Has anybody experience of training their Maine Coons or other cats on a leash?
Would be interesting to hear some stories and tips if you have some http://www.smilies-and-more.de/pics/...nimals/012.gif
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Has anybody experience of training their Maine Coons or other cats on a leash?
Would be interesting to hear some stories and tips if you have some http://www.smilies-and-more.de/pics/...nimals/012.gif
I have been thinking about that actually, but a little bit worried about it all. Obviously it would be better if I can train kitty in the garden but not sure how to do it, or how early, and whether he would be more keen on being outside than in (as he will be a house cat).
Dont want him to be pining to be let out. Our initial plan was to keep him indoors for at least 6 months before letting him venture in the garden (with supervision of course). Is this a good idea?
Oh Ive got so many worries, Im even having nightmares that our kitty didnt like our place :(, and started to destroy everything!!! I know its silly, but of course I just want to do everything right for him.
At least you have a garden!
We live in a 4th floor apartment which has a balcony so of course he won't have access to the balcony. There is a very large park opposite where I live, so it would be nice if I could take him there now an again for a bit of fresh air.
I know strictly speaking cats are never seen on leashes, but I don't really have much of an option for giving him a run, unless I get some sort of cat pen for the balcony.
But of course you can take walk with your cat!!!! They really can enjoy it for they are very curious. The point is to ease them into wearing the harness. That's going to be the tricky part. It's best to teach them when they are small. When they're bigger they might object to putting it on. Pamper them, make it worth their while. Put them outside in the grass and they will have forgotten about the harness. BUT, they're very handy in taking it of. I can't get pictures uploaded, I've been trying for an hour now, I give up. But I have nice pictures to show you how they take the harness of. Patience.....
Thanks for the advice Patty, I will try that :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Patty
This discussion is of interest to us too - we decided Lucius would be an indoor cat despite having a garden, as we live off a busy main road and one fence we share with a neighbour is more like a picket fence so he would clear it easily. We just can't bear to take the risk in this house. So I think we would like to get a leash to so we can take him out or walk him round the garden at least, so he gets some fresh air regularly.
I am also aware he does not wear a collar but is chipped, however I don't think a lot of non pet owners are aware of microchipping yet, and might take a non-collared cat as lost or stray, and a Maine Coon cat looks expensive, so an opportunist might keep him. I don't know if that is me being extra protective or dramatic but it is my gut feeling....:terrified:
ps, how cute are the kitty smilies!
It isn't a problem at all to take your cat out on a leash. We used to do this when we still only had 3 cats to take outside. But since our cat population kept on getting bigger, it was too difficult to take them all outside on a leash. That is why we put a fence around our balcony (we live in a flat), so now they can go outside without there being any risk of them escaping from the balcony. :ecstatic:
Glad you like them misslinaoh :bounce016: lol xQuote:
Originally Posted by misslinaoh
Is it not possible to put a net? Here is a link to a dutch company who delivers special catnets. Nettenlijn | Nets for cats and the next link will give you an idea for cat...coop??? I don't know the correct word. Welkom bij Kattenren - Kattenrennen.nl It doesn't have to be really big.Quote:
Originally Posted by misslinaoh
I found this Denise How to Leash Train a Cat - wikiHow, looks quite good :thumbup1:Quote:
IrishKitty: as anybody experience of training their Maine Coons or other cats on a leash?
Would be interesting to hear some stories and tips if you have some http://www.smilies-and-more.de/pics/...nimals/012.gif
Thanks Ria for that excellent link: That advise is just what I was looking for. I'd better get myself a leash this weekend to start him on it. :)
Did you get the harness Denise? I would be very interested to know if you did and how it went. I'm planning on keeping our kitten indoors but would like to think I could take him in the garden in the summer with a harness and leash. If you did get one what size and where did you get it?
Karena : I actually havn't bought the harness yet but will probably have a look this weekend for one. If I get one I will post the details on the forum :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Karena
I train Mellow to use the leash and the vest (I don't know the name in english). I started to train him indoor in order to verify that he shouldn't take away the vest. The first time he got down and he didn't want to move, some minutes later he started to move and doing all his usual things. After that we go outside in our balcony. Afterall we go in the garden, almost 1-2 times a week for 15 minutes more or less (it's really cold now!!!). I also train him to stay fasten to the seat belt, so I can drive and he can stay comfortably sit to the car seat while travelling.
