Cats & Harnesses: How Miki and I Discovered Our Lesson the Exhausting Method

Hello, I’m Dr. Maja! Learn my introduction to study extra about me and Miki, the kitten who made me a cat particular person.

So, as you might have discovered by now, I’m nonetheless studying the ropes in cat parenting. Miki is my first cat and we’re coming as much as a 12 months of understanding one another. I’ve two canines, and have had canines since I used to be a child. So I approached my rescue kitten like I’d a brand new pet. After all, I needed him to be secure above all, but in addition to have the ability to be part of me on out of doors adventures and journeys, so I made a decision to show him find out how to stroll on a lead.

Fortunately, it didn’t take him lengthy to get used to carrying a breakaway collar after which a harness. We began training when he was only some months outdated, and he accepted carrying a collar and a harness with no criticism. The collar would typically drop off, because it had a security breakaway mechanism, and he would get it caught someplace on his quick out of doors ventures. At this level, he solely wore the harness for brief intervals once we walked outdoors collectively and it had no actual objective, however to get him used to carrying it.

Cats Are Not Small Canines

Having two canines, for fairly a while I handled Miki as a pet in a way, though a really impartial one. He nonetheless follows us for walks every single day, he performs with the canines, the one factor he doesn’t do is fetch, however residing with two canines, from a kitten age, has made him kind a really particular bond with the canines. Generally as if he forgets that he’s a cat. I fell in love with him from the second I noticed him, and I couldn’t consider what I used to be lacking in my life, from by no means having a cat earlier than.

So, after a couple of months of getting used to carrying a harness, I made a decision it was time to connect it to a lead and begin exploring! Being a vet, there are such a lot of issues it is advisable know and be aware of, which might be saved someplace at the back of your head, or not less than know the place to shortly discover the data if not.

Oftentimes as vets we converse to first time cat homeowners and try to ease their thoughts, seeing what number of issues they fear about, and infrequently how clueless they appear in essentially the most caring and candy methods. And shortly I noticed, being a model new cat proprietor, utilizing my vet perspective, there are such a lot of issues I didn’t know, and even considered, certainly one of them being harness security. However quickly I noticed that Miki is a cat within the truest sense, and as a lot as his way of life matches in with the canines’, he’s a very completely different character.

Timber and Harnesses Don’t Go Collectively

I vastly underestimated the significance and a number of other security precautions that include harnesses and cats. On one chilly winter night, like many nights earlier than, as an alternative of letting Miki roam on his personal and get into varied sorts of hassle, I took him out for a stroll on a lead. Identical as each evening earlier than, we’d meet my brother’s farm canines, that he received used to and which might comply with us on our walks.

Miki was solely round 6 months outdated on the time, and he wasn’t a fantastic climber. Effectively, climbing is one factor, getting down is one thing else. On this explicit evening, we explored the farm surroundings, with Miki sniffing and leaving his scent rubbing on objects, till we received to this tree. It wasn’t notably huge, in all probability round 14 ft. And Miki began scratching it after which made an effort to climb it. As an inexperienced cat proprietor, having fun with taking a look at him having enjoyable, I let him climb as much as the second department at round 8 ft. After which hassle hit.

Disguised by the Darkish

As Miki was proudly going up, I began to comprehend he would get caught, and slowly panic hit. Miki went up a few smaller branches and the lead received caught. He tried to come back down however realized he couldn’t, and ended up hanging within the air by the harness, barely touching the precise tree. He froze, and refused to climb again up the tree, now too excessive for me to seize him.

Because the lead was connected to his harness, luckily, there was no hazard to his well being as such, however let’s simply say it was a somewhat annoying scenario. Initially I didn’t fairly know what to do, as if I let go of the lead, he’s nonetheless hanging by the harness and the lead continues to be caught across the department, and I can’t attain both him or the place the place the lead received caught.

Awkwardly, I flip round to see if anybody is watching, however my brother is asleep, fortunately, and there’s no one else to witness my stupidity. So, the one factor left for me to do was to climb up on the tree, which wasn’t certainly one of my brightest moments, and seize Miki, whereas untangling the lead caught on a tough department. Fortunately, Miki appeared unphased by this complete expertise, and needed to proceed his night stroll, however it might have been a lot worse.

Do’s and Don’ts With a Cat Harness

This expertise has taught me one factor: kittens are masters of stepping into hassle, when mixed with inexperienced homeowners, like I used to be on the time. Being a vet has taught me how cats behave within the medical settings, find out how to get them to cooperate and deal with them, however not how they’re at house and the way curious and adventurous they are often. And the way we are able to unknowingly get them into awkward conditions, the place they could get injured.

• Cats shouldn’t put on a harness except they’re supervised and there’s a lead connected to it held securely by their proprietor.
• Cats might get caught by their harness in awkward conditions and locations, the place their homeowners could not be capable of discover them or assist them, in the event that they’re on their very own.
• Cats on a lead shouldn’t be allowed to climb bushes, because the sudden could occur, and in my case, fortunately the tree wasn’t too excessive so I might shortly climb it.
• Shy cats that aren’t assured strolling outdoors, not like Miki, could simply get scared whereas carrying a harness, notably if one other animal tries to method them, and an ill-fitting harness could detach or they might get it off, working away.
• A lead ought to by no means be connected to a collar, as not like canines, cats won’t stroll the place we wish them they usually hate being restrained. Miki units our tempo and course once we use the harness and lead, as the rest would trigger him extra stress than enjoyment.
• Collars are simpler to interrupt and are available off or could result in choking or accidents if pulled on too laborious or if a cat will get caught someplace, and the breakaway mechanism is disabled. So many little however essential issues to pay attention to, if we’re to maintain our kitties secure.
• And at last, not all cats will get pleasure from being walked on a lead, and this must be revered. Miki enjoys it, and it’s one thing he’s discovered since a younger age. He’s allowed to discover on his personal through the day, with solely a breakaway collar, and the harness is tucked away for any future adventures that won’t contain bushes.