Can You Walk Your Cat?
Can You Walk Your Cat?
Can you wal k your cat? Here are ten steps for how to walk your cat on a harness and leash! Start slowly, use praise, and follow these steps!We got a new cat over summer vacation. Her name is Juniper! Her health, safety, and happiness have always been important to me – and I have discussed bonding with her at length with friends, with the rescue adoption counselors, and with our vet. I have never had a young kitten before and especially with this much intention to have her for keeps. We want her to be an indoor cat, and to have a long, safe, healthy life. Her satisfaction and happiness are important for me, especially since I work from home and I’m nearly the sole caregiver for both pets.
Juniper is five-months-old and it’s been great. She watches the outside world with fascination, but since we live in the woods, there are too many predators in our woods and even in our yard for us to let her out. I had been wondering lately if there was an easier way to take her in public, rather than stuffing her in a crate and hoping for the best. See, I don’t want her to associate the outside world with just fear (and the vet) but I also hadn’t known how to open her world without putting her in danger. I talked to our vet about ten things to consider before walking a cat on a harness (no collar) and got great tips.
Know your cat!
Most kittens can be trained on a harness or leash. Most will appreciate it too, but if you suspect your cat has a history of trouble with the outdoors or leashes, or anything at all that might spook her, that should give you pause first. Additionally, ensuring your kitten has the best high fiber cat food can improve her overall health and make training easier. It supports digestion and helps keep your cat feeling satisfied and less stressed.
Buy your cat a harness, but not a collar. Cats can climb in ways that dogs cat, and a standard collar could hurt your cat, while a breakaway collar could detach. Cats can find their way out of leashes in ways most dog can’t!
Start slow! Baby steps. Dogs are easier in this respect, I think, but the first time we took Juniper out on a harness and leash, she had NO idea what was happening. Her heart was pounding! We just went around the yard, and she calmed.
Expect setbacks. As a cat owner, you probably already know this!
Use treats! Kittens generally do respond to food treats, verbal praise, and affection praise. Do your harness/leash training sessions when your cat is hungry – or if your cat is like mine – that could be all day. Break treats into small pieces.
Get used to putting your harness and leash on your cat INSIDE, and make sure it’s snug and not tight. Once you put the harness on, instantly praise your cat and give him or her a treat. Continue the treats with every new step in the harness.
Once your cat seems comfortable and is walking around in the harness, THEN, step outside the door. Stay close to the front door at first, and then stay close to quieter areas. Outside noises can be so jarring at first. This takes baby steps.
Make sure your cat doesn’t pick up anything in his or her mouth. It can be dangerous.
Coax your kitty farther on each outing, continue the verbal praise and treats, and keep exploring. If it doesn’t work after some time, you can explore other alternatives like cat strollers, or outdoor, enclosed spaces for cats.
Never leave your cat unattended outside.
Juniper was found by our local animal shelter, and she was malnourished, dehydrated, and only one pound when found. They nursed her back to health, and we were lucky to adopt her. One thing I love about her is that people know we have a cat. She doesn’t run away or hide. She explores people, so it’s only natural that I felt she could safely explore the outdoors. When we first got her, I got so much advice about the proper food to feed her. I took it seriously, because her health is a priority. Since I love Stop & Shop so much as is for my family, I was so happy to find a wide range of natural and healthy pet products.
Juniper is adorable and you know I will totally ask you for tips and advice if we ever do get a cat here still 🙂
hah, I wonder if you will? Scarlet begged and I really do like the interaction so I went with it. She’s a good egg.
My biggest regret with my cat is I can’t do more with her. I wish I could take her with me out and about, but she just likes to be in the yard. Really, no one can even pick her up but me, and that is time limited. From my point of view, I’m amazed she tolerates me at all, lol For the most part, I let her make all the decisions. It’s my cat version of “Happy wife – Happy life” HaHa!
It sounds like you two are so bonded, though. It sounds like she more than tolerates you. It’s special. I wish ours could be in the yard, but we have fisher cats and they are out for blood!