If you like I put some picture of our training.
Thanks for sharing that Marta, Mellow looks great in his harness. It's great that you have him in a seatbelt in the car - cool cat:AddEmoticons00947:
Thank you Karena, it took longer patience!!!
Hi Marty, yes would love to see a pic of your seatbelt arrangement, i'd like to try and get Hank used to riding in the car.
Have had some experience with cats on leashes...
We had a MC mix that we took in (was stray) and was found to have HCM, so he was not allowed to run loose again (needed medication several times a day). Since he loved the outdoors so much, we got him used to wearing a harness and he spent most of his days outside on a long clothesline rope with a pulley system (i.e., a dog run). He had a reach of like 150' in front and in back yards. People always said that you cannot put a cat on a rope, but it worked just fine. Anyway, I also got into the habit of walking him around the neighborhood each night for 30-60mins! Had a 25' retractable leash. Now I have to caution that he was great at heading away from the house, but not nearly as good about coming back. Eventually he got very used to me carrying him home. During the winter when he would get cold (I was usually freezing by that point) and was ready to head home, he would rub on my legs and mew, I would pick him up, he would snuggle against me, and home we would go. He was only 14lbs however. Our new male MC is probably too heavy for such a scenario. He is not currently that interested in going out luckily.
We also have a female that started wanting to go out because of the above cat, and she was trained to accept harness and leash/rope. Definitely takes some time and patience. She did not like the harness at first, and even when they get used to that, having a leash and being tugged can make them freak out. I would suggest starting with a very short bit of cord after they are used to harness alone. Female once came in front door with rope on, got freaked, and took off racing around the house--but since the rope was dragging and making noise she got more and more freaked. Not good. Luckily she stopped before anything bad happened, but this is an issue. Also had one bad experience with her outside early on when leash rubbed against something, she freaked and took off, jerking leash from my hand. She raced around the side of the house before me and vanished. We had half the neighborhood out looking for her. Turned out she had just ducked in some bushes next to house, but it took some time before she "talked" and we found her. At this point, the cat is fine with the whole process and I am very confident in her. She wears her harness outside with me (with a tag on it), but often is not on a leash or rope. If she is in the mood to just sit and watch birds, etc., or I want to get something done, we have various ropes around the yard that I can attach her to. I will note that brown tabbies are quite camouflaged outside, so you have to keep a close eye on them if they are not on leash/rope. Note also that all of our cats are microchipped just in case.
So anyway, certainly doable, but not necessarily a trivial process. Should take it little by little, and have a helper with you the first few times you go outside, in case cat freaks out and you need assistance. That was one of my big mistakes with the girl. Probably also have to be prepared to carry the cat a bit at times. The walks for the male were the highlight of his life, though. When I would go out at night and ask him if he wanted to go for a walk, he would race to end of the driveway and wait for me. The girl also loves going out. When I get home from work she is waiting in the front window, pawing madly at the glass, and she then comes racing to the front door as I try to get inside.
There are at least a couple of harnesses made for cats available in the US. The Lupine ones are probably the nicer ones and they come in a larger size. We found that the "figure 8" style harnesses work much better for cats than some of the small dog harnesses that have a link going between the front legs--those are pretty hard to get on a cat. You do have to play around with how tight to adjust them. Too tight and the cats hate them, but too loose and they can get out of them--by backing out. If they get frightened, this is what they can do. You may think they could not get out of it, but they can do things with their front legs that streamline their bodies in a way that no dog could. Wikipedia says: "Unlike human arms, cat forelimbs are attached to the shoulder by free-floating clavicle bones, which allows them to pass their body through any space into which they can fit their heads." So you need to be aware of that.
Thanks for that. It was very interesting reading about your experiences. It's nice to know that they often do get to enjoy going out. Your male MC running to the end of the drive when you asked him he wanted to go for a walk is so sweet. It sounds like it just takes patience. Often the same with dogs unless you start early. I have a lupine harness I used on my dog when she was a puppy - can you use these on cats or can you buy lupines specifically made for cats?
