Said It Here

Why does my cat go limp in a harness?

Cats often react to a harness by going limp or panicking when first introduced to it. This initial resistance makes it difficult to start harness training and prevents them from comfortably going on walks.

What people tried

Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.

  1. 1
    having her wear a harness around the house while not doing anything special
  2. 2
    getting her comfortable enough to wear it in the house for like an hour a day with play and treats
  3. 3
    Positive reinforcement with treats
  4. 4
    Keeping the brush nearby during cuddles to let the cat get used to it
  5. 5
    Slowly incorporating the brush into cuddle time while scratching with one hand and brushing with the other
  6. 6
    Installing wall-mounted brushes for the cat to rub against themselves

In their words

Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.

“Though long and cute, he gets very scratchy whenever I try to brush him.”source ↗

“Normal cat brushes, soft glove brushes, even toothbrushes gently wet brushes (I hear it simulates parental grooming), he loathes them all.”source ↗

ScotsScots · r/cats · 4 upvotes

“my cat hated the harness and would go “limp” when I tried during our walks at the start”source ↗

AnonymousAngel-333 · r/cats · 1 upvotes

Where this came up

r/catsanimal carecatsgroomingpetstraining

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