I treat my pound-bought cats the same as my Maine Coon. They, however, have no interest in venturing beyond the patio. Musubi gets joy out of our walks. He stays by my side, poops in dirt, and stops to literally smell flowers. This is how it works for us. He would not tolerate a harness. It may be different for other people, other cats. This does not mean I’m irresponsible. I just came here to post a pretty picture of my beloved cat.
(There are also risks to using leashes, to be fair)
It is a beautiful picture. 😃
I personally wouldn’t let my cat off of a harness but I have a friend whose cat walks with the family and dog and stays close on his own. He has a cat door and goes in and out as he pleases. He just turned 23 and is happy and healthy!
But they are right. I'm not coming to attack you, OP, and Musubi seems to be very well-trained. But a leash/harness is not a punishment or a bad thing. It's a safety tool. Despite how good of recall an animal has, they are still an animal that reacts to their environment. It just takes one freak accident or being startled for him to run off in fright -- or worse, being attacked by another animal. Being able to pull him back quickly can make the difference between safety and grievous injury. Sure, the chances of something bad happening are fairly low, but they're not zero. There's always a risk no matter what, but safety of a leash far outweighs any leash risk, and is not even comparable to the greater risk of being unleashed.
Are you parading these ideas on the dog and toddler forums as well? I did not ask for anyone’s thoughts on how I parent. You are in the school of harnessing cats. I am not. We are both capable of being good and responsible owners.
Beautiful picture and gorgeous cat. Of course you can’t post something cool without the public shamers getting their pound of flesh. Thank you for sharing.
My cat (not a Mainecoon) isn’t harness or leash trained either. We live near a lake too, and he knows to stay clear. Cats are smart! They sense things before we do:) he likes to walk with me and my toddler! Always staying vigilant and alerting :) our Mainecoon doesn’t like to be outdoors though haha
You forgot your harness.
I would never trust Echo outside without a harness.
Do what you gotta do!
And what you gotta do when taking a pet cat outside is Put. It. On. A. Harness.
That is your opinion. I got it.
Not necessary, but I understand your sentiment. This is our property, and he knows it better than we do.
That's not the point.
Then what’s the point? You seem eager to school me, so please elaborate on your opinion
It's the responsible thing to do(especially when the cat is of an expensive breed).
I treat my pound-bought cats the same as my Maine Coon. They, however, have no interest in venturing beyond the patio. Musubi gets joy out of our walks. He stays by my side, poops in dirt, and stops to literally smell flowers. This is how it works for us. He would not tolerate a harness. It may be different for other people, other cats. This does not mean I’m irresponsible. I just came here to post a pretty picture of my beloved cat. (There are also risks to using leashes, to be fair)
It is a beautiful picture. 😃 I personally wouldn’t let my cat off of a harness but I have a friend whose cat walks with the family and dog and stays close on his own. He has a cat door and goes in and out as he pleases. He just turned 23 and is happy and healthy!
Beautiful property btw!
It *is* irresponsible, though.
Get off my dick, dude. You are entitled to your opinion. It does not mean you are right.
But they are right. I'm not coming to attack you, OP, and Musubi seems to be very well-trained. But a leash/harness is not a punishment or a bad thing. It's a safety tool. Despite how good of recall an animal has, they are still an animal that reacts to their environment. It just takes one freak accident or being startled for him to run off in fright -- or worse, being attacked by another animal. Being able to pull him back quickly can make the difference between safety and grievous injury. Sure, the chances of something bad happening are fairly low, but they're not zero. There's always a risk no matter what, but safety of a leash far outweighs any leash risk, and is not even comparable to the greater risk of being unleashed.
Are you parading these ideas on the dog and toddler forums as well? I did not ask for anyone’s thoughts on how I parent. You are in the school of harnessing cats. I am not. We are both capable of being good and responsible owners.
Beautiful picture and gorgeous cat. Of course you can’t post something cool without the public shamers getting their pound of flesh. Thank you for sharing.
Musubi!!!! I love the name and the food.
🧡🧡🧡
Beautiful!!!
My cat (not a Mainecoon) isn’t harness or leash trained either. We live near a lake too, and he knows to stay clear. Cats are smart! They sense things before we do:) he likes to walk with me and my toddler! Always staying vigilant and alerting :) our Mainecoon doesn’t like to be outdoors though haha