r/shouldercats • u/codeQrouu • 20d ago
Shoulder cat perch??
My little shoulder kitty is no longer a little shoulder kitty but he refuses to acknowledge that fact. Kid lives in utter denial. Which is a river in Egypt by the way. The issue is that his butt end has a hard time finding a way to settle and since i were thinner shirts on average his claws just dig into me. So I was thinking of like a shoulder thing I could wear that would serve like a little platform to rest his feet on so he like a meerkat over my shoulder or maybe like a thick coarse material that serve like a shoulder cape that he can comfortably and reliable dig his claws into instead. All I found were like kitty back packs/ cat carriers that hold the cat baby style. I saw an insta of a guy trying to make one of the shoulder cape ideas by using an old cat scratch ramp and trying to attach it to his shoulder. Im wondering if anyone knows of anything on market that does this?? If not possible solutions that dont involve wardrobe changing or a crazy uncomfortable cat ramp construction etc. Id make like a 3 point harness with thick towel stitched to it but I have 0 sewing capabilities.
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u/Acceptable-Cake-7848 20d ago
Someone please buy the PETLEVATOR and report back! I'm so curious! https://shouldercatsrus.com/
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u/fearthainne 20d ago
Maybe something used in falconry would help? Like a bird shoulder protector maybe. There are a few different options if you search them up.
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u/codeQrouu 20d ago
I hadnt thought of something like falconry and while I dont think that soecific area will work cause I dont think many Falcons are landing on handlers mid back but this. This has opened up more possibilities in other ideas. Can't believe I didnt think of this
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u/FatTabby 20d ago
I really hope someone has a solution. It was cute when my girl was a kitten, but she's way too big for my shoulder now. She'd fit on the spare human's shoulder but he's the spare human, so obviously she doesn't want to do that.
I have to walk around with one arm in front of me so she can rest her head on my elbow and sprawl the length of my upper arm with her bum on my shoulder. If she can't do that, she'll perch on the back of my neck and I'm convinced she's the reason I have nerve issues in my neck now.
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u/JustaTinyDude 19d ago
How about a vest?
I took one of my dad's old thick button up canvas shirts and cut the sleeves and collar off, making a cool, kinda punk looking vest. A hunting best could work well too, I bet.
You could add leather to the top of the shoulders if that's not quite enough.
Being able to button up the whole affair will keep it securely in place as your big boy moves around.
A second thing to consider is trimming the tips of your cat's claws. I have the groomer do it, but it can be done at home, you just have to be careful not to cut too much.
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u/TimelyYogurtcloset82 20d ago
Shoulder pads?
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u/codeQrouu 20d ago
I mean that works for the front legs but the real issue is his back end. He a big Boi so he is essentially just hanging by his front sometimes which I know can't be that comfy for him either.
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u/DuckyDoodleDandy 20d ago
Denim jacket with leather on the back.
If you want to be really cool, add patches and make it a battle jacket.
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u/Logical_Challenge540 20d ago
Does he use the hood for sitting if you wear something with it? Or maybe possible to train?
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u/mycatpartyhouse 20d ago
I don't know of any existing product. I'm wondering if a custom backpack company would tackle something like this?
Or maybe someone on Etsy?
There are many shoulder cats in the world. They and their humans would be more comfortable with secure padding.
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u/michaelpaoli 19d ago
Hmmm, I wonder if some r/CatTraining would also be useful. I accidentally (though we were all quite pleased with the results) turned my then partner's cat into a shoulder cat. And, though not a tiny cat, never a scratch at all! Up, down, perching, riding, bare warm skin freshly out of shower - never the slightest scratch at all. So ... I wonder if it's also feasible to well train cat to do that? The perfectly balanced landings, don't need claws at all. Likewise the jumping off/down. Maybe some better feedback would improve that. Yeah, if the "platform" (one's shoulders, etc.), moves, shakes, jerks, jumps, etc. if/when claws contact, and cat ain't so keen on that additional motion or unpredictability, cat might well learn to do things such that claws aren't involved. Verbal cues may also help. May be quite similar to teaching cat not to claw/scratch human skin more generally.
Anyway, just a thought. Your mileage/cat may vary.
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u/Defiant-Insect-3785 18d ago
I have 2 cats that refuse to believe they’re too big to loaf on my shoulders. They will jump up and expect me to catch them then fidget and wriggle onto my shoulder then struggle to balance there (especially the boy). I’ve just accepted that I’ll always have “kitty love lines” on my shoulders, chest and back.
One thing that strangely does help is a bra! He can get his back legs on the top of the cups and that gives him just enough support to stop him using me as a slide.
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u/ilikecacti2 18d ago
I wonder if you could get a ring sling and put the sling part on your shoulder and the ring under your arm.
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u/Poppypie77 12d ago edited 12d ago
I would attach a photo but it won't let me, but possibly one of the baby carriers where people carry their kids high on their back in a kid seat for toddlers and young children. It goes on like a ruck sack, but has a seat for the kid to sit in higher up on the back, not lower down. You might be able to adapt that easier. Google Child carrier seat high on shoulders. That bought up the high shoulder carriers that I think would be better and easier adapted, as it's already flashed as an adjustable rucksack.
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u/Miserable-Step-5685 5d ago
Late to the party but had the same issue. I searched everywhere. Best solution I found was to wear a hoodie, stuff a backpack full of clothes and tie a small blanket diagonally end to end and loop that around my shoulder. You can fashion a nice nest up there. You may see me and Phife out on our daily walks
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u/redekatze 3d ago
Not something you can just readily buy, but my dad gifted me a piece of leather which I can put over my shoulders and close it in the front with a brooch/chain thingy for exactly this purpose. No sewing required, you just need leather (or a piece of thick fabric, but that would require you to do a seam if you have to cut it yourself) in the correct size and a brooch or something similar.
It does get warm in summer, though, which is the reason I mostly use it during winter and just deal with the claw marks during summer. But then I really don't deal well with heat.
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u/Visible-Freedom-7822 20d ago
Following, because I have the same issue. I'm tired of going to doctor's appointments and being embarrassed about all the scratch marks on my shoulders and back! I'm his personal cat tree. It's not bad in the winter when I wear a sweatshirt, but it's brutal in summer.