Talking Your Cats For Walks On A Leash
Most people who have owned, or been owned by, a highly independent cat, would never even conceive of the idea of putting a harness, or leash (leash!!) on their kitty and taking her for a walk. The mere thought is bound to produce some deep rumbling chuckles within the cat owner. Their cat on a leash, being told where to go? Sounds unbelievable, but read on, your kitty may be about to discover a whole new exciting world!
Even considering the nature of the cat, many cat owners are happily walking their very happy cats on a harness, walking jacket or leash. It may sound impossible, but it can be done with some patience, (OK, maybe a LOT of patience) and your cat can get a whole new life, safely enjoying the outdoors and getting much needed exercise at the same time.
Training your cat to the leash is best done in small steps. First, allow the cat to get familiar with the leash by placing somewhere it can be sniffed and evaluated. Then, in baby steps, put the leash or walking jacket on your cat.
When you first take your cat out she may get scared. Especially if your cat has never been outside before. Start with some quiet places where there are interesting things to sniff. Make the first few times short, quiet and bring lots of treats.
Remember, this is all new to your cat and can be quite frightening. Taking it slow will pay off.
When looking to buy a leash, the best options for a cat is a harness, or even better, more safe, and much more acceptable by cats, is a walking jacket. The harness or walking jacket will give kitty more comfort, and you more control.
You might want to practice on the lead at home a few times, although most cats will not like this at all. Don’t let this deter you from trying it outside, because for some cats the fact that they are outside is enough to make them tolerate the leash or lead. The cat might get so wrapped up in exploring the great outdoors that it doesn’t really notice the lead very much anymore, and this is the ideal situation.
While persistence and patience pays off in making your cat get used to not only a leash and harness, but also going outside, if it is obvious that your cat is not getting less stressed and is indeed suffering, then maybe you are better off finding some other way for your cat to enjoy the outdoors.
You can keep trying, but there are just some cats who won’t adjust to something like this. If, on the other hand, you notice that your cat seems just a little more at ease every time you go out with the leash or lead, then keep trying.
You may find that eventually your cat actually enjoys the walks outside, and gets really excited over the prospect of heading outdoors. It’s a great way to allow your cat to explore without worrying about where it will wind up.
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