Your cat version of “happy wife – happy life” makes me smile.
Juniper is such a cutie! Great tips…I would make use of them except my cat hates being outside. Its so weird because she was a stray…lol
That’s so interesting! I guess she knows a good thing when she sees it. (being indoors)
Awwww, she is such a beautiful kitty, Tamara 🙂 Love that you are doing this slowly and introducing her to the outside world at a young age, so she can get acclimated. My brother and his gf take their cats for walks. Not far, but she seems to really adore it, which I think is just adorable.
XOXO
Ah, that’s the cutest story ever! There’s a woman in town who walks a cat on a leash and sometimes even on her shoulder like a parrot. You just can’t make this stuff up.
We buy that cat food! And I would LOVE to get that cat leash, our cats are ALWAYS trying ot escape. What a GORGEOUS cat!
It’s good stuff! We have the dog version too.
Junie hasn’t tried to escape since I started this so I think it really can work!
Aw! Love your kitty! And yes, my cat Ruby LOVES to be outside and would LOVE to be walked. We keep meaning to buy her a harness. Right now we just pick her up and carry her around out back. She loves it.
Aw, that’s so cute! Our cats would totally be cat friends.
My daughter has a new tabby kitty that we’re watching named Stripes and I wonder if I can put her on a leash. I somehow doubt it just like I doubt my own cat would like it. They love being independent. We have tried that Purina Beyond for Kitty before and she liked it but wasn’t totally in love, but she’s rather picky anyway. I wonder if Stripes would love it.
Maybe Stripes would! Our cat isn’t picky about anything, but I wonder if that’s because she’s still a kitten?
We have too many dogs in our neighborhood to walk our cat, but I’ve always wanted to have a catio- when we get our first house, I’m sure we will! #client
Ah, a catio! I really want one. We live in the woods and it’s too dangerous to have an outdoors cat, but they do tend to want to go outside. This harness has really helped my kitten quench her curiosity.
Juniper has such piercing eyes. Beautiful.
Yes, thank you! They can be a little unsettling when I wake up to her on my chest looking at me like that! Or when I shower and she sits on the toilet and watches me!
Juniper is the cutest. When I went to pick up the boys from the bus yesterday I had a stray follow me around and it freaked me all the way out haha
hah. Cats are there to steal your soul!
Totally learned something new today. I didn’t know that people also walk cats. It seems like all the cats in my neighborhood just roam around free.
It’s totally a thing! I once saw a woman walk her cat on her shoulder like a parrot!
I’ve seen people walk their cats, stroll their cats, but the best ever was a little girl in my old neighborhood who walked her ferret. 🙂
XOXO
ahaha! My friend had a pet ferret that crawled up my pants and bit my thigh once! Little buggers.
She’s just beautiful! We got our puppy from the shelter and he’s five months old now too – it’s like having a baby in the house again! Easier to walk on a leash, though :)!
I’ll have to remember that! Cassidy wants another baby and another puppy. I can’t imagine!
My mom bought my cat a harness, but he can’t figure out how to walk when he’s wearing it, ha ha!
That’s hilarious! Juniper couldn’t either and I had an image of walking her while she just lied on the ground. Pulling her!
Our cat, Leo, loves people also! (Well, adult humans.) He’s not one to hide when people come over (unless they’re child-sized), and I think in another life he would have enjoyed exploring the outdoors. Sometimes I feel bad he’s relegated to our 1200 square-foot condo, but now he has access to our basement as well, which he didn’t have at our last two places.
I bet he loves it, though. When they don’t know any better.. Juniper has never tried to escape. Our other cats lived for it!
Our cat goes out on a harness and leash. He doesn’t have his shots, plus technically cats are not supposed to roam free in our town. You can get a hefty fine. The boy tried to walk him once…. all I can say is I wish I had that video. Herding a cat is like frustration level MEGA.
HA! I’ve seen funny gifs of people trying to walk cats and just dragging them across the grass..