They make ones specifically for cats. See:Quote:
Originally Posted by Karena
Lupine® - Cat Products
The cat harnesses are figure-8 or H-style. Some dog are but some are not.
The other harnesses we have are:
Buy Adjustable Figure H Cat Harness Blue Nylon - Cat Harnesses Online at Arcata Pet Supplies
Those say 11-18" girth, but the ones we have are 16" not 18". These have been fine for our 14lbs cats, but are too small for bigger male. The Lupine are 9-14 or 12-20". We got a couple of the larger for the bigger male, but he has not used yet (not big desire to go out).
I personally don't like very much this type of harness because I think it doesn't wrap the cat weel. I use for my cat 2 types of harnes:
-the first one has a little stuffed part that goes from the neck to the back. I use it to bring Mellow in the car, fasten to the seat belt. It's strong and comfortable for the cat. See the firt picture. It's made by Trixie.
-the second one his for dog but I use it to go out with my cat and I think if weel done. See from the 2nd to the 4th pictures. It's made by Ferplast.
Than I want to buy some type of harsess as follow, just to try them and see if they are safe and confortable for the cat. The 5th pictures is an harness made by trixie, cute, while the last picture is a type of harness called "cat walking jacket" that in my opinion (but I want to buy and try it) should be the best one!!!
I have not had much luck using harnesses with a strap between the leg, but if your cat tolerates them then great. Just be aware that the way they get out of a harness is to *back* out of it, so having a chest strap will do nothing at all to prevent this. Our MC mix spent like 4yrs outside on a rope all day wearing one of the H-style harnesses plus going for walks every night. In all those many *thousands* of hours of wearing an H harness, he managed to get out of it only twice (and trees were involved both times).Quote:
Originally Posted by Marty.Mellow
Hi Riaboo.
I posted the question 'can we embed a web links into a post' on Daves' profile last night. Browsing the forum this morning, I notice your wikihow link above so may I ask how this is done. best regards*Roy
PS. I;ve got it now, IrishKitty showed me the way:)
Roy in case Ria hasn't spotted this yet, you can embed link by copying the address of the page you wish to link to by using your mouse.Quote:
Originally Posted by Roy Snell
Left click to highlight and rightclick to "copy".
Then go back onto your maine coon reply, and left click on the first "world symbol" above.
A small box will appear.
Then paste the address of the page you wish to link to, into the box that has appeared by right clicking on your mouse.
This will then insert the link onto your post.
Hope this helps :smile:
I followed a Wikihow link 'How to Leash Train a Cat' posted by Riaboo. The page (link below) carries a list of nine 'Cat Harness' warnings. I post this one because I feel it to be worthy of consideration*Roy
Walking an indoor cat on a leash outdoors may make the cat less afraid of the outdoors and more likely to escape through an open door, then get lost, hit by a car, or attacked by a feral cat or other animals.
http://www.wikihow.com/Leash-Train-a-Cat
Hey Dee, your so cool!Quote:
Originally Posted by IrishKitty
Where ever I browse, I run into your Avatar.
I read your words and they all make 'super sense' and I can now post a link:)
So thank you*Roy
Choosing to Be by Kat Tansey CHOOSING TO BE
“A heartwarming story, beautifully written and filled with exceptional wisdom, makes for a great book. Kat Tansey has crafted a book sure to be adored by all cat lovers. But even more importantly, this book is a must read for all caught up in a world spinning way too fast”.
Dave Carpenter. Peak Performance Show.
