# Question for other coati owners



## mrcriss (Nov 2, 2010)

Hello there....

So recently, I've been having harness troubles with Kenny. He's getting so strong that the harness clips keep failing. Here's a link to the one I've been using.

Reflective and Glow in the Dark Cat Harness and Lead Set by Pets at Home | Pets at Home

So which ones do you use for your coatis? Hopefully you'll be able to point me in the direction for an amazing coati-proof harness.

Cheers x


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## suity (Aug 4, 2009)

Have you tried a normal collar? I know they work far far better than harnesses for raccoons, I haven't tried either on my coatis yet though.


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## mrcriss (Nov 2, 2010)

suity said:


> Have you tried a normal collar? I know they work far far better than harnesses for raccoons, I haven't tried either on my coatis yet though.


I reckon he'd slip that in no time....and seeing as they're so much faster than raccoons, I'd never be able to catch him.


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## fantapants (Jan 4, 2008)

I only use the Ferplast self ratcheting harnesses on the raccoons as they can be undone through force . Amazon is a good place for them, I use extra small on teddy and small on Atuki raccoons.


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## mrcriss (Nov 2, 2010)

fantapants said:


> I only use the Ferplast self ratcheting harnesses on the raccoons as they can be undone through force . Amazon is a good place for them, I use extra small on teddy and small on Atuki raccoons.


Just googled them...quite pricey, but if they're worth it, then maybe I should invest. 

You said they _*can*_ be undone through force. What does that mean? That they come undone if pulled hard enough?

Cheers:2thumb:


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## mrcriss (Nov 2, 2010)

Also, is that harness something that can be left on all the time? (i.e. won't restrict movement/climbing etc)

Just because it's near impossible to hold Kenny still to get a harness on him, so wouldn't want to do that every day!


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## 5plusmany (Sep 29, 2011)

I don't know how food orientated coatis are but I've been having harness-slipping problems with Sally, so I've started clicker training her. The idea being if she slips the harness she should follow 
the clicker..depends how headstrong he is really!


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## paulajo (Oct 13, 2010)

There much cheaper on here :2thumb:

Ferplast Ergocomfort Harness Dog Harnesses for Sale


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## mrcriss (Nov 2, 2010)

5plusmany said:


> I don't know how food orientated coatis are but I've been having harness-slipping problems with Sally, so I've started clicker training her. The idea being if she slips the harness she should follow
> the clicker..depends how headstrong he is really!


Not so sure that would work tbh......he'd just bolt up a tree. 

Also I don't usually take treats out with me 'cos he'd just be constantly trying to rape my pockets for them.....I've had a couple of pairs of jeans just destroyed by his claws!


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## mrcriss (Nov 2, 2010)

paulajo said:


> There much cheaper on here :2thumb:
> 
> Ferplast Ergocomfort Harness Dog Harnesses for Sale


Thank you. Can those be left on permanently?


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## paulajo (Oct 13, 2010)

Ooh eck i dont know, sorry! I'm just really nosey and love reading everything so thought i'd have a look at what you were talking about :blush:

Nosey but know knowledge what so ever about them :whistling2:

Blinking heck, Amazon were pricey though!!


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## suity (Aug 4, 2009)

I wouldn't leave any harness on any animal, especially not a coati... too much that could go wrong with them jumping around and climbing on their branches!

I'm going to try a collar on one of my pair tomorrow. I have never been able to find a harness that my raccoons can't slip out of, but we changed to collars and never had a single incident. I think a decent collar could work... I'll let you know how it works.


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## mrcriss (Nov 2, 2010)

suity said:


> I wouldn't leave any harness on any animal, especially not a coati... too much that could go wrong with them jumping around and climbing on their branches!
> 
> I'm going to try a collar on one of my pair tomorrow. I have never been able to find a harness that my raccoons can't slip out of, but we changed to collars and never had a single incident. I think a decent collar could work... I'll let you know how it works.


Well, the reason why I asked that question is because the harness that Kenny has at the moment is perfectly fine staying on him permanently. It never gets in the way, and won't snag on anything as it fits very snugly (is that even a word? not sure, but then again, I'm a bit drunk:2thumb. As coati's hate to be restrained...wrestling him each day to put a harness on would take WAY more effort than it's worth and would mean WAY more stress on the animal. Besides, every raccoon keeper that I know also keeps the harness on permanently. My good friend's raccoon (like my coati) seems to feel insecure and freak out when the harness comes off until it's fixed on again. 

Just using a collar wouldn't work on a coati because of the way they tug back and forth, and because of the slanted shape of their head.....it would slip off in an instant, and I'd never see him again.


