too much slack, it could unravel, so it is necessary to find the right balance, it is advisable to be able to pass two fingers between his body and the harness.
Which harness to buy ?
Unlike a dog, the cat is less powerful, so it is not necessary to buy a leather model, the nylon material will be quite resistant.
Often, the harness is delivered with a leash which allows you to have the matching color, red, orange, black, blue, it’s up to your preferences. Personally, I like to choose a different color than my cat’s coat, which allows me to see him well.
It is important to take the time to choose the right size, on all models you can find the size of the neck, this is an essential element when you decide to buy a harness. It should not be too big or too small for your hairball. You will be able to sort by size to avoid making a mistake.
A matter of habit
Whether it’s for you or your cat, it’s all a matter of habit. As you get used to it, you’ll find that the first step of putting the harness around your cat’s neck is easy to do. All you have to do is go around the chest to close it properly.
Don’t be stressed or upset because your pet will feel it and it will only make things worse.
So one word to remember: patience! The more he will be used to wearing it, the more he will let you do it, you can give him a little reward the first few times to congratulate him for not having moved.
If it’s for a vacation, you can put it on for a few minutes each day before leaving so that he doesn’t discover it at the last moment and moreover it will make you train for the D-day.
Why choose to walk your cat on a leash?
We started to talk about this subject at the beginning of the article, it is true that the question does not arise for a dog, but it is rarer to see a cat on a leash. It is not recommended to attach the leash to his collar, why? Well, simply because he might pull on it like crazy and strangle himself.
This would be a new source of stress for him, so you might as well add a little comfort. Because if he enjoys this outing, he’ll be more docile next time to let himself put on the harness.
Here are the main reasons to walk your cat with a harness:
- Walking him: you live in a garden with a house that is next to a road and you don’t want to let him go unattended. You simply want to introduce him to the outside environment little by little so that he gets used to the outside. Exercise never hurts and if you are too afraid for his health or his life, then this is a good way to not keep him locked up and get him some fresh air.
- For transportation: whether it is to go to the vet or simply to go on vacation, it is an excellent solution to avoid losing him. When stressed, a cat may behave in an unusual way, you may not recognize it. It is therefore a good idea to keep him on a leash to prevent him from running around and risking getting run over or lost.