Welcome to the 892nd Metamorphosis Monday! Have you ever tried to walk a cat on a leash? I’ve always wanted to try this, especially after seeing cats doing this on social media. Last week, I ordered a harness and leash in the extra-small size for Agatha and Beatrice to see how they would take to this idea. Before I share photos of how that went, I want to share a warning about a cat toy I will never purchase again. A few months back, I purchased several cat dancer/wand toys for the cats. The wands are the style that will hold a variety of cute toys on the end. This soft bird is Beatrice and Agatha’s favorite, so I’ve purchased it 3-4 times now for all their wands. (The bird toy that screws on the end of a wand is available here: Bird Toy.)
When I first purchased this toy, this was the style of wand I purchased. When I discovered the cats love the birdie toy, I visited a popular, big-name pet store online that sells these to buy more birds and wands. I noticed a negative review where someone’s cat had bitten a plug out of the handle and had required surgery to remove it. The photo showed the cat in a collar and the chunk of foam (or whatever the handle is made of) alongside the cat. Since most of the reviews were great and I hadn’t had any issues with Bea and Aggie biting the handle, I didn’t worry too much about that happening. A few days ago, I found a chunk of pink foam-like substance on the floor of the movie room, and this is how the handle of the cat wand looks.
Thankfully, whichever cat did this to the handle did not swallow the chunk they bit off. I immediately threw away all the wands I had with this comfortable-to-hold handle. If you have a cat and have a wand like this, I would immediately discard it. My grandson and I loved how comfortable and easy this handle was to hold, but it’s just not worth the risk of one of the cats swallowing a chunk. Maybe this handle would be okay if the wand were put away after every use, but I still don’t think it’s worth the risk since it would be so easy to forget to do that.
Harness and Leash Training Kittens: Beatrice and Agatha are six months old now, so I thought this would be a fun time to see how they would like going outside while wearing a harness. I had planned to start getting them used to wearing a harness while inside the house, but after I placed it on them, I had a strong feeling that they would forget about the harness if they were outside where there would be a lot of fun distractions. That worked great! Once we walked outside, they were so fascinated with all the things happening around them, they didn’t seem to even notice their harnesses.
They were way too busy smelling every blade of grass and chewing on the occasional stick to pay any attention to the harnesses. (Harnesses with leashes are available in several colors and sizes here: Breathable Mesh Harness & Leash.)
They also enjoyed batting at the skinny pine cones currently littering the grass in this area of the lawn. Beatrice had fun chasing little branches my oldest grandson was dragging along in the grass. If you have a cat who yearns to go outside, it may be easier to take them out to a quiet area of your yard immediately after placing the harness on them, rather than trying to train them to get used to wearing the harness inside first. The distraction and joy of being outside may overwhelm any annoyance they feel about wearing a harness. That definitely seemed to work for Agatha and Beatrice!
The boys got the biggest kick out of playing outside with the cats. They kept wanting to take Bea and Aggie to the front yard and down the sidewalk for a proper walk, but I could tell the cats needed more time to get used to being outdoors and all the sounds they were hearing all around. There were so many sounds that caught their attention that we take for granted, like birds chirping and singing, church bells ringing, train horns blowing off in the distance, the occasional dog barking somewhere down the street, and lots of cheering and shouting from a baseball game that was taking place in a field several streets away. I think the wind was one of the biggest surprises for them since they could feel it, but couldn’t see it.
It must have felt to them like they had just been transported to a whole new planet or world.
I don’t know who had more fun—the boys or the cats! I see more backyard walks in the near future, especially when things warm up a bit. If you have a cat, have you ever tried walking them on a leash? Would love to hear how that went! There are a lot of dogs in this neighborhood; I see neighbors walking their dogs every day up and down the street. I’m not sure how it would work if I were walking the girls and a dog approached or started running towards them. Hopefully, their owner would restrain them. That’s probably my biggest concern, but for right now, we are happy just playing in the backyard.
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I’m so glad the harness worked! Beautiful boys and beautiful kitties!
Thanks, Mary! It was a fun afternoon. Hope you are doing great!
XXX
Sorry that I’ve no advice for cats but how about bunnies! A bunny. He took to a cat harness immediately and I would walk him up and down the street. Actually (true story) I’d walk my border collie and he would hold the bunny’s leash and we’d all stroll along. So wish I had a picture.
Oh my gosh, I love that, Mia! I would love to have seen a photo of that, sounds like the cutest thing ever! I bet he loved helping you keep your bunny safely on the sidewalk. ♥
Ditto to what Susan said, lol.
The cats look like they’re loving exploring in your yard, and the boys are having a great time too! Having had cats and dogs as pets my whole life who got along together famously, I would encourage you NOT to walk the cats outside of your yard, even with a leash, especially if you have lots of neighborhood dogs. Well-behaved and sweet dogs can go berserk at the sight of an unknown cat; and cats can freak out completely at the sight of a strange dog. Leashes are easy to be yanked out of your hands when they panic, and a dog do the same to go after an unfamiliar. Honestly, the cats will continue to have a wonderful life in your home and yard — the already have an idyllic life with you and the boys!
