Walking Your Cat

Take Your Cat on a Walk

Most people don't know you can actually train your cat to walk on a leash. Yep, you read that right. You can walk your cat. On a leash. Most cats like to be outdoors as being indoors constantly isn't natural for them. They aren't able to climb and hunt indoors like they would naturally do in the wild. And you can't just let your kitty run around outside because of the dangers of other animals, traffic, and poisons they can get into. There are several steps to take when trying to teach your cat to learn to walk on a leash. The first is knowing your cat. If you have an adult cat, it's going to be a little more difficult to train than a kitten would. If you know your cat would not EVER willingly let you put a harness on it or it freaks out when you try to take it outside, then don't even attempt to teach them to walk on a leash. It will just stress them, and you, out. No one needs unneeded stress. 

Training Your Cat 

1. Buy a harness, not a collar. Cats are like little magicians and get out of tiny spaces, including collars. You also don't want your cat to get spooked and dart up a tree and get choked by a collar or have the collar break. A harness is a much better option. It won't choke your kitty and it's harder for them to get out of.

2. Be patient and go SLOW. Cats are not dogs. They do what they want, when they want. If you're expecting Fluffy to sit and allow you to put a harness on her because Fido does, you have another thing coming! Fluffy will scratch, claw, run, hide, and hiss her disapproval with the situation. You can use treats and praise like you would your dog. Try training when your cat is hungry, and use treats as positive reinforcement. 

3. Get your cat used the harness and leash before going outdoors. If she puts a paw into it, give her a treat and praise her. As soon as you get the harness on, give her a treat and praise her. If she takes a step or two with the harness on, treat and praise. Continue this process until she's walking around with the harness on all over the house. If she just freezes and falls over or runs and hides, take the harness off and give a treat as a peace offering. Then start putting the harness near her food bowl so she can get used to it. Then try putting the harness on again after she has gotten used to the idea of it.  

4. Once she's used to walking around the house in her harness and leash, start by taking her outside just a little ways from the door. Again, patience and go slow. If you live in a busy area, lots of kids in the neighborhood or traffic, she may resist. Start with a few feet and try to go a couple more feet every time. You may need to coax her and let her know it's okay. Once she gets used to it and all the noises, she'll want to venture further. 

5. Don't let your kitty climb any trees and don't tie your cat to anything for even a second. If your cat gets spooked, it's too dangerous and she can get tangled up in the leash. 

6. Expect this to take a while. Depending on your cat, it can take a couple weeks to a few months. Expect some setbacks. It's not going to happen overnight. Just be patient with your kitty and in no time the two of you will be on lots of walks together!