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## mrcriss (Nov 2, 2010)

.......which would be 'orrible


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## suity (Aug 4, 2009)

The danger with the harnesses isn't the 'looped' parts that go around the neck or torso, it's the little strap that connects the two. That part usually has even a little bit of slack even if the other two parts are nice and snug, and that's where the danger lies. If that strap got caught around a branch in the enclosure it would be awful. It's just my opinion but I would never leave a harness like that on a raccoon, coati or any animal.

I see what you mean about the collar... I will give it a go tomorrow if I have time and see what happens. Never in my life did I think it would work on a raccoon but collars are the only thing I use on them now, they've never ever slipped out of one. I know with the extra wriggliness of a coati and the slender shaped head that it probably wouldn't work... but still I'll try it and see what happens .


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## mrcriss (Nov 2, 2010)

suity said:


> The danger with the harnesses isn't the 'looped' parts that go around the neck or torso, it's the little strap that connects the two. That part usually has even a little bit of slack even if the other two parts are nice and snug, and that's where the danger lies. If that strap got caught around a branch in the enclosure it would be awful. It's just my opinion but I would never leave a harness like that on a raccoon, coati or any animal.


Maybe it's my fuzzy brain this morning (I seriously hope the Queen has as bad a hangover as I do today!), but I can't really explain why I don't think that'll happen. The fit of the harness / the fixtures in the enclosure....blah blah blah...it's really going to be fine.:2thumb:

Anyway, this is more about me just finding a nice strong harness that i can leave on....not really the pros and cons of leaving one on. For Kenny's sake, the stress and struggles that come with getting the harness on in the first place, just aren't worth it to do it every day.

Sorry if this sounds dismissive (I really don't mean it to), but I have the mother of all head pain right now.:blush:


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## mrcriss (Nov 2, 2010)

Sorry again if that made me sound like a knob.....I do genuinely take in and consider every point of view. (I'm not the best at expressing myself when I've got the morning wobbles!)


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## suity (Aug 4, 2009)

You're alright dude, you're not a knob haha! Sorry I didn't mean to derail your thread. I'll follow it closely because I've tried lots of harnesses but the best ones I've used are the normal ones I see Kenny wearing in the pics! If there are better ones out there I'd like to know too.


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## fantapants (Jan 4, 2008)

mrcriss said:


> Just googled them...quite pricey, but if they're worth it, then maybe I should invest.
> 
> You said they _*can*_ be undone through force. What does that mean? That they come undone if pulled hard enough?
> 
> Cheers:2thumb:


I have left atukis self ratcheting harnes on full time in the past and it only got removed when Teddy raccoon came along and helped him out of it during a dominance fight. And I meant to type they CAN'T get out by pulling forward, the design of the clips means that the more they pull the tighter the grip on the clips is. Of course the chance of them shuffling backwards and slipping out that ways possible but that only happened to me once and I managed to avoid it again by distracting Atuki if he tried his backwards shuffle. I spent a fortune on cheaper cat and rabbit harnesses before I bought the ratcheting harness and I have had that for almost a year now. Defffinatley recommended :2thumb:


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## mrcriss (Nov 2, 2010)

fantapants said:


> I have left atukis self ratcheting harnes on full time in the past and it only got removed when Teddy raccoon came along and helped him out of it during a dominance fight. And I meant to type they CAN'T get out by pulling forward, the design of the clips means that the more they pull the tighter the grip on the clips is. Of course the chance of them shuffling backwards and slipping out that ways possible but that only happened to me once and I managed to avoid it again by distracting Atuki if he tried his backwards shuffle. I spent a fortune on cheaper cat and rabbit harnesses before I bought the ratcheting harness and I have had that for almost a year now. Defffinatley recommended :2thumb:


Lovely....thanks for the reply. I'm kind of sold on the idea of these, they sound great! I wonder if there's a stockist that's not on the net? Just because it's a lot of cash to spend for me, only to find out that it's not suitable. I'd kinda like to check one out before I buy:2thumb:


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## fantapants (Jan 4, 2008)

mrcriss said:


> Lovely....thanks for the reply. I'm kind of sold on the idea of these, they sound great! I wonder if there's a stockist that's not on the net? Just because it's a lot of cash to spend for me, only to find out that it's not suitable. I'd kinda like to check one out before I buy:2thumb:


I haven't seen any in any pets hops but with amazon you can always return for a full refund


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## inkyjoe (Mar 31, 2008)

is kenny hand reared, or parent reared do you know?


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## mrcriss (Nov 2, 2010)

inkyjoe said:


> is kenny hand reared, or parent reared do you know?


He was hand-reared apparently, but I don't know who the breeder was.:2thumb:


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