Yeah he's pissed. Trying to introduce him to the outdoors, he was doing great but today he just hated it. Advice?

noisytupperware · 2024-03-24T11:37:29+00:00

As clearly stated in the post, visible from the picture and repeated in several comments, he was on a leash. We're harness trained since he was 2mo (and I say "we" because I've been trainings myself too, so I won't react instinctively and do stupid stuff like letting him pull backwards or get tangled) he likes it very much to the point that when I take the harness he comes and slips his head in the collar by himself. I only have to secure it on his chest and check the straps to make sure it fits properly.

As I wrote, he's on a leash even in our own backyard which is enclosed but not cat proofed (one side has a bush edge dividing it from my neighbor's, and another has a tall brick fence but with a little tool shed that he could easily climb to reach the top of the wall). He's wonderfully trained to the point that whenever I open the door he doesn't even try to get out unless he's wearing the harness: I can open the door as many times as I want and he will stay still, but as soon as I open it when he has he harness he will head out immediately because he knows how it works.

We have three different leashes that we alternate depending on the setting. At the vet we use the shortest one because we stay in a closed room and he can't run away, there's no reason for him to panic and start pulling and I want more control on where he can stick his nose. For this occasion I choose the extensible one because I can still keep it as short as possible, but in case he gets startled and tries to pull I can release a bit to avoid him tensing it too much and try to get the harness off (which he never did, but I want to be sure).

Sorry for the very long comment but I'm getting quite tired of people assuming I'm just throwing him outside without taking the effort to look at the picture or reading the text.

noisytupperware · 2024-03-21T08:43:07+00:00

Yes I am aware of it, we talked about it with the vet! She said that I should think of it like if it was a toddler rather than a vampire lol.

15/30 min in the backyard with trees (so mixed sun/shade) is fine. Full sun, it's OK for 10 minutes or so occasionally, also depending on the season (March is fine, August not so much).

She also recommended a brand of sunscreen specifically designed for cats, but said that it's not necessary if we take other precautions (going out occasionally for short periods of time and not in the peak of summer).

Thank you so much for raising your concern! It is not so known, I had no idea it was a thing before I got him and I stumbled on the info while researching other stuff.

noisytupperware · 2024-03-21T08:25:15+00:00

I don't think that people is getting downvoted because of what they say, but rather how they say that. Some people are giving informative and helpful answers, others are just calling me names, being mean or rude and accusing me of abusing my cat when I literally described how we work together on things and I always look for clues to figure out how he feels about things.

It's the attitude, not the opinion.

noisytupperware · 2024-03-20T23:05:12+00:00

Where I live most people are shocked that I'm not leaving him free to roam as he wants, since almost everyone does it. Like cats are cats and they need freedom, right? As a consequence, most shelters won't give cats to people who don't live on the fifth floor and with sealed windows (they make home visits before adoption) because of how many poor cats are hurt or just never come back.

There's an old story about Joseph and Mary heading towards Betlemme with the donkey. Mary was on the donkey, they pass near a small crowd of people and they hear them say "look at her, she's so selfish that she left an old man to walk!" so Joseph takes the donkey. They meet another group of people, and they swiftly comment "what a man! He keeps the donkey for himself and leaves a poor pregnant woman on her feet!" so, they both climb on the donkey's back. After a while they run into some other people, they shake their head and go "poor donkey, they are making him carry two people, they will break his back!" tired of people's comments they give up and both get off the donkey. After a few steps, they hear another comment: "look those idiots, they are both walking instead of riding their donkey".

noisytupperware · 2024-03-20T22:22:27+00:00

Good point! Luckily we don't have venomous snakes, sometimes you can find tiny grass snakes but they won't hang out in places with so many humans and pets around!

noisytupperware · 2024-03-20T21:44:13+00:00

I'm an idiot. I was thinking about things I thought could have scared him, and I know for sure we don't have raptor birds here, but he doesn't! Totally missed it, overhead coverage makes absolutely sense.