There are a lot of neighborhood dogs, so you are probably right about that. It does worry me, especially with trying to walk two cats. Thanks, PLK. Lots of good points!
Your cats are beautiful!! How fun for the boys and the cats! I own several feral cats which are basically barn cats but long to have an inside cat someday soon!
Thanks for sharing about the harness and toys!
Donna, there’s a IG account that I bet you would enjoy. A young couple purchased a farmhouse on some acreage/land, and it came with around 16 barn cats, most of which were orange kitties. It has taken a few years, but gradually all the kitties have come to live inside with a lot of coaxing.
Here’s a link to her IG page in case you want to look back at some of her posts: https://www.instagram.com/freedomfarmhouse/
Here’s a YouTube video about their experience, but it’s 2 years old. Since that video was made, all the cats live inside with them now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNardFTXHMA
Thank you for taking care of those kitties. They are so lucky to have you!
Your photos of the boys with your kittens are just adorable! I’ve never seen a cat on a leash before—it makes so much sense! I was so frustrated when our former neighbor’s cat would come & stalk birds at my feeders. In IL, we have stringent leash laws for dogs, but inexplicably, none pertaining to cats. It is a delight to see you enjoying your sweet grandsons & your little furry girls!
There are several cats in this neighborhood that do that. I occasionally go outside and find them hiding in the shrubs near my feeders. I wish people would not let cats roam like that. They have so much shorter lives when they are allowed to go out and roam. Thanks, Merri Jo!
The girls are so pretty, even the teen-age version of them. I’m happy for you that they seemed to handle the harnesses just fine. I always thought cats would balk at the restraint. What a relief that they didn’t seem to mind. I didn’t realize that they hadn’t been out very much thus far. I agree, it was probably like visiting a whole new world for them! Just wait until the really discover birds and squirrels!
Aww, thanks, Pam! I expected them to do that, too…was so surprised when they didn’t. They are extremely trusting and pretty much let us do whatever we want with them, so putting the harness on was pretty easy. I took Beatrice out by herself a few hours later and she was fascinated watching a chickadee who was fussing at both of us.
Those girls are so cute! I’m sure they had a fun day.
Thanks, Catherine!
What a sweet story. Your grandsons are both precious. I know they love the kitties, who are also adorable. I think you began the harness wearing at the right age. Agatha and Beatrice will enjoy their backyard garden adventures.
Thanks, Anne! This did seem to be the perfect time for it. They are curious at this age.
Precious memories for your grandsons! I love that they each have a cat to love on and your photos tug at my heart. So happy they enjoyed their first outing!
Thanks, Patti! ♥
The cats are adorable, and so are the boys. I have harnesses for both of my cats, however, they have been indoor only kitties ever since I adopted them as kittens. There are just too many predators in my area for me to ever feel that they would be safe outside. I’ve tried taking them outside with their harnesses on, but they don’t seem to want to do much exploring. I guess the great outdoors is just too vast for them.
Thanks, Lisa! There are a lot of coyotes in Georgia, so I would be afraid to walk them there for that same reason. I’m not sure how much I’ll take them out here, it’s too cold to really go for walks right now.
Great pictures. Boys and cats are both adorable. I don’t know how you are ever going to go back to Georgia and leave the boys. You are so lucky to be able to spend so much time with them. Enjoy every minute.
I never got past trying to put the harness on! I’d love it if you shared a video of how you go about doing that.
I think because they are still so young, they pretty much cooperate with everything we do. I just placed the harness on the floor with the two arm holes open and facing toward them, then stood them up on top of the harness with the legs going through the arm holes. They squirmmed a little but mostly cooperated. These vest/harnesses close with Velcro, so it was easy to close it up once it was on. Then the leash just hooked through two metal rings on the back of the harness.
Years ago, my cat tried a harness for the first time, She went nuts, jumping and rolling and sprinting only to be yanked back when the leash ran out. When it was all over, I had noticed she chipped off the point of her left fang when she came down hard on the sidewalk. She was a black cat and her white fangs stuck out slightly from her lips, having one shorter than the other made her look tough.
Some time later she walked on the leash with less hassle which we didn’t do often (just on trips), but that first time was quite an ordeal.
Ohhhh, I’m sorry that happened. Sounds like she really panicked, like something had hold of her and she couldn’t get away. That would have been so discouraging to have that happen the very first time wearing it. Since these two are still kittens and unusually trusting/relaxed cats, I think that helped. Not sure other kitties I’ve had over the years would have cooperated so easily.
I have a beautiful tuxedo cat who is now almost nine years old. I, too, did the harness/lease with her. She adapted well only to get a bad case of fleas which inevitably she brought into the house. I had to take her to the vet, get flea bombs for inside, and spent way too much time and effort on getting everything and the cat back to normal. She loves the inside comfort of the house where she’s pampered and loved. Never again.
Oh, noooo! Yeah, dealing with that is the pits. I’ve only had that problem once, back in the ’80s when we had three cats. I don’t know how they got them. We did have a screened porch that they spent time on. I remember using some kind of “natural” white powder stuff that we worked down into the carpet. It was something that broke up the ability of the fleas to multiply. Forgotten now what it was called, but it did get rid of them. I def don’t want to have that issue again!
