You plan to initiate your 6 month old kitten to walk on a leash, to traveling by car or to walk outside but you hesitate between choosing him a harness or collar.
What is better to select for a 6 month old kitten, what will be the advantages and disadvantages of a collar and harness, how to choose a collar or harness for a 6 month old kitten and how to get him used to to wear it ?
Here are my recommendations so that you make the right choice and that your kitten accepts the equipment you choose as easily and as well as possible.
Choosing a collar for a 6 month old kitten?
A 6 month old kitten has a particular anatomy that must be taken into account when choosing between the most suitable equipment. We will see the main specificities of collars for 6 month old kittens.
Collar for 6 month old kitten - Benefits
The 1st advantage of choosing a collar for your 6-month-old kitten is that it allows you to identify your kitten if the latter were to get lost (see how to find a lost cat?). In practice, it is quite easy to attach an authentication medal to the collar or to choose a collar with the identification information engraved.
The second advantage of choosing a collar for a 6 month old kitten is that it is convenient to put on (compared to the harness). Indeed, nothing could be more childish than putting a collar on your 6 month old kitten. As a result, you can equip your cat easily and quickly without getting upset ...
Another interest in choosing a collar for a 6 month old kitten is its aesthetic side. In fact, we can find some really cool necklaces that will give your kitten a crazy look!
Collar for 6 month old kitten - Defects
Some kittens at the age of 6 months can be a little crazy and restless. They will tend to pull on their leash during walks. Thus, for these kittens who are a little too full of energy, wearing a collar can be unpleasant or even dangerous.
Indeed, when your kitten begins to pull on its leash, the collar can quickly strangle it, prevent it from breathing and even be painful around the throat. Fortunately, however, there are anti-choke collars which can be perfectly adapted to a 6 month old kitten.
Another concern of the collar for a 6 month old kitten is that some kittens will be extremely agile and clever. Suddenly, if they want to remove the collar, they could be able to get rid of it more easily than if they are equipped with a harness ...
Should you choose a harness for a 6 month old kitten?
Prefering a harness for a 6 month old kitten will have more advantages over the collar but also a small problem that I suggest you discover further.
Harness for 6 month old kitten - advantages
Kitten safety
The first advantage of the harness compared to the collar is its safety. Indeed, to take your kitten out without fear of it escaping, the harness is ideal. In fact, the harness is perfectly adapted to the morphology of a small 6 month old cat and adjustable to its size. Thus, well adjusted, your kitten, even very agile, will not manage to withdraw from it.
Kitten comfort
- Mostly made of nylon, kitten harnesses are really light which will allow the kitten to support it without even noticing it. As soon as it is in place, the kitten will quickly forget that it is wearing a harness.
- Specifically designed for the morphology of your 6 month old kitten, the harness will allow the traction to be distributed over his body without risk of strangulation.
- In addition, the straps of special harnesses for kittens are thinner than those of harnesses for adult cats. As a result, the harness will not hinder your kitten's movements, especially since it is adaptable to the millimeter to allow precision adjustment according to the size of your 6-month-old kitten.
Ideal equipment for the car
If you want to avoid placing your kitten in a crate when traveling by car, you can familiarize her with wearing the harness. Indeed, with a harness, your kitten will be attached to a chair in the car to travel. It is more comfortable for the kitten than staying locked in a carrier. The harness in the car also allows your 6 month old kitten to be secure and protected in the event of an impact since it remains well attached.
Harness for 6 month old kitten - Disadvantages
The only downside to the harness for a 6 month old kitten is that it is more difficult to put on than a simple collar. You will need to be able to handle your kitten without getting scratched to put on its harness. But with a little learning, the kitten will quickly get used to it and will let it go more easily.
Choosing a harness for a 6 month old kitten?
Apart from its aesthetic aspect, a good harness for a 6 month old kitten will be a harness:
- Comfortable and light to wear for your kitten to put it on with envy!
- Of good quality so that it does not deteriorate too quickly and does not come loose, that the fasteners do not rust;
- Secured and in fact resistant and equipped with reliable and secure closures;
- Practical : Whether it is simple to open and close, convenient to install.
- The right size and adjustable: The The harness must have many adjustment points to allow adjustment to the nearest millimeter (better comfort and optimal safety). Thus, it must be perfectly adapted to the size of the 6 month old kitten.
Harness size for a 6 month old kitten
The size of the harness is decisive to guarantee the comfort and safety of your 6 month old kitty. That is why, the harness you will take should not be too tight or too large . It must perfectly fit the kitten's body and give it ease in its movements.
To determine the correct size, it is best that you measure your cat's neck, chest length and back length.
But for most harnesses sold on the internet, the size is not always indicated in centimeters.
Here are the main correspondences that could be useful to order the right size, especially for the harness recommended below:
- XS: from 22 to 25 cm for kittens from 3 to 4 months of less than 2 kg
- S: from 26 to 31 cm for kittens from 4 to 6 months from 2 kg to 3 kg
- M: from 32 to 36 cm for kittens from 6 months and medium adult cats from 3 to 4,5 kg
- L: from 37 to 42 cm for adult cats from 5 to 7 kg
What harness for a 6 month old kitten?
Among the large range of harnesses on the net, I chose 2 different models that meet all the requirements for a harness suitable for kittens (adjustable, comfortable, secure and practical).
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Getting a 6 month old kitten used to wearing a harness
/–> /–>For a kitten to get used to wearing a harness, it must be learned early enough and in progress.
A kitten can become familiar with wearing a harness from thethree months old :
- First, you must present the harness to your kitten without putting it in place, simply placing it in front of him so that he sees it and sniffs it.
- The next day, you will begin to put the harness on very carefully. You will only leave it for a few minutes.
- Then the next day, you can put the harness on and leave it for a little longer. Day after day, the kitten will accept it more easily. Remember to congratulate him when he can no longer resist putting it on. A treat can be motivating so that he accepts it more easily the following times.