Waffles Wednesday: My First Harness

Um, hi everybuddy. Waffles here.

Check out my new harness! Glogirly got it for me to see if I might want to eventually go on some outings and meet people.

It just arrived yesterday, so it's all still really new to me. It wasn't very fun to put on, but once she got it all adjusted and buckled I forgot all about it and started chasing my wand toy around.  She said she wanted me to associate something fun with my harness. And you KNOW how much I LOVE my wand toy!  The don't call me Air Waffles for nothing!

When my friend Odin from Cat Wisdom 101 found out I had a new harness, he got in touch right away. He's a very experienced harness kitty and thought it would be helpful to share some of his special tips and tricks, on account of I'm a beginner and all.

Odin's top 10 recommendations for harness newbies:

1. Make sure you're microchipped. Actually, even if you never go outside you should STILL be microchipped. Stuff happens when you least expect it. Both me and the Boss are microchipped. I think Glogirly should get microchipped too.
2. Start with the harness indoors. Get comfortable. Glogirly played with me and talked to me really nice. That made my harness more comfy.
3. Add the leash indoors first. Your human can pick up the leash, but they shouldn't pull or tug. They should follow YOU around. They can use something like a Neko Fly or other wand toy to encourage you to walk around. 
4. Keep your training sessions short. Start at 5 minutes and gradually increase.
5. Once you go outside, stay very close to home. Don't go near anything noisy like busy streets. Since we live in the city, Glogirly says she's going to look into taking me in the car to a very quiet park nearby. 
6. Have your human use a verbal cue like "outside" or "walkies."
7. They should reward all wanted behavior and ignore the rest.  
8. Consistency is super important. You should train at the same time everyday if possible. Before mealtime is best so you'll associate your training with your noms.
9. Commitment is super important too. It won't be long before you'll look forward to your outdoor sessions. Don't let your human be a slacker. 
10. Have fun!

In addition, Odin said this is a great time to practice basic training commands like Come, Sit & Stay. Glogirly says my learning curve is steep here. I don't know what that means, but I DO know that treats are involved so I'm ALL-IN. 

She said we're going to do a separate post about my Come, Sit and Stay training. And treats.

Odin-Cat Wisdom 101

We want to thank Cat Wisdom 101's Odin & Layla for their great tips on harness training! 

Since we are SO not the experts here, it's awfully nice to have smart friends that can help.  

Cat Wisdom 101 is also a finalist for The Petties. They're in the Best Cat Blog category.

AND, since you're probably heading over to vote... just sayin' !

Now for your daily Petties reminder...

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We need your votes to help win $1000 for some very special shelter kitties. Just a few miles from the Townhouse sits a small rescue shelter called Feline Rescue, Inc of St. Paul, Minnesota. Feline Rescue is a no-kill, all-volunteer cat rescue organization with shelter, foster and outreach programs. They provide safe shelter, veterinary care and socialization for stray, abandoned or abused cats until permanent homes can be found. 

Feline Rescue is one of the little guys making a big difference in the lives of homeless kitties.  And nothing would make us happier than being able to award them such a generous donation. 

Please take a moment to vote GLOGIRLY for Funniest Blog. And while you're at it, we've got a number of friends and fellow bloggers that are finalists in other categories. Each of them has selected an equally deserving shelter for their donations, should they win. 

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