From my experience, I believe this warning overlooks the positives of the cat being more familiar with your house and yard in case they do get out--and it is pretty likely that at some point they might make it out. It does seem true that taking your cats outside on a leash will probably get them into the habit of wanting go out with you, but many cats want to outside anyway. Once a cat has been outside under your control several times, they will be better able to cope if they do get out. Two of our male MC kittens have desperately wanted to get outside, and both have succeeded despite our efforts to prevent this (one for example, jumped onto my back and them launched himself out the cracked open door while I was bent over bringing in a dog, thinking I had the doorway blocked). The only one of our current four that goes outside normally is a female, and I feel that she is much better prepared should she get outside. She knows the yard and house well, and she isn't so desperate to get out because she does go out some. I often have her out in the yard with me, unleashed (though wearing harness w/tag). I am now quite confident in how she will behave. One of the male's that got out repeatedly was a nightmare the first few times (the entire family chasing him all over the yard). We eventually allowed him out on a leash and I believe it helped reduce his obsession with trying to get out (and he was much calmer when he was out).Quote:
Originally Posted by Roy Snell
"Walking an indoor cat on a leash outdoors may make the cat less afraid of the outdoors and more likely to escape through an open door, then get lost, hit by a car, or attacked by a feral cat or other animals"
The above warning was listed at the bottom of the WikiHow page (see link below) and I posted it for no reason other than I thought it to be of interest. Whilst it suggests that Fear is a coons best defense and leashing may, on an unescorted adventure into the unknown, give the cat a false sense of security, I do in essence agree with you NCarver in your suggestion that it "overlooks the positives" after all, we leash our children and our dogs so why not a Maine Coon. In an ideal world, we do not own our cats and dogs any more than we can own our children. At best we are custodians and share something of our lives together. In his youth, my Bearded Collie Hope and I, needed to learn how best to walk and cross roads. To this end we used a leash and eventually, we learned the way. Mostly from there on, we could enjoy a walk together without the leash. Be it true or otherwise, I read that Maine Coons are similar to dogs, in that they are intelligent and like to be with their carers most of the time. In our togetherness, I like to think of a leash not as a shackle, but as a learning aid, and when the lesson is learned our Coons stay with us in the house or garden, because they want to*Roy
WikiHowlinkedHow to Leash Train a Cat - wikiHow
My own feeling in regard to Ownership verses Custodianship are here challenged by the CFA http://www.cfa.org/ezine/legislation.html#articleQuote:
Originally Posted by Roy Snell
"Of all God's creatures,Quote:
Originally Posted by IrishKitty
there is only one
that cannot be made
the slave of the lash.
That one is the cat.
If man could be
crossed with a cat
it would improve man,
but it would
deteriorate the cat."
-Mark Twain
Have any of you seen/tried this jacket harness? The lady who makes these has Bengals but in the "Cat Walk" on her website, there is a photo of a cat named Flynn who looks very Maine Coonie.
We tried Gabby with a harness but she ably demonstrated the "reversing-out-of-harness" technique and with the road outside our house being a wide straight one (supposed to be a 30 limit but that hasn't registered with a lot of drivers:pissed: ) we abandoned the idea. These jackets look the business (if the cat doesn't completely flip out wearing it, of course). What do you all think? (No affiliation with this lady, just intrigued - I think Hobbes would look cool in a camo one, :koolkat: :LOL:)
Mynwood Cat Jackets
:koolkat: Cool - If I were going to try a harness on Simba that's the one I'd try :koolkat: :smile:
If your cat is able to immediately back out of its harness, you do not have it adjusted tightly enough. As I have posted before, we had a MC mix that was outside on a harness and rope during the day every day for over four years, so he spent many thousands of hours wearing a standard cat harness, unsupervised. He also went for a walk around the neighborhood most nights. We had virtually no problems with the standard cat harness--after we got it adjusted (sized) properly. So sorry, but people who claim a standard cat harness cannot be secure are simply wrong!
It is basically impossible to end up with a harness that a cat cannot possibly get out of if it is not put on tightly enough, and despite what the designer claims, this design is no different. It is the diameter of the openings that matters, not the width of the "straps." What makes cats different from dogs is: "Unlike human arms, cat forelimbs are attached to the shoulder by free-floating clavicle bones, which allows them to pass their body through any space into which they can fit their heads." [Wikipedia] This is why the chest strap is not escape proof on a cat as it is on a dog.
I do have some potential concerns about this design: it might bother the cats more as there is a lot of material pressing on them, you size it anew each time as you put it on (how tightly should you wrap it?), the sound of velcro ripping apart when you take it off will freak out lots of cats, and should they start wriggling back through it, there is a lot of fabric they might get stuck in (e.g., could they suffocate themselves if they got it partway over their heads). (Standard harnesses can also present safety hazards of course.)
