So my son and I are watching Cats 101 on Animal Planet the other day. He gets all excited when he sees several people taking their cats out of the house on a leash and harness.

Our cat Muffin frequently tries to get a peek out the door as we're going in or out, so I figure he's got some interest in that big wide world out there.

So any tips on getting a middle-aged cat (he's about 6 years old, now) used to a harness and leash for some outdoor activities? FYI, when Muffin first joined the household, we tried getting him to wear a collar. He managed to get it off every time. So we gave up after a couple of months and haven't tried again since he was a year old.

I did manage to get him to tolerate a test fit of a harness. He's not very big - about 12 pounds. The loop that goes over his head doesn't have any clips or buckles, so it has to be large enough to get over his head. Which means it's large enough for him to slip back out of it. The chest loop has a buckle. I've adjusted that almost as big as it will go, and it still seems tight. I can slip a finger under it, but it's a very tight fit. The collar loop is much looser - I can get a couple of fingers under there pretty easy.

--Peter