I am so embarrassed! I started my series about harness and leash training your human back in February, had one installment and then forgot about it! So I am giving you Part 2, about actually wearing the harness, just now. The first thing I want kitties to know about wearing a harness:
You are always in control. Never forget that!
Now, I liked wearing my harnesses right away, but you don’t have to. If you want to make your human work to get it on you, that is fine, and there are benefits. If your human thinks it will take time to get you to even put on the harness, she will probably just set it near you for a little while every day and give you treats just for that. Then she will give you treats for sniffing the harness, and a few days later, give you more treats if you allow her to lay it on top of you without putting it on yet. You can actually parlay reluctance into a lot of treats! Eventually, though, you will probably get tired of having the thing hanging around all the time and let your human actually put it on you.
The first time your human completely puts the harness on you, you may feel like flopping over and looking grumpy. That is fine. You will probably get treats just for wearing it for a few minutes. If you train your human to be patient with the harness wearing process, you can get treats for a few days just because she was able to put the harness on you.
Your human will probably want you to get up off the floor eventually and will try several tricks to do it. She may offer treats, of course, or if you are a young cat or just playful in general, she may try to tempt you with toys.
Of course, you don’t have to get up off the floor. You can play lying down for as long as you want. Like I said before, it is important to train your human to be patient. That makes wearing the harness more fun for you in the long run.
Eventually, when you are ready, you can get up off the floor and play with the toy more actively.
Next, your human will want you to walk around while wearing the harness, but you should demand payment for this! I would consider some of your favorite treats to be proper compensation.
If the treat meets with your approval, walk towards it! Your human will give you lots of praise in addition to the treat, and then repeat the process. This way, you will get as many treats as you want, at least until your human gets bored or gets a text message or something. Eventually, you will be comfortable walking around with the harness on and you’ll barely notice it. But always make sure your human continues to give you treats, play with you and praise you for your actions! Humans love giving their kitties things, and it creates a good bond between you.
I hope you enjoyed these tips! My next installment will be all about the leash!
These are all great tips for making parents work for cooperation. I prefer the roll over for belly rub routine, but all of these sound delightful. ♥
Socks let Mommy put a harness on him in the house and walked around great with it on in the house, but then she took him outside and he went berserk. He managed to get himself mostly out of the harness. It was very scary, so we thinks the humans should be prepared for the fact in a different environment the cat may behave differently, with a harness on.
As I have always said, treats are a vital food group and therefore are called vitamins! Phffft to the harness!!
PS you have your human well trained 😉
We are waiting for the leash post. Giulietta doesn’t mind the harness at all, but Mom hasn’t tried the leash. Tips not involving treats would be great. The reason for the entire process is to take Giulietta out for more exercise to help diminish her growing girth from having to eat the CD/Stress food. XOCK, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo
Those are great tips, Summer! You’re right about the treats! Harness training can be VERY fruitful. …or is that chickenful? ; )
We’re looking forward to your leash training tips. The leash (for us at least) is much harder to get used to than the harness.
Katie & Waffles
That is very helpful article! I tried with my cat and worked fine after some weeks of practice :))
Thank you for your job!
Elena & Kasya
<3 It's all a matter of negotiation, isn't it 😀
I think I may re-open negotiations with my Arwen on this…
Mum never thought of having a harness for her cats, and she learns a lot thanks to your posts. Great tips ! Purrs
Such an excellent post, Summer. You really have the human training thing down. Mine has not given me treats yet. I keep giving her all the signals, like not wanting to walk, but she is just slow!!
Well, if we liked the treats part better we might succeed, but we disdain any of the treats meowmy has tried, even Freeze dried tuna flakes., MOL!
You are so cute, Summer! Manna says thank you for all of the great tips. I’m still working on getting her to walk on a leash. I have to admit that I took a really long break in training her though, so it is my fault that things aren’t progressing faster.
Excellent techniques! Mes used the same ones when mes was collar trained! Me can’t wait for the leash!
