# Walking 2 Cats



## kitkat (Sep 22, 2003)

My parents have a nice quiet park area/neighbohood and my bf suggested I take the kitties outside on a leash. Here are some questions if anyone can help me out....

1) I think I should get flea medication but what brand is good? (I've never used it before on cats)

2) Are they going to want to dash out the door or break down my window screen to get to the grass when inside? (They don't even think about doing this now)

3) What is the best shaped harness?

4) Do they have cat harnesses or do I have to get a small dog one?

5) Do you guys walk 2 cats at a time or 1 at a time? ( I have 2 cats and I know they cry when they can't see the other cat)


This is it for now, any help would be appreciated. I would love to take them on a walk today or tomorrow if all goes well.


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## Lilly (Nov 8, 2003)

for some reason the thought of walking cats on leashes is so funny to me. I just can imagine how my cats would react....they would not like it at all I am sure. I have heard of people doing this before though, and it is a very safe way to let your cats get some sunshine.

Please never use any over the counter flea medication, it is very dangerous. You can get flea medication from your vet without a perscription or appointment. All you have to do is call or stop by the vet office. My vet uses frontline although I have heard advantage works just as well. As long as it isnt over the counter from a drug store or like walmart you will be ok. (check link in my signature about hartz, it is deadly!)


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## Kittys Mom (May 7, 2004)

Some cats won't walk in a harness...My Kitty acts like her legs are made of rubber when the harness is on. Sometimes I take her outside, in harness, with a leash, I'll lay her on the grass. She doesn't move except to maybe push a bit with her back legs. So, walking her, really isn't possible. 

Also, do your cats have their claws? My little sister was walking two cats, with claws. It was going fine, they were walking along and a dog started barking. The cats freaked out, and climbed the nearest tree...or treelike thing, which happened to be my sister. She ended up with several stiches in her head and on her face where the cats claws dug in. She now has a couple of scars on her face which make her question why she ever thought it would be a good idea to walk a cat.


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## AngelZoo (Aug 24, 2003)

KitKat:

First to answer your questions. 

1.) Flea Medication, use Revolution, Advantage, or Frontline. Don't bother with anything you'd find at like walmart, no flea colors or BioSpot junk.

2.) They might keep on trying to sneak out the door once you introduce them to the outside world. And they might not even like it out there and will only want back in. Some might cry and drive you nuts until you take them for a walk, others will wait patiently. There's no way you can really tell.

3.) There is the H or Figure 8 harness, I have found both work well, so long as they are properly fitted.

4.) They have cat harnesses, buy one of those. 

5.) Walking more cat then one at once, can be done, but it's not easy, rarely do both cats want to go in the same direction, and well they are not too keen on being dragged towards something else haha. 

Now a couple other notes. If you decide to go ahead with this. 

1.) Attach the harness at home, inside, make sure it fits properly they should not be able to easily wiggle out of it, and no more then 2 fingers should be able to slide under the harness. 
2.) Let them wear the harness inside a lot, supervised of course so they don't get caught on anything. They need to get used to the feeling of it.
3.) After maybe a week (depends on your cat) attach a 4-6 foot leash and let them drag it around the house with their harness on. 
4.) Learn how to walk a cat, before you walk a cat. Generally you will follow where the cat wants to go, with in reason. This will generally be a slow process. You need to be able to read a cats behavior well, know when your cat will get scared of something, and stop any problems before they happen. 
5.) If your cat freaks out and trys to pull out of his harness, walk with him so that he is unable to pull out of it. Quickly pick him up and bring him inside as soon as you can, until he is calm and try another time. 
6.) When you first go outside, I personally think it's best to open that door, holding onto the leash, and then let your cat decide what to do. Be it sit at the door for 15 minutes or dash eagerly right outside. I don't like to force mine outdoors. You want it to be a pleasurable experience.

Make sure your cat is fully vaccinated as well, and that you are confident you can control your cat and take care of your cat with any circumstance that arises outdoors. Never take your eyes off your cat, or they will quickly be out of your reach chasing some floating leaf


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## coco & little guy (Jan 5, 2004)

kitkat-

Take it from someone who is walked by the cats, it is a 2 person job to walk 2 cats at the same time. For our guys, it is a 2 person job to get the harness on, one to hold the cat and position the legs, the other to get the harness on. Our guys love it outside. Like AngelZoo commented, let them take it at their own pace. Coco was outside on his first trip out, and a low flying plane buzzed over the house, totally freaked him out. Little Guy wasn't bothered by it. However, Coco is just now coming out of his shell about being outside again. He loves being at the screen door and hearing the sounds and smelling the smells. But he is not always so eager to actually walk out through the door. He is getting better though.

