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Since the weather is getting warmer now, I've decided walk my cats. I've tried putting them on a leash and harness, but its so hard. So far, I've only gotten my Blueberry in it, and brought him around the house. Actually, it was him that dragged my around. He ran around like crazy as soon as I got it on.
Have any of you trained your cats to walk on a leash? Any advice for me? Thankx:)
I have never walked my cats, but I have a neighbor who walks his cat every day! Both he and his cat seem to enjoy it. He uses a leash and harness.
My husband tried to walk Jack once...he never tried again. Jack somehow got out of his leash when he was frightened by something. :eek: But I have heard of people walking their cats on leashes with success.
I don't plan on walking Toby. He is scrictly an indoor cat and I'm afraid that if I start walking him he will start getting curious and may run out the door someday. As of now he runs away when we open the door, which makes me feel better :)
Many years ago when Tubby was a youngster, I would take him for walks around my neighborhood. One thing you have to remember is that it's not like walking a dog. Tubby was constantly stopping and sniffing things and getting side tracked. I would have to tug on his leash to remind him that we were w-a-l-k-i-n-g, not sniffing,:rolleyes: then he would run ahead as far as he could and start sniffing again. So patience is the key word here. Since then, Tubby has "learned the ways of the rope." :) He knows when I tug that he has to come, and he does.
It's like anything else, the more you do it the more they will get used to it and learn what's expected of them.
Good luck with future walks, and pics are always appreciated! ;) :)
My friend Sue walks her two cats on a leash very often. They love it and they love to be outside. All she has to do is shake their leashes and they come running. We are going to start training Hayley as soon as her stitches from her spay comes out. Mandy may take a little longer. She is still very small and we cannot find a harness to fit her.
My cats go out at will, so I don't ever leash them. But I remember when I did try with Mimi, who just flattened herself out like a pancake! LOL!! Luckily both of mine stay very close to home....not going near the road or far from the house. They just seek sunshine or shade, depending on the weather, and then plop in just the right spot for a nap! :)
I've been leash training Nakita for the past few months, and finally with the arrival of warmer weather she was able to go outside for the first time. She took to the harness quite well and enjoys exploring the big outside world.
It was quite funny because she's never 'felt' snow before and she jumped into a snow pile. Then she kept jumping straight up in the air with an expression on her face 'OMG - It's COLD!'
:D
Here's a couple of pics:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...8/fca99338.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...7/fc72c8c0.jpg
;)
As we have seen here that the harnesses are not too expensive (about 6-10 $/Euro) we plan to buy one and check it. I would like to offer our cats a little more nature than the balcony flowers.
However I am not sure whether Filou whose middle name is Independence will accept it. With Tigris it could be easier -but we'll see. Would have been better we tried 6 years ago.
Nellie HATES collars and I can't imagine her with a leash/harness.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...3/fdb08f18.jpg
Edwina has a harness and leash. Mostly it is for controlling her when she is in the back yard...but if I pick up the leash and tell her it is time to go in she walks with me on it.... MOST of the time.
I think Boo would die of humiliation. :)
Russian Blue, that is a great harness! Where did you get it? Do they do mail order? Ours are similar but not as good quality.
Three of ours have worked out that harness = fun outdoors. With Mini and Jasmine we put the harnesses on and took them just outside the front door so they felt safe, and kept the first few trips short. Then they got used to walkies and love it. Tabasco worked it out first time and took to the harness immediately. Pickles, well, we haven't tried since last week when he ran and hid :rolleyes:
I do not walk my cats, however they DO allow me to hold onto the other end of their leash and drag me all over the yard ;)
I had a big male tabby ( 24 lbs) that I use to walk daily on a leash with a collar though, not a harness, as he didn't like the harness at all. But he was trained when he was just 6 weeks old.
Believe me when I say that you get lots of stares from people when you are walking a 24 pound cat on a lead especially when at first glance they thought it was a small dog.
The only cat of mine that will walk on a harness and leash is Vader. I take him for walks sometimes :)
I have decided to try and train Tanner to walk with a lease. So last night I bought a harness and a lease and hooked him up. We only stayed on the patio for aobut 5 minutes, but it was absolutely hilarious to watch him. For the first little while he was trying very very hard to get out of the harness. He then realized that he could not see and smell things that he never had before and his curiousity was working overtime. :D :D He just had to check out all of those interesting places where my porch kitties spend time...;)
Cheryl
Thanks for all the replies.....
I've decided that I should let them get used to the outdoors before letting them actually walk on the ground, so yesterday I brought Blueberry out, and he got so scared he was shivering. Well, I think he was scared, or maybe the cold? I just have to wait awhile for warmer days.
i think they will eventually get used to being taken for walks, but if it turns out to be stressful for you both then i would can it.
I took lexie out on a lesh for the first two weeks here every day just in the section to get her used to her surroundings, she had never been on a leash, and she was not too bad really, she did not love it but she did not hate it either, was a bit trying though if she got a scare and she is the scaredy cat kind, she would bolt and nearly get strangled, but needless to say we both survived it, and i dont regret doing so, she is now very comfortable in her new surroundings without the leash,. good luck.
http://users.pandora.be/bernardgabri...20a%20lijn.jpg
Inka likes it!
http://users.pandora.be/bernardgabri...20bloempot.jpg
Maya hates it!
Ember and Mystery are allowed to keep me company in the gardens.
They each have a harness and a 'flexi-leash'.
This is how we go outside:
I put a tall garden stake in the ground in an area that is half shade and half sunshine. And located where I can see them as we have hawks that will pick up a cat in my area!
Then I go inside and get their harnesses and leashes on.
Karissa holds the door open for me and I carry both of them outside.
Once outside I drop the flexi handle over the tall garden stake and they can wander around in a huge circle watching me and rolling and exploring and bug hunting to their hearts content safely. (I also stake them were they can see the birds, but not get at them.)
Just have to make sure the stakes are far enough apart that they don't get tangled.
I also put out a bowl of water for each of them.
This year we have to teach Miss Indy about the harness and leash and then Asia when she gets bigger. I never use a collar for our outings. The harness is safer. I take the cordless phone outside or turn on the answering machine. They are never ever out of eyesight!
Yeah Felicity is so laid back, that I wasnt surprised it was easy to put her harness on. Shes only worn it a few times now. I would like to just have her wear it all the time, so she learns that the harness doesnt always equal scary car rides. lol And hopefully she will learn to enjoy the car rides! lol But after it has been on a while she starts to try and get it off. I was thinking about taking her to petsmart today, but Im just sooo afraid she will get scared and wiggle out of her harness!! :'( :'( :'( I would never forgive myself if that ever happened. :'( I cannot even think about it. :( So after she gets used to the car (if that ever happens.. lol Must be patient! :/) then I will consider taking her into petsmart. Ill probably start taking her on walks in the summer too. Our street is a dead end, so we get NO traffic, except the people who live here of course, and theres this AWESOME field across the street, (its hard to explain), and it has a pond, and tons of trees and bushes lining it, and theres a section in the middle of protected land. So anyway, Id love to take her back there cause its right across the street (close to home), theres no loud traffic, and its away from the street.
in the car:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...0/fc66e326.jpg