Kitten Loves the Outdoors

[Alpha1]

I just took my kitten out again today in the back yard with his harness on. He loves to play in the grass and step with his back legs, rocking his hindquarters, stalking and pouncing on an unsuspecting pinecone.

He doesn't fight me at all putting the harness on, it's almost like he knows he's going to be able to have some outdoor fun in nature.

[skarlett88]

That's one lucky kitten. :-) So glad he's able to experience the great outdoors in this safe way.

[Alpha1]

I like to keep him safe, but it's so tempting to let him roam free.

[skarlett88]

Maybe you can give him this freedom when he's older and would be better able to defend himself and/or run away should the need arise. How old your kitten now?

[Alpha1]

Maybe you can give him this freedom when he's older and would be better able to defend himself and/or run away should the need arise. How old your kitten now?

He'll be 8 months old on April 14th. He does seem too small to let loose at this point. Even the aggressive Magpie birds in the yard may give him a hard time...or an eye injury.

[Alpha1]

Well, just was out in the yard for a couple of hours with the cat AND the dog for the first time today. Initially, I had the harness on the cat, just in case he got scared of the dog or something.

Well, I wanted to get the barbeque ready for my husband, so I tied the leash rope to the porch post. Within minutes, the cat jumped on top of the dog bed area, and, of course, the line got tangled around a few things until it was taut. He wriggled his way out of the harness completely, and I had a leash with an empty harness. Good for a laugh when I showed it to hubby.

Anyhoo, we decided to keep him loose out there with the dog, under my supervision. The cat was cautious, as he normally is out there, and the dog was very nice with him. Hans playfully chased the cat at one point, and luckily, rather than hopping the fence or climbing high up in a tree, the kitten ran to the porch for protection...perfect.

Will go out again with them for awhile later, the kitten has to get used to everything, especially if we take him camping with us. Hoping for the best!

[skarlett88]

Awww, that's such a great story! So good the kitten gets along with the dog so well. Can't wait to hear about your camping adventures with the pets along!

[wombat]

Ahh thats lovely, Ill bet the dog and cat will be sleeping together soon, and it will be great for youbeing able to take them camping.

[Alpha1]

Ahh thats lovely, Ill bet the dog and cat will be sleeping together soon, and it will be great for youbeing able to take them camping.

Thanks wombat! They've been slowly getting to be closer pals since we got the kitten in December. My hubby said that he saw the kitten leaning up against my dog's rump last night while they both slept in our bed, near my feet...so the trust and bond is developing for sure.

[Alpha1]

Update: We've been very successful in training Loki to be a backyard cat, and stay within our fenced area. He's been allowed outside visits several times a day, usually for around an hour, with frequent checking on him to make sure he's still there and okay.

He's learned not to climb too high into the pine and spruce trees, and now only playfully runs up the trunk around 5-6 feet high, and turns around and comes back to the ground.

We've been letting Hans and Loki go out together now, and they get along just fine. No chasing or bad behavior. The kitten is almost like having another little dog. Very sweet together, glad it's working out so well. Aaaah, time to relax.

[Kaoticharmony]

There's a thing you can add on to your fence that will keep your cat in your yard and others out of it. We made out own from a picture and it worked fine.

Anastasia LOVED our dog...in fact all the cats did. Ana had a special relationship with Shimashita. She liked to go outside and run with her. They would run back and forth across the yard. Shima took good care of Ana and Ana always stayed right next to her dog. Shima was always wonderful with our other pets. We used to live in a condo with this tiny back yard and we would put our rabbits outside for a few hours a day when the weather was nice. When it was time to bring them in we would tell Shima to go find the bunnies and she would guide them to the door.
shima-firstmeeting.jpgShima was 4 week old baby Morpheus (first time meeting)

[ihatepuns]

How well do cats actually take to the harnesses? Any tips or tricks? I know I would be scratched alive if I tried with one of mine...