We leave the door open slightly in case he has another panic attack, he can just bolt right in. We have the harnesses for small dogs. They seem to be the best for our two. They don't wear a collar, never liked it. We started with that type of harness, but it didn't go over well. The type we have goes on them like a back pack would go on you. Pretend your arms are their front legs, and you get the idea. Nothing to go near their necks. It hooks between their shoulder blades. The leash part of it locks the harness in place, and prevents it from seperating. We are even thinking about buying one of those leashes that extend when you push the button. Sometimes they dash at the slightest things, and will literally pull you along. 

Our guys really like being outside, and although I thought at first about how stupid I looked walking a cat on a leash, I am really happy that my gf insisted on using the harness. Our neighbors have lost several cats to traffic and I couldn't bear the thought of losing one of ours. 

We have frontline plus (on order, to be delivered this week) and not too soon either. Coco had a tick on him when we brought them in from their last walk. 

Just thought of this, they will want to eat grass the first thing they do. After that they will explore and maybe even claim some territory. Both of our guys are neutered, but Coco has 2 bushes that he always rubs his face on, and Little Guy claims some stones on a pathway by rubbing all over them. They may not want to come in, if they aren't spooked by anything. I found that just picking them up and going in is the only way for that to happen. Sometimes you need to do the jedi mind trick also. Pick them up and get their attention on something else if they are getting into something that you don't want them to. Little Guy wanted to investigate *something* over on the side of the shed where the weeds are out of control. I had to jedi mind trick him twice to get him away from that area of the yard. Sneaky cat that he is.

Good luck and let us know how you make out.


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## kitkat (Sep 22, 2003)

Kitty's Mom said:


> Also, do your cats have their claws?


My cats are declawed in the front already.

Thanks for the help everyone. It was pouring rain outside but I just had the urge to go out and get them harnesses. Here is the Figure 8 type (I think) .... I don't like it that well and don't think Twinkie liked it either...it doesn't have bottom side to connect either.










Here is the H-style that I like.....



















I can't take them out today since it is wet but Sugar seems ready and Twinkie plopped down on his sides, then started walking backwards....I got leashes and everything, I'm ready to go......... :lol:

Ok well I will report back after I take them for their first walk.


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## Superkitties (Jan 30, 2004)

Excellent points made above already, so I'll just give links to my replies to similar topics. Also, perhaps you could start off keeping them in the front yard, so they'll know where their safe zone is.

PeanutsMom's first walk.
Majicou: tips wanted.

Some friends have also ridiculed my use of leashes (and keeping them indoors), and I've told them I could give a crap. They can all take a flying leap.  

Good luck, and I'll be interested in hearing all about their first outing!


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## BoscosMum (Apr 29, 2004)

Hello, just popping in to say hi! I want to post in your thread so I can hear your update after you take them out for a walk.
This is exciting!!!


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## kitkat (Sep 22, 2003)

Ok surprisingly, Sugar meowed so loud when I took her outside. I was holding her like a baby and I took her back in after like 2 min. because I was afraid neighbors would start looking out the windows.....plus grass was wet. I left her in the garage for like 10 seconds to run in and get something and put the leash under this heavy box thing and she ran in like a bat out of ****.....

Twinkie kept going 2 steps and lying down getting his furry belly dirty. Before I left the house I tugged on his harness with the leash and pulled towards his head and it came off! I was so shocked, thank goodness it was in the house. Well I will tighten it more where it goes under his stomach. 

How did I ever think I can take 2 cats at the same time?? Ok well, I am letting them walk around the house with the harness on and I will update some more when I get some walking out of this......it may not be anytime soon ok? :lol:


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## BoscosMum (Apr 29, 2004)

After they get used to the harness....you could try attaching the leash and letting them drag it around the house with them.


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## AngelZoo (Aug 24, 2003)

Kit Kat, lol what did I tell you, can't take your eyes off of them even for a moment. 

BTW, the grey kitty with the red harness on, the harness is on upside down dear. 

See the metal D ring, where the leash would attach? That part should be under her arms, on her sides not her neck.


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## kerrysuz (Aug 27, 2003)

I think you cats will be fine when they're inside (regarding trying to break through the screen) if you train them young to know that they will only be outside when they're on a harness. However, if they were older, I'd actually say not to do it. My cat Yeti used to be an outdoor cat. Then he got out once last summer and he's never been the same. I tried to take him out on a harness, and the minute he was outside, he was so happy that he ran right out of the harness. He hasn't been out since because I just can't bear the thought of him being injured (and mostly because I have two other cats that don't go out and I don't want to be mixing indoor and outdoor).

Anyway, best of luck. Hope it works out.


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## Anne Gro (Apr 25, 2004)

Just another piece of advice - do not ever pull! When the kitty wants to go somewhere you do not want, just hold the leash firmly, never pull toward you. The cat will learn that the best way to avoid the tightening of the harness is to walk back to you. If you pull he will also pull in the other direction and end up hating the whole thing.

