My cats are already indoor/outdoor, but trying a harness on either of them seems like it would lead nowhere good. Cortez would probably imitate Miss Kitty, Suzi.

(IOW, Avon has been winning a war of attrition on the 7 am feeding time. Monday morning I was started awake at 4:15 or so and he was standing on the edge of the bed, STARING AT ME. That is why we are harness training him.)

Free feeding solved the "feed me now!" problem for us. I leave dry food out all the time. They eat when they want. They get soft food twice a day. They are all at good weights according to the vet. Leo still wakes me up most mornings around 5am, but he wants attention, not food. I rub his tummy and go back to sleep.

The harness was a hilarious failure with Leo. I tried every configuration, every harness, I tried tightening it and loosening it, no way. I don't know how he got loose, he would just turn to liquid and pour himself out of it. I've never even tried it with the others.

Avon is a little chunky, and eats Kripkat's food-- KK has painful teeth so he leaves a lot on the plate-- so free-feeding won't work, unfortunately.

Yeah, until the vet tells me otherwise, my cat is free-fed dry food. Which doesn't mean he doesn't sometimes wake me up.

I don't know how he got loose, he would just turn to liquid and pour himself out of it.

That's what Dread Beastie did. It was amazing to watch. But no harnesses for any of the other kitties, mostly because when we've adopted them, we've had to sign waivers saying we'd never ever let them outside.

We free-feed both cats dry food. In fact, when I offered wet food, neither one was particularly interested, which amazed me. Tuna they'll eat, though, as a treat.

I try to just fill the bowls twice a day, though, because they're both big guys, and neither one of them needs to weigh any more. But they're also getting more exercise now that the weather's nice.

Amon might have liked a harness. Hubby and I tried to go for a walk around the block once, and he followed us, crying horribly, "Where are you going! Why are you leaving me! Please come back!" Maybe he'd have been happy to come with us.

Crap, now I'm missing him all over again.

We had to stop the free feeding cause Miss Kitty was turning into a big ball of fur. But now that she has Noodle chasing her, she gets a lot more exercise. Will talk with the vet at their next visit cause these early morning wake ups are killing me. (And with school being done for CJ, he won't feed them before I get up during the week).

But no harnesses for any of the other kitties, mostly because when we've adopted them, we've had to sign waivers saying we'd never ever let them outside.

I'd happily keep all mine safely in the house always. Leo is the only real problem child, though. When we lived in the apartment, he showed no interest in the outdoors, but when we moved to the house and I started leaving the patio door open (screen closed), he became interested in outside and then started running out whenever he could. I've finally started fencing in the porch; I don't want to because it closes out Sammie the porch cat who's adopted me, but he's left me no choice. Percy is very laid-back, he likes the outside but has never tried to get into it. Gray Cat was a stray and will never be content being inside-only; he becomes depressed and distrustful of me if he can't get outside every day. And Sammie the Porch Cat lives outside and isn't technically mine anyway since I can't even get him in a carrier.

Suzy - have you tried a regular collar and leash?

Just a six-foot leash. Attach it to the collar as normal, then pull it straight back, wrap the leash around your cat, just under his/her forelegs and wrap the under underneath the loop.

It makes the best fitting harness I have ever had for my cat and the simplest. And she accepts it much better than she ever did the other sort of harness.