Thread: Training Maine coons on a leash?

Has anybody experience of training their Maine Coons or other cats on a leash?
Would be interesting to hear some stories and tips if you have some

I have been thinking about that actually, but a little bit worried about it all. Obviously it would be better if I can train kitty in the garden but not sure how to do it, or how early, and whether he would be more keen on being outside than in (as he will be a house cat).

Dont want him to be pining to be let out. Our initial plan was to keep him indoors for at least 6 months before letting him venture in the garden (with supervision of course). Is this a good idea?

Oh Ive got so many worries, Im even having nightmares that our kitty didnt like our place :(, and started to destroy everything!!! I know its silly, but of course I just want to do everything right for him.

At least you have a garden!
We live in a 4th floor apartment which has a balcony so of course he won't have access to the balcony. There is a very large park opposite where I live, so it would be nice if I could take him there now an again for a bit of fresh air.
I know strictly speaking cats are never seen on leashes, but I don't really have much of an option for giving him a run, unless I get some sort of cat pen for the balcony.

But of course you can take walk with your cat!!!! They really can enjoy it for they are very curious. The point is to ease them into wearing the harness. That's going to be the tricky part. It's best to teach them when they are small. When they're bigger they might object to putting it on. Pamper them, make it worth their while. Put them outside in the grass and they will have forgotten about the harness. BUT, they're very handy in taking it of. I can't get pictures uploaded, I've been trying for an hour now, I give up. But I have nice pictures to show you how they take the harness of. Patience.....

Originally Posted by Patty

But of course you can take walk with your cat!!!! They really can enjoy it for they are very curious. The point is to ease them into wearing the harness. That's going to be the tricky part. It's best to teach them when they are small. When they're bigger they might object to putting it on. Pamper them, make it worth their while. Put them outside in the grass and they will have forgotten about the harness. BUT, they're very handy in taking it of. I can't get pictures uploaded, I've been trying for an hour now, I give up. But I have nice pictures to show you how they take the harness of. Patience.....

Thanks for the advice Patty, I will try that :D

This discussion is of interest to us too - we decided Lucius would be an indoor cat despite having a garden, as we live off a busy main road and one fence we share with a neighbour is more like a picket fence so he would clear it easily. We just can't bear to take the risk in this house. So I think we would like to get a leash to so we can take him out or walk him round the garden at least, so he gets some fresh air regularly.

I am also aware he does not wear a collar but is chipped, however I don't think a lot of non pet owners are aware of microchipping yet, and might take a non-collared cat as lost or stray, and a Maine Coon cat looks expensive, so an opportunist might keep him. I don't know if that is me being extra protective or dramatic but it is my gut feeling....

ps, how cute are the kitty smilies!

I plumped for these, in small / black, for now.

[ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001IDWL1Y/ref=noref?ie=UTF8&m=A1GK7GGTO21OGA&s=outdoors&psc= 1"]WAGGITAIL NON PULL HARNESS, SMALL, BLACK: Amazon.co.uk: Garden & Outdoors@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51TbyEIUODL.@@AMEPARAM@@51TbyEIUODL[/ame]

I spoke to the guy at Craft Lighting and like for many small businesses while they sell lighting they ended up getting a few thousand (!) harnesses custom made when they saw the product in the US on a visit and liked the idea for thei own dogs. I am guessing they are based on the Puppia design, but since they are shipped from the UK and include a lead it seemed better value. Especially if the small size (neck diameter 12cm, he measured with a tape for me) is wrong then returns / swaps for the right size will be much easier than US shipped Puppia's.

Well, the harnesses arrived very quickly (Weds, but I had to go to the sorting office to pick them up yesterday and have been too busy since...)

They appear, on first inspection, to be good. The mesh nylon is breathable and the collar is stiff enough for wiggly necks not to back out. The body strap has plenty of expansion in it and it is quite well made given the general quality of stuff nowadays.

My only concerns are sizing - they may only last a few weeks before the fixed neck diameter is too small - and that some of the ways the straps are stitched onto the mesh may rub. Cats are different to dogs after all.

I will report back in a few weeks once I have tried the boys with them. Indoors at first, no leash, of course.

Slowly working on getting kittens acclimatized to walking jackets and leash.

Bought from
Walking Jacket for Cats and Cat Toys. Information and Articles on Cats and Dogs

2 male littermate MCs now 6 1/2 months old, don't know how much longer these walking jackets will fit. Kittens are growing insanely fast!

Here's an older picture of them on their 1st excursion outside. We have not been out since because it has been raining heavily, breaking records, and it's too muddy out there, cold also.

Candes, they sure do look like the same walking jacket. Even the same colors.

Right now they are still very good, but I can see that they will soon be too small. The kittens are racing around the house with them on right now. For house wear, getting used to them, I keep the straps a little looser.

Kittens have not tugged on the leash yet so no neck yanking. For Maine Coons I think these are good walking jackets for training, to get used to, but I too am looking for a better design for outdoors for full-grown Maine Coons.

Have read that leash attached to front chest is better for dogs so imagine that is also true for cats. Necks are fragile with the spinal cord oh so important so will be looking for different pressure point.

In the spring and summer we'll be putting up posts in the yard with cord so kittens can have a bit of freedom on their leashes while I'm outside with them gardening.

Eventually our goal is to have the kittens --> cats well trained and kayaking with us. The dog obedience is going well, now just have to apply it to the kittens.

Kittens & puppy here ongoing love fest