And just an idea - if you want to walk two cats, maybe you could tie the two harnesses together with a short string and attach one leash to it? I have never tried, so far I have walked one cat at the time, but it might just work, at least after a while when they are used to being outside on a leash.

Good luck!


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## kitkat (Sep 22, 2003)

AngelZoo said:


> BTW, the grey kitty with the red harness on, the harness is on upside down dear.
> 
> See the metal D ring, where the leash would attach? That part should be under her arms, on her sides not her neck.


Ok thanks for pointing that out b/c I figured the ring should go near their neck, like dog leashes do....but now I know better. 

They're pretty good about having their harnesses on, Sugar lets me do anything to hers but everytime I touch Twinkie's underarm area to tighten it he growls......O well.

It is pouring outside right now so I can't take them out but is it a good idea to walk them or just put them in the grassy area first so they like it out there? Or it doesn't matter?

Ok thanks for all the help ppl :wink:


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## queen of the nile (Aug 16, 2003)

My cats wear their harness the same way that Sugar is wearing it, with the cross-bar on their backs. It doesn't make sense to me otherwise, because than the leash would be underneath their bellies and would get tangled up with their legs when they walked. Plus the clips that secure the harness would then be underneath the belly, rather than on the back where they are easily reached :? .


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## AngelZoo (Aug 24, 2003)

QueenOfTheNile: Now you are confusing me! lol It's so hard to potray this picture. 

The D ring shouldn't be under the belly, but on top of the cats back, and specially not by the cats neck, cats necks are VERY fragile you never ever want to walk a cat with the harness fitted around the neck like that, or walk them with a collar on their neck attached to a lead. (I can't tell you how many times I saw that one at the office.)

It's the exact same as walking a dog with your average harness, the cat and dog harness are virtually the same only different sizes.


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## BoscosMum (Apr 29, 2004)

The D-ring should be located in between the animal 
shoulder blades when fitted properly.


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## queen of the nile (Aug 16, 2003)

Ahhh... when you said upside down, I though you meant that the cross-bar should go underneath the cat. It makes more sense to me now, thank you. My cats' harnesses have the ring in the center of the cross-bar, so I must be doing it right :lol:.


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## AngelZoo (Aug 24, 2003)

BoscosMum: LOL thanks, why was that so hard to say something as simple as what you did?  :lol:


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## kitkat (Sep 22, 2003)

Ok now I have to go to the store and get Twinkie the harness with the double snap ons. Everytime I go under his armpit to tighten the harness once putting it on he gets all antsy and kicks his lil legs. With the other one I saw, I can just snap it on and go. 

Ok I have put them outside today again and they just plopped down and maybe walked a few inches to sniff. They only went out for like 5 min. b/c I was tired of just sitting in one spot. 

How long does it normally take for a cat to get used to being outside and actually walk more than 1 feet? I know it varies by cat but at this rate, I think Christmas time! :lol:


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## AngelZoo (Aug 24, 2003)

kitkat: hee hee, depends with my gang it seemed to take them about a week of going out every day at their own pace.


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## kitkat (Sep 22, 2003)

Which is better? Taking them out for short periods everyday or taking them out a few times a week for now for long periods :?:


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## kitkat (Sep 22, 2003)

Update:

I started walking them around evening one at a time for about 10 min. each. I need to broom the sidewalk area before taking Twinkie b/c he is so fluffy the twigs and stuff stick to his belly since he keeps lying down. I put him on the grass he hopped backwards as a car came. :roll: 

He finally walked (I think Twinkie knows home) b/c he walked from the end of the front walkway all the way up to the front door nonstop. He wouldn't go left or right on the sidewalk.


Sugar loves it out there, inside she sits by the front door and meows once in awhile. She walks on the sidewalk and when a car comes just looks at it. She too keeps walking towards the door but on the sidewalk she walks right alongside the grass. Loves to swat at bugs though. :wink:


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## TiggysMum (Apr 22, 2004)

My cat is outdoor anyway but we dont let her leave via the front door because of the road on account of traffic. she goes in our garden & both next-door neighbours gardens & thats as far as she can be bothered to wander :?

anywho, I have a harness that belonged to my old cat so I tried to walk Tiggy with it...we're still not past the 'look mum! I can lye on my back!' stage :roll: she just wont wear the harness & stand up simultaneously *sigh* :lol:


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## Maleke (Jul 2, 2003)

We walk our cats in harnesses as well. I was really surprised, they didn't seem to mind wearing it from the very first time we put it on them. They love going outside, but it's been raining so much lately that I haven't been able to take them out. They are so funny though, I throw stones in the grass and they chase them (I have an extendable leash) and they try to climb the trees, as well as sharpening their claws on the trees. I get some weird looks from people, but it's a good way for the cats to get fresh air!


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