Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cats

How to put a harness on a cat without getting scratched

Paige Cerulli
By

A cat harness can let your indoor cat safely explore the outdoors with you alongside. Harnesses come in multiple styles, including the figure 8, H style, and vest harness. They’re designed to keep your cat comfy, but your cat might not be wild about the idea of putting a harness on the first few times you try. This can lead to scratching and biting, so it’s important to understand how to put a harness on a cat safely before you attempt this task. When you take your time, teach your cat that the harness is a good thing, and let your cat get used to wearing it, you can open up a whole new outdoor world for your cat. The following cat harness instructions can help you stay safe when putting your cat’s harness on.

Let your cat get used to the harness

You might be all excited to try the new harness you just got on your cat, but that’s one of the worst things you can do. Your cat will most likely struggle against the harness’s unfamiliar smells, and you might get hurt.

Recommended Videos

Instead, give your cat time to get used to the harness. Put the harness near his food dish and leave it there for a week or so. Soon, the harness will start to smell like food, and your cat will view it as a familiar object.

Cat proudly wearing a tan harness outdoors
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Time your session right

When you’re ready to put the harness on your cat for the first time, be strategic about when you try this. Look for a time when your cat is relaxed but not sleeping. Is he sitting next to you on the couch and just hanging out? That’s perfect.

Related

During your first attempt at putting a harness on, it’s helpful to have a second person who can hold your cat. Hold the harness up next to your cat until he loses interest in it. Then, start by quickly but gently putting the head loop over your cat’s head.

How you handle the next steps of putting the harness on will depend on the style of the harness you’re using. Review the directions thoroughly and make sure that you and your helper know just how to fasten the remaining straps.

Your cat might fuss during this first session, and that’s to be expected. Don’t struggle with him and scare him so that he’ll be wary of future sessions. If you get only the initial loop over your cat’s head, that’s fine. Praise your cat, give him a treat, and try again another time.

Cat outdoors wearing a blue harness attached to a leash
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Teach your cat the harness is a good thing

Once you do get a harness onto your cat, he won’t necessarily understand that it’s a positive thing. The harness may feel strange, and some cats can get quite upset. Your furry friend might try to run, or he might refuse to move.

You’ll need to be patient with your cat as he gets used to the harness. Keep things positive — give him food, give him catnip, and praise him lots while he has the harness on. During those first few sessions, let your cat wear the harness for just a minute or two and then remove it. You can gradually lengthen the duration of the sessions as your cat starts to accept the harness more.

Keeping these sessions positive should help your cat start to associate the harness with treats, praise, and other good experiences. This should encourage him to fight it less and even to look forward to these sessions. Once your cat is fully acclimated to the harness and understands how to walk in it, you might venture outside with him.

When you first put a harness on your cat, you might be met with some protesting. That’s pretty natural, but be prepared. You’ll really have to watch your cat’s body language to determine what he’s comfortable with, and some cats might get used to a harness quickly while others might take much more time. Having a helper can help keep you all safe during these initial sessions. Don’t forget to make sure your cat’s claws are trimmed before you start to introduce the harness — if he does swipe at you, this can help keep you from getting too badly hurt.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Paige Cerulli
Paige Cerulli
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Paige's work has appeared in American Veterinarian, Business Insider, Healthline, and more. When she's not writing, Paige…
How to help cats inside car engines … before it’s too late
Use these tricks to prevent your cat from getting into a car engine
Cat hiding in engine compartment of car.

Overdrive was only a 2-month-old kitten when he hid inside the engine compartment of a car parked at a rest stop in Arizona. The unsuspecting tourists who owned the car were alarmed when 200 miles later, they stopped at a restaurant in Utah and heard desperate meows coming from under the hood of their car. The tiny buff-colored tabby was successfully rescued and taken to the nearby Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. Although traumatized by the experience, he miraculously didn’t sustain any injuries. He's just one of numerous cats in car engines that have survived.

Every year, there are stories of cats getting trapped in vehicle engine compartments. Once a car engine starts, things can quickly take a turn for the worse for a cat hiding under the hood, say veterinary experts at the Chastain Veterinary Medical Group in Texas. The sudden vibration and roar of the car’s engine can cause a stowaway cat to jump or fall into the fan or fan belt and pulleys. The results are often disastrous for the cat, causing trauma, lacerations, and on occasion, death.

Read more
How to cat-proof your balcony before the unthinkable happens
Tips to keep your kitty safe while on the balcony
Cat sitting on a sunny balcony railing

It's tempting to spend some time outside with your cat whenever the weather is nice, and taking your cat outside can give him a nice break from indoor-only life. If you love to spend time on your balcony, it's natural to consider letting your cat join you, but balconies can be dangerous for cats. In addition to the potential for a fall, balconies have several other risks that you might not be aware of. Understanding how to cat-proof a balcony can help you to make the space safer, so you and your cat can spend a little time outside together.

Will a cat jump off a balcony?
Balconies can be very dangerous for cats because of the possibility of "high-rise syndrome." Always Compassionate Veterinary Care explains that high-rise syndrome refers to the occurrence of cats falling out of high-rise buildings and needing veterinary treatment. The term originates when the Animal Medical Center in New York City treated more than 100 cats who fell out of high-rise windows. That occurred during just five months in the 1980s and highlights the fact that cats can and do fall out of high structures.

Read more
How to tell if your cat is a Maine Coon mix (and why you should care)
Should you consider a Maine Coon mix? Here's what you need to know
Closeup of a Maine Coon's face

There are plenty of big and fluffy cats out there, but one of the best-known breeds fitting this description is the Maine Coon. These cats are not only impressive in size, but they also tend to have fantastic personalities that make them beloved family pets. While purebred Maine Coons are a little more uncommon in rescues and shelters, it's possible to adopt a Maine Coon mix that still has some of the breed's distinctive characteristics.

While telling exactly which breeds your cat is can be a little tricky, it's worth doing some investigative work to better understand your feline's background and what that might mean for the care he needs during his life.
Where do Maine Coon cats come from?
You may have heard that the Maine Coon Cate originated from a fantastical cross between a feline and a raccoon. Of course, this didn't really happen, but it could be where they get the name. (Another option, from a ship's captain who brought the first of these kitties ashore.)

Read more