I have experience with cats for many years, both inside and TNR ferals. Please keep them in the yard only. Hopefully your yard is fenced in. It’s too dangerous to walk these 2 beautiful cats outside of your yard. They can be attacked by other animals and / or stolen. Plus they can get sick from other animals. There is also the flea and tick issue that will need to be prevented.
Best to secure your screens and give them fresh air that way. Or build a catio.
I was thinking about that, too. I really don’t want to have to start “treating” them to avoid having that problem. I wonder if fleas are as big an issue here as they are in Georgia…since it gets so cold and there’s snow on the ground here for so long. I removed all the screens a few months after I first moved in, they are stored in the basement. I may put a few back in for the kitties, maybe the ones in the sunroom, although if they saw a bird or squirrel, I wonder if they would push through them.
Sorry, Susan. We get plenty of fleas here in Ohio. I’m a bit further North than you and they can be rampant in the summer. Our dog has picked them up from the cats roaming the neighborhood and brought them in to our indoor cat – then we have to treat them both. The last couple of years we started treatment with the dog early in Spring and then didn’t need to treat the cat. Have you see the cat carrier backpacks? First time I saw one was a few years ago at Greenwich Park in London. A lady had on a backpack with a mesh window for the cat to see out. They also have some that look like baby carriers.
Beautiful cats with Maine Coon genes. I have 2 Maine Coon mix cats now almost 7 years old. I adopted them from a rescue, so they have been outside. It is always a struggle getting inside or outside the door because they long to be outside but too dangerous because of normal suburban threats like dogs, cats and cars. My cats love being outside but the risks are too great – what if injured when out and can’t get home. Most likely, they will slip out the door without the harness so please be aware of where they are before opening the door for the Amazon man, etc. The more they are out the more they will want to be out. As another reader suggested, give them secure screens to enjoy the outdoor.
Thanks, Catherine! I would love that, if they have some Maine Coon…love how those cats look and their personalities. I agree, I would never sleep or make it through the day if my cats were out wondering around. I had to endure that as a child since my dad wouldn’t allow cats inside and they all eventually got killed. I never want to go through that again or let my cat die that way. I’ve read that the average lifespan of cat that’s allowed to go outside is 3 years.
That’s one of my concerns, that they will drive me nuts wanting to go out a lot, once I let them out. I had three persian kitties for 16, 17, and 18 years. I would let them go out into the garden with me when I was working in the yard and they were excellent about never begging to go out or trying to run out, but I could see Agatha and Beatrice doing that because they are bad to ignore things they are told not to do, like getting on the kitchen counter. They know they aren’t allowed, but they still sneak up there as soon as I leave the kitten. I’ve got to find a way to make them stop doing that.
The only time I used a harness on a cat was when we were moving. We put the harness on her at rest stops. The only problem I had was if I wanted to turn. She would not cooperate. I had to pick her up and set her down in the direction I wanted to go and then she would be fine going in that direction.
Yeah, they def have a mind of their own. Maybe after they go out a few times on a leash, they would get the idea of which direction you’re going. Not sure we will leave the backyard, just better having them where I know they are safe.
Your cats are so beautiful! They are now the stars of your blog! Please do not walk them on the sidewalk thinking that dogs will not bother them. Even if on a leash, a dog can quickly leap away from their human and hurt those beautiful babies. I love your blog posts, but don’t usually comment. So happy you adopted those beauties, and your readers get to enjoy them too!
Awww, thanks Dotti! They keep me laughing all day. I know, I am worried about that. I would be devastated if something like that happened.
Those kitties are so adorable with those handsome boys. I’ve seen cats on leash and enjoy walking like dogs. But please don’t walk where a dog can get them quick. I had a cat that loved riding in car trips with me. She would hop in and be like where we going today. Training at young age is key.
Thanks, Nancy! I know, I would have to be super careful. I also don’t want to deal with fleas, so not sure how much we will do that, but I know they would enjoy it.
Oh my gosh those boys and those cats. Does it get cuter? Man just wait till it gets warmer too – those cats are going to love it. And ty for the heads-up on the cat toy. Yikes. I will spread the word just in case – have a ton of cat lovers in my world.
Thanks, Michele! Yeah, I wish I had taken that review more seriously when I saw it. Def stay away from the wands with those rubbery handles.
Love seeing the girls out in the sunshine with those handsome grandsons! I would think anything made with foam could be a danger to animals. My cats love the wands too, but mine don’t have handles (could you have removed the foam handle and kept the toy?) Being out in the country I never thought about a harness. I think if your kitty trusts you, you can try anything. I used to dress mine up in doll clothes and he would just cooperate (he was so sweet). I highly recommend The Cat Who … series of books to all the cat lovers. The character in the book uses a harness for his cat!!
Yeah, it’s a very hard foam/rubber, but it seems to make cats want to chew on it. It is so comfortable and easy to hold with the stuff on the handle. With the plastic wands, they can yank them right out of your hand, but the rubber/foam handle is just not worth the risk.
Oh, I will look for those! Thanks for the tip!