I'm having a problem getting my kitten to adapt to a harness. She's
almost 6 months old and I want to be able to have her id on her in the
form of a tag. Unfortunately, her first experience was with a collar
and it somehow got stuck in her mouth so that it wouldn't snap free. I
had to cut that one off of her with a pair of scissors.
Now I want to try a harness because it's not in the same position as a
collar, but she spazzes out whenever I try to put it on her. She is an
indoor only cat and I did get the microchip put on her; should I just
let it go at that? If not, can I get some advise on getting her adapted
to the harness?
many thanks :)
Mary - 03 Jan 2005 01:37 GMT
>She is an
> indoor only cat and I did get the microchip put on her; should I just
> let it go at that?
Yes! When were you thinking she was going to wear the harness?
Judy - 03 Jan 2005 04:41 GMT
> I'm having a problem getting my kitten to adapt to a harness. She's
> almost 6 months old and I want to be able to have her id on her in the
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> indoor only cat and I did get the microchip put on her; should I just
> let it go at that?
Just my HMO, I'd just go with the chip. Even if she does get used to the
harness, despite the fact that the harness isn't in the same position as a
collar, she could still end up finding herself in trouble.
If you feel the need to have something on her with her ID, then try an
elasticized collar. Break-away collars don't always "break-away."
kaeli - 03 Jan 2005 14:45 GMT
> I'm having a problem getting my kitten to adapt to a harness. She's
> almost 6 months old and I want to be able to have her id on her in the
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> let it go at that? If not, can I get some advise on getting her adapted
> to the harness?
Let it go. An ID tag is only useful if they get out. A harness on an
unattended cat can get caught and hurt the cat just as much as a regular
collar. Actually, I bet it would get caught more often on things. I would
think that the chances of fatal injury would be less, though, since it would
be much less likely to constrict the neck. Other parts might be hurt if from
nothing more than the cat flipping out when she gets stuck. I would never
leave a harness on an unsupervised cat.
If you really want a tag on her, use a collar with elastic.

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Jim Lawton - 04 Jan 2005 12:01 GMT
>I'm having a problem getting my kitten to adapt to a harness. She's
>almost 6 months old and I want to be able to have her id on her in the
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
>many thanks :)
I wouldn't make a cat where a harness just on the off-chance that s/he might get
out one day - cats need to be as free as possible.
I think the risk with collars must be 99% for outdoor cats - who might get
tangled in branches and fencing and stuff - if it's elastic linked, and you keep
an eye on her while she gets used to it, that would be a better option.
How often has she got out in those six months? Does she make a rush for the
door? Got to weigh up the risks. I'd try to keep her as free as possible.
Jim
-L. - 04 Jan 2005 17:49 GMT
Microchip is sufficient. I never recommend collars or harnesses for
the very reasons you described.
-L.
teri - 05 Jan 2005 00:54 GMT
>She is an indoor only cat and I did get the microchip put on her; should I just
>let it go at that? If not, can I get some advise on getting her adapted
>to the harness?
It is recommended that all cats wear a collar with an ID tag, even if
microchipped. There have been some strange stories on here about
people's indoor only cats getting out/being left out by workers, etc.
that it convinced me to put one on my cats. You never know what
unexpected things could happen so good for you for trying. Sorry....
no harness advice though. :-/
Teri