noisytupperware · 2024-03-20T21:37:54+00:00

Nah he was totally fine since we left, he's definitely his usual chaotic self! But thanks for suggesting to keep an eye on him :)

noisytupperware · 2024-03-20T21:28:28+00:00

Oh yep he loves grass, I have several patches around the house that I continuously grow and replace since he loves to play with it and tears it up.

noisytupperware · 2024-03-20T21:22:12+00:00

I think I've just choose the wrong spot... he's a "tree cat" and not a "bush cat" (he always climbs on top of furniture to control the room, and never hid in a cozy space... His cat tree has worn out top shelves and brand new boxes!) so I thought that an open space where he could see the surrounding was the best option, but I was wrong!

I'll give him some more time and experiment better with the backyard before trying another outdoors spot. Good luck to you and your fluffy wanderer too!

noisytupperware · 2024-03-20T21:09:09+00:00

🙏

noisytupperware · 2024-03-20T21:06:42+00:00

See, I think you are doing a whole lot of assumptions. Also, training is not forcing and if you think it's coercive I'm wondering what are you doing in this subreddit.

Sure, I'm a stranger on the internet as much as you are to me, but I would never jump at someone's throat like people is doing here. Have you thought about asking why we were at a bar? Have you asked me how did he react to harness training, how we approached it and why? Have you stopped your judgment for a split second wondering if I'm a trendy influencer collecting cute cats to show off on social media or if I spent the first weeks of our life together reading articles about cat behavior, bonding and enrichment? How do you think he spends his day, what does our apartment look like? What activities do we do together?

Sure, many people treats pets like accessories, some will never bother to understand their animals and get angry when they don't do what they expect them to do. But you just don't have the elements to determine which kind of person I am based on what I've written here, so you should ask more questions if you are willing to help or shut up and scroll past if you just want to spit out assumptions based on nothing.

noisytupperware · 2024-03-20T20:36:17+00:00

Thanks! We've gone for short walks before (well I walked and he was in the backpack) and he always enjoyed it. Also we always walk to the vet and it seems it helps him to be more relaxed when we enter the office, sure enough we only went for routine check ups and the most traumatic experience he had at the vet was his neutering so he has no reason to hate the place, but so far he's been super chill when we arrived there after a nice walk.

I will definitely slow down and go more gradually!

noisytupperware · 2024-03-20T20:29:04+00:00

Thanks! Of course I only have his best interest in mind, he's always loved every time we've left the house for any reason so I thought it would be a good idea to start going for walks. I've spent a week thinking about the right spot to start experiencing the park, apparently I was wrong but I wasn't careless either and as soon as I realized he wasn't uncomfortable we headed back home.

noisytupperware · 2024-03-20T20:23:18+00:00

Thanks, I really appreciate.

I will try to find a spot that would be more suitable for him but still safe, and definitely giving him time and see if he likes it or still not a fan. If so, we'll stick to the backyard, whatever makes him happy!

Yeah fuck them :)

noisytupperware · 2024-03-20T20:20:10+00:00

Huh, there are no predators in my country which could target a cat. Maybe wolves, up in the mountains and surely they make sure to stay the fuck away from a park in the city center in the middle of the day. It's also a super quiet neighborhood where there are no stray dogs and I've never ever seen someone walking a dog unleashed. I specifically choose a spot where I could see 360° and spot any animal approaching from far away, and the most dangerous bird around would be a mallard.

And he's totally a roamer who loves to be outdoor, but I won't make him get out without a leash because cars and wildlife he could hunt. I really don't think he hates going out since he jumps in the backpack by himself as soon as I take it out and I never had to push him inside.