Kisses
Nellie
Or…you could have a complete bird when your human lays the harness on you, like Izzy. You are such a good girl though!
So…those things DON’T steal all your bones?
Apparently not, because I still have all mine!
great post, Summer and great job in training your human! we tried training ours to do this but she didn’t get any of us a nice harness like yours. we might have liked it better if the harness was comfortable to wear. Maybe we can try again. you can teach an old human new tricks…right?
pip, smidgen, Minnie, hollie
You are so adorable Summer 🙂 I bought 2 harnesses, but have only used one once to take Sammy out for his Scouts snow badge.
I don’t want a harness but the treats sound good.
Oh, we LOVE this advice. You are in control. Somehow we knew that, but didn’t know that implied to harnesses. Bravo!
Great advice for those who like treats
Those are some well-detailed instructions, Summer, thank you! The head peep would like to have an “outgoing” kitty like you someday who would wear a harness.
I just got a harness and I wish I had read your blog before I let mom put it on me. Maybe she would have given me treats!
We are working on getting Mr Kitty to wear the harness. He does pretty good with it on but now we need to find out how to get him to walk on a leash with it – we will be waiting for your next installment! Thanks for your visits – you guys are so thoughtful.
You look so pretty in your harness! Good job on getting all of those treats and toys out of your human!
great lesson. mom keeps saying she wants to try a harness and leash on Daiquiri but wants to get a better harness first
You really know how to get the treats Summer. You are one smart kitty
Thanks for the reminder, Summer! Mommy wanted to get us harnesses but forgot. She’s always worried well have to evacuate if there’s a hurricane, like Sandy. Now she’ll get one for us.
We love the idea of treats but not sure about a harness. You make it look easy to train humans though!
I go crazy pants if Mom even puts a leaf on top of me!
TREATS ?? You are suppose to get treats for wearing a harness ??
I can tell you that my mom-person never have given me a single little treat for wearing my harness *sigh*
XOXO
Great lesson and information, Summer!
Goro flops over when he wears harness, claiming he can’t move. But when I take out some treats, he can suddenly run and jump on the chair 🙂
You get treats for just sniffing the harness? And more treats for flopping down on the floor when it’s on? MOUSES!
I’m going to have to reconsider this harness wearing thing, for sure.
Purrs,
Seville
Those are some good instructions Summer. Wish we had tried a little harder. Can you train and older cat like three or four years old to do the harness?? Mom would love to do Two Two. Guess we could just try. How do you know what size harness to get?? Thanks for this good lesson.
VERY INFORMATIVE SUMMER. YOU ARE A PRO AT THAT FOR SURE.
WE HAVE WAY TOO MANY BITEY BUGS HERE IN THE SOUTH ALL YEAR. SO NO WAY WILL I GO OUTSIDE.
HOWEVER, MOM GETS LOST EVERY SO OFTEN. DAD MIGHT NEED A LEASH FOR HER.
HUGS MADI YOUR BFFF
That might work out good if I had a harness pretty Summer!
sounds like there are a lot of treats involved in this process.
I get it…it’s all about the treat compensation!!! –Truffles
If there’s treats involved, we’re there!
Summer, I learned that if I wear my harness, it means I get to go outside. And I love going outside. So I loved wearing my harness from the first minute the mom put it on me. ~Wally
If there’s treats involved, we’re there!
Summer, I learned that if I wear my harness, it means I get to go outside. And I love going outside. So I loved wearing my harness from the first minute the mom put it on me. ~Wally
Summer you make this look so easy and fun. We are going to have to start working on this training of our humom. We’ll let you know how it goes. Purrrs and XXXXX
What great tips! We shall have to remember them if Mom ever tries this harness business with US.
Summer, you almost make mommy want to try that. ALMOST!
Can we have treats for not wearing a harness?
Luv Hannah and Lucy xx xx
This is a pawsome article.
With this plan,it just might work!
Purrs Georgia and Julie,
Treasure and JJ
We like the getting lots of treats!!!