Although it is not very common to see owners taking their cats for a walk, the truth is that it is a practice that exists and that can bring multiple benefitsfor this. And it is that looking for a harness that fits well, will keep your furry comfortable when walking and will allow him to move outdoors with the safety of wearing it tied, thus avoiding any accident.
If you have considered purchasing a harness for your cat, you will need to find out which is the most suitable for him, since there are many types of cat harnessesin the market. Or if you have purchased one and have difficulties or don't know how to put it , on our site we provide you with all the information you need in this article.
What is the best harness for cats?
Selecting the most convenient harness is an important part when deciding that you want to take your cat for a walk, since it will provide you with the necessary confidence in the event of an unforeseen event. We want to be sure that if our cat gets scared, this elusive animal can't take it away and run away
Also, it is not recommended walking our cat directly with a collar, as it is detrimental to your he alth since cats have thin throats and can choke if walked this way. With the harness, on the other hand, the pressure is evenly distributed.
Finally, we must be aware that before taking our feline out for a walk, it will be necessary to previously educate him to do so.
Having clarified this, let's see what features we should look at when choosing the best harness for our cat:
Locking mechanism
You can find many different harnesses depending on the locking mechanism they have. For this reason, it is important to get to know your furry friend to have a good idea of how he normally reacts. For example, if your cat is particularly sensitive to noise, a harness with a hook-and-loop closure is not recommended. Even so, most harnesses are usually quite secure, having closures such as buckles or metal hooks
Materials
Cats, unlike dogs, do not usually have the problem of breaking the harness (for example, by biting it). Even so, it is still important to ensure that the material from which it is made is of quality and, therefore, resistant and durableThe most common and most reasonably priced option is nylon. We must also make sure that it does not have elements that could irritate, rub or dig into your body.
Size
Generally, cat harnesses are available in different sizes and usually indicate the measurements. You should therefore measure your cat to make sure you get the harness that best fits his body, without pinching or being too loose. In general, you should be able to fit a finger between the harness and thecat's body. Fortunately, many harnesses have the option to be adjustable.
If you've always had your cat in an apartment, in this other article on our site we answer the question Is a cat happy in an apartment?
Types of cat harness
There are different harness styles. Mainly, we find three formats:
Step-in harness for cats
This type of cat harness works by putting your pet's front legs into it and closing it at the upper body. In this way, you avoid having to slide it over your head, which can be very unpleasant for many cats. However, isn't the safest harness, since if your cat tries to escape, he could reach under the harness and pull it off.
Cat H Shaped Harness
This type of harness for cats is made up of an H-shaped piece that wraps the feline in front and behind the front legs. It closes with buckles along the feline's back. It is one of the most basic harness models.
Vest Style Cat Harness
This is the safest, since it covers the entire body and makes it difficult for your furry to remove it. Even so, it is not the most loved by cats, since it has the inconvenience that you have to slide your head to be able to place it and it is quite bulky, so it can make some cats uncomfortablethat they are not used to.
How to put the harness on my cat?
Once we have acquired the harness, it will not be enough to put it on immediately. Since the chances of him accepting it right off the bat are very slim. In order to put it on without it being perceived as something negative, we must start a learning process in which our furry associates the harness with something positive
To begin with, it will be necessary arm yourself with patience On the contrary, if we hurry and end up forcing the situation, we will only make our cat reject to the harness and to us. It should be noted that this learning can last days or weeks, always depending on the character and age of the cat, since normally a small kitten will be more tolerant and will learn faster than an adult.
Next, we will progressively bring the harness closer and we will reward him with some tasty prize, for example, a bit of wet food or m alt. We can gradually increase contact with it, caressing it with the harness, leaving it on top while we reward it, etc.
Whenever we want to increase the difficulty, we must always pay attention to whether it shows indifference towards this element, or if on the contrary, he's uncomfortable. For this reason, when we are sure that it is calm, we can put it on and even close it (making sure it is not too tight, if it is adjustable).
Once he's in the harness, be sure to praise him, play with him, and keep feeding him. In this way we will achieve, that you forget that you are wearing it In addition, we will not leave it on for a long time, but we will gradually increase the time you wear it, as we see that you feel confident and undisturbed.
For more information, you can consult this other article on our site on How to teach a cat to walk on a leash?
