Remember the medieval ball and chain used to restraint a prisoner in a dungeon? Well, here's a pet product that used the same concept ... for cats!
Backyard Cat works by disturbing your cat's balance when attempting to jump. Backyard Cat takes the recreation out of jumping. The entire Backyard Cat device, including the cable, weighs about one pound. Backyard Cat has been tested under the supervision of a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.
Backyard Cat is a revolutionary training system that teaches your cat acceptable jumping behaviors. The Backyard Cat training system includes all of the elements you will need to produce the behavior change in your cat. The change in jumping behavior will provide your cat the opporotunity to roam around fenced property without the worry of jumping over a fence.
A cat would rather be able to do what comes natural to them and roam outside every now and then rather then be couped up in a house getting fat.
We already have a harness for him and we have a leash we walk him on, and a tether that is staked and prevents him from reaching the fence even though he struggles against it. The harness and tether work well, but he can get out of it if he gets in the right situation. So the option is to buy $500 worth of netting for the top of the fence, or some alternate means. I haven't tried this product, but it looks promising based on those that have actually used it!
Keep your cats inside, by all means.
You are not supposed to leave it on inside. Just when it goes outside.
My neighbors put up over $1500 of extra fencing etc. It looks ugly, but works pretty well.
I ran this idea by my Vet and he thought it was a good idea. He said he would never endorse it because cat owners are psychotic and he is afraid of repercussions. I guess you folks are proving him correct.
That is what responsible pet owners do.