Perhaps if you are not careful, this design is easier to get a tight fit than with a standard harness. However, the advantage of a standard clipped harness is that you can keep adjusting it until the fit is just right, and then it remains like that forever. I would rather spend several sessions fussing with fit until it is optimal, than to essentially do it anew each time I put the harness on. But that is clearly a personal preference.
MJ is big enough and confident enough to attempt some walks around the city this summer I feel. She is good with the harness indoors and on the patio, can't wait to go for a stroll. Although they will be kept short and extremely close to home, due to the high number of dogs. Although MJ is now about 24" head to bum and is intimidated less everyday.
Sounds like you both are ready! As I have related before, from my experience cats do not go for walks like dogs do, and if you expect that to happen you will probably be disappointed. With my cat that went for a neighborhood walk each night, I more often than not ended up carrying him back home. This in fact became part of the ritual, with him developing a routine for letting me know when he wanted to be picked up to head home. Actually, him snuggling against me on a cold night and purring away as we walked home is definitely one of my most cherished memories from my time with him. Luckily he was only 14 lbs though! Getting them to head home on their own is definitely easier if you stay close to the house. Cats also like to stop and just watch for things periodically. Often on our walks we would end up sitting somewhere for 10-15 minutes.Quote:
Originally Posted by hammyt
One of our current girls likes to go out in the yard. She has progressed from always being on a leash to sometimes going loose. Some days she is just constantly on the move, going round and round the house. Other days she gets fascinated by something and wants to just sit and stare. We also have some light ropes around the yard so that I can attach her if I want to do some yard work. I do not take her for neighborhood walks, as she is perfectly happy in the yard. You might just start with your yard.
There are a couple of dogs in our neighborhood that I consider a danger to cats, so I am very cautious. It could be very hard to protect your cat from a large dog and avoid getting bitten yourself. I won't take a chance on either one of us being injured, so I virtually always carry something called Halt! when I have a cat outside. It is a pepper spray that is made specifically for use on dogs. I also carry it when biking, and can confirm that it works great. Will stop a charging German shepherd dead in its tracks! Additional bonus is that it is a great training aid. Never had to use it more than twice on the same dog. After that they don't even bother standing up when I ride by. Halt! is a USA product, but there are probably similar things if you look. Around here only biking stores sell it. Note that Halt! is 0.1% capsaicin, while pepper sprays designed for use on humans are 10%. I would not advise using them on dogs. Halt! does not injure the dogs at all.
This is something I want to try with Gryfn, especially as a lot of people have said they want to meet him.
Good info thanks!Quote:
Originally Posted by NCarver
I don't plan on walking MJ like a normal dog, rather explore the local urban environment. Also, I would like to take her to the park and/or beach if at all possible, she is an extremely curious cat. I'm also thinking of grabbing one of those portable outdoor enclosures for the park/beach'ing as well.
You don't have to tie up your cat to keep it safely on your own property. The PetSafe PIG00-11007HW Deluxe Underground Cat Fence from Pet Shoppers Palace
It is the best way to let him wander freely without wandering off the property.:satisfied:
A lot of my Mainecoons and Abyssinians are trained to a leash and also when they are requested by new owners.Quote:
Originally Posted by IrishKitty
Get you cat used to a harness in the house wearing it for a couple of hours per day not lead attached and when they are with you sitting on your knee etc just pull a couple of times on the harness, keeping doing this for a week or so and then add the lead, again just tug a few times make it like a game use a feather toy on a stick with the harness and lead attached then, when you have done this for a short time, take bay outside and do the same make it a game no dragging and pulling the excitement of seeing new things is just amazing for them and usually they adapt.
Being a biking country both here in Germany and the Netherlands where a lot of my cats live, most of my cats go in baskets on the new owners bikes with a harness and leash attached..
Success with your training...
Debbie x
Shock collar ? Er, no thanks. Prob illegal in the UK / EU too.Quote:
Originally Posted by JeffreyNew