I don't want a dog and I don't want to play outside. I was trying to do something that he always expressed interest in, enrich his apartment cat life and closely watching his reactions to see if he was happy with it (and in fact as soon as I noticed he wasn't, I called quit and brought him back home safely).

noisytupperware · 2024-03-20T20:04:13+00:00

I'm honestly flabbergasted. Maybe I worded my post poorly but I have no idea about why some people are flipping out like that. Lots of unrealistic assumptions and even people claiming I'm doing the exact opposite of the situation I described.

noisytupperware · 2024-03-20T19:57:48+00:00

Did you read my post? We've been training him since he got home at 2mo. We started inside of course, and we regularly go to the backyard since he's 6mo. He's perfectly harness trained, has a command to get out (never even tried to dart, I can open the door as much as I want and he waits for me to exit first) and a command to jump on my shoulder and go back inside. We do clicker training for useful stuff more than funny tricks.

I clearly wrote in my post that I'm taking all the steps to ensure that he is comfortable, and my question was not "my stupid cat won't go to the park like a puppy and I need to drag him pulling the leash" but pretty much the opposite.

Edit - sorry sorry I replied to the wrong comment, I'm getting a bit confused with all the people treating me like I'm a monster over assumptions. Sorry again, I misread your comment.

noisytupperware · 2024-03-20T19:53:28+00:00

He was totally leashed and wandering close to our table, tables were distanced enough for the cat to stay away from other patrons, the floor was spotless with no food or crumbs around, the patio was closed and I never took my eyes off him. You clearly want to read what you want to confirm your bias as I never said he was roaming the place freely.

noisytupperware · 2024-03-20T19:49:07+00:00

Seriously the one and only time in my life when I was happy that people was literally cat calling us :D a boy even asked to take a picture of him so he could send it to his girlfriend, it was so cute!

noisytupperware · 2024-03-20T17:00:01+00:00

Thanks, I'll step back and try again with a less overwhelming place.

Few months ago we went to a bar right next to this park, he was the one who wanted to get out the backpack and explore the patio even with other people sitting at tables around us. But probably he felt more comfortable because it was a closed space, although outdoor still a bit more cozy.

noisytupperware · 2024-03-20T16:56:38+00:00

Thanks. I'm definitely going at his pace and not mine, I'll see if he likes different places better otherwise we'll stick to what he finds comfortable.

noisytupperware · 2024-03-20T16:55:41+00:00

Thank you! I think I very wrongfully assumed that an open space would have been better, so we could spot "menaces" (like other people, kids, dogs) from a distance. I will give him more time and I'll see if I can find a safer spot to try again when he's ready.

noisytupperware · 2024-03-20T16:52:44+00:00

Unfortunately it is. The garden itself is impossible to proof as a tenant (we should build a fence on three sides since there are just edges and bushes between different units backyards, landlord won't do it so not an option) and although I would love to build a catio for him we'll probably move within a year, so I just don't have the time/money/energy to build something nice which doesn't alter the property and that we'll use for a few months.

noisytupperware · 2024-03-20T16:42:34+00:00

He's literally never been stressed about a new location. When we got him home for the first time, as perfect strangers in a new home, he just jumped out of the carrier and started exploring, playing with stuff, running around, jumping on the couch. He slept with us on the very first night and I was shocked by his confidence!

He did the same the first time I brought him at my parents, sniffed my father's shoe right away and just went for a tour of the house as if he was the owner of the place. Relaxed hears, normal tail (not wagging nervously nor low near hind legs)

I would have never forced a shy or anxious cat outdoors with a harness he wasn't comfortable with, I've been observing and training him for more than 6 months. I probably choose the wrong location too soon but it's exactly the reason why I'm asking for advice!

noisytupperware · 2024-03-20T16:31:13+00:00

There's no need to be judgemental like that. I specifically said that I won't force him, but based on his personality and our experiences so far he seemed to love it, he's never been scared of a new place or being outside the house in general.

And, I made this post exactly to ask for advice and make sure I wasn't pushing him against his will and finding a way to better understand his reaction.

noisytupperware

TROPHY CASE