sweet peas and cat walking

our high scent sweet peas have finally bloomed and their smell is like heaven. the seeds were planted in march, when kati was just a dream. since i purchased one of the strongest smelling varieties, i fantasized that they'd attract a stray cat to our garden. naturally we'd call her sweet pea, she'd come in and stay with us and we'd live happily ever after, john, me and our sweet pea.=)

in reality, we got kati before the plants were three inches high, something's drawn to the garden and it's leaving three inch brown presents in the soil that i'm absentmindedly mooshing in my hands, and i can hardly go outside without someone meowing pitifully from the window.

so i was holding kati on the leash when i took the sweet pea photo. actually kati was yanking me, probably in the direction of a bird. she's obsessed. i will pay a hundred dollars for a cat toy that flies around indoors and mimics a bird. someone's gotta make those by now.

kati has gotten a lot better with her harness. there's room for improvement, but she's walking. when we first started she'd just stand or lie down. now she'll trot alongside of me! but mostly she wants to sniff, climb trees, lay under cars/bushes, and munch on grass/bugs. and of course, stalk birds.

what i've learned about cat walking:

take it slow. most cats do not like harnesses, but they do love treats. training your cat to accept the harness with treats is the first step, and it takes time. this article and video really helped.

be positive and patient. it's easy to get discouraged when your poor cat is trying to wiggle her cute little self out of the harness or she's hissing at you. remember that the rewards of safely taking your cat outside await you! keep telling yourself that it will happen, it just takes time.

it's a battle of wills. kati naturally wants to explore every area i don't want her to go (i.e. neighbor's yards, the street.) this is where we stand our ground for minutes until she finally caves and moves in another direction. i also stand in front of the direction she wants to go, and this usually makes her choose another route.

make sure the harness is tight, but comfortable. we tried one from petsmart that was too small and difficult to put on, so i returned it and ordered a nice walking jacket online. also, don't spray water near a cat. like a dummy i tried to powerwash and water the garden with her there. both times she flipped and got out of her harness. luckily i was able to catch her; now she wears her jacket a bit more snug.