Cat On A Lead - Can You Train Them For Walks?

As a cat lover I hate to be parted from my
babies. I can't wait to get back to see them at
the end of my day. I even get excited when I
have to cancel a night out so that I can cosy up
with them at home. My little feline angels are a
huge part of my family. They are there when I
need a furry cuddle. They pick up my moods and
comfort me whether I want it or not. Sleep on my
head at night and sit on my stomach at 4 am for
no apparent reason. I love all of their kitty
traits, so why not have them join me in everyday
life as I do with my dogs?

Patience is necessary and don't forget that a
cat and a dog have different characteristics. A
dog tends to be more loyal and will want to
please their owners. Cats on the other hand, as
most of us know, are their own bosses and have a
wild streak in their DNA anyway. So don't expect
complete obedience all the time and be realistic
as to where you will be able to walk your cat. I
certainly wouldn't be taking them shopping and
expecting them to cope with being out for a
whole day. However a trip in the car to visit
friends or a trip to a small local park, aren't
out of the realms possibility.

Choose a light comfortable body harness,
preferably not a collar as they may easily
wriggle out of it. The lead that attaches to the
harness needs to be light weight and have a very
strong clip don't use a dog lead. I would
suggest one that is roughly 5 feet long. Now
that you've bought your items you'll need to
familiarise your cat with them. Start by leaving
the harness near to their sleeping area for a few
days. Encourage them to sniff it, play with it,
anything that gets them used to the smell and
feel of it.

The next step is getting it on your cat. The
best time to put the harness on is just before
feeding. The chances are they will be more
interested in dinner coming than what you're
doing. Loosely put it on, feed them and then see
how long they will tolerate it. Distract them
with their favourite cat toy to keep them
occupied and then repeat the same procedure each
day, slowly fastening it to comfortably fit your
cats body. Hopefully you will find the harness
stays on longer and longer each day. Then you
will need to introduce the lead. Again leave the
lead near your cat so they can play with it if it
helps. Now you are ready for your first walk.
Start indoors and be patient. Use encouraging
words as you begin to lead your cat around. Just
like a puppy learning lead training they will
need to hear from you that they are doing well.
Don't yank the lead but keep it short so that
they know to stay close to you. Of course a cat
outside on the lead will have many things that
will catch their eye. Birds, other animals,
trees to climb, so getting them used to a small
length on the lead is ideal. If you have a back
garden start their outside walk there for about
a week. Then if they seem ready you can progress
to a small trip outdoors. Don't start on a busy
road, remember this is a new world for them. Go
to a calm and quiet place for a small amount of
time and build up slowly. Hopefully in time you
will have a cat that can join you for walks on a
lead.

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Alex Kelly

As a pet owner, my articles are based on issues
I feel are important for fellow animal lovers.
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