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I have one cat that we adopted after she was abandoned and she walks on a leash as perfectly as a dog. Someone spent some time training her!
I have another cat that I have taken for walks in a stroller since he was a baby (he's now 3). When he sees the closet door open (the one where his stroller is kept), he gets SO excited. He walks/ steps into his harness all on his own and away we go.
Mind you... all of my kitties are indoors and none of them make any attempt to try and get outside, even the 2 that go for walks. They know the word "No" and they obey it. If I leave a door open (say, like when bringing the groceries in) and I say "No"... they don't go near the door. They know they only get to go out if the stroller's brought out (or the harness and leash).
Oh... and I bought the stroller brand new off Ebay for about $60. And I'm a proud crazy cat lady!
(*Gah... that pic was before we re-did our floors! They look horrible! LOL Sorry! )
Thanks! I am so afraid for her to want to run away. She's a smart cat and I already trained her to not jump up on the table. She knows what the word "no" means then. That is about the only time I have used the word "no" on her, I think, hehe. She's only 6 months old.
I love Ebay :-D I am a crazy cat lady too I bring out photos of her as fast as I can, like people like to show off their babies and I constantly talk about her. I wanted a cat since forever and I finally got one.
My dad walks his "grand-cat" on a leash...Well the cat kinda walks him. They just go at the Bucky's (the cat) pace. They have a large, fairly quiet backyard though in which he just kinda roams along the outside smelling anything and everything he can find. Bucky has always enjoyed it, he does give an akward groan when they put the harness on and take it off, but I think he realizes the ends justify the means in this case.
He does not try to get out on his own either, you could open the door and say go...he will run to the crate where his leash is and tell you to put it on him instead of going out without it.
I've been trying to walk my cat (6 month old Maine Coon, who hasn't been much outdoor) a couple of times. She starts "crying" everytime we get out the door. So we've only been out with her for 5-10 minutes at a time.
Does anyone have any experience in training their cat to walk in a leash? Any advice?
Is your cat afraid of the outdoors?
What I did with my cat was to first have him get used to wearing the harness.
Put the harness on him and have him walk around with it on. He might flop on the floor, or freeze in his steps if he's not used to wearing it. Let him protest. He'll eventually get used to it. Increase the time you allow him to wear the harness until he's used to wearing it and doesn't bolt if you put it on him.
Once he's used to wearing the harness, connect the strap to the harness, and let him walk around with that on - dragging it around with him. Same procedure as above.
It takes some patience and time. But I trained my cat to walk on a leash by using this method.
What I did with my cat was to first have him get used to wearing the harness.
Put the harness on him and have him walk around with it on. He might flop on the floor, or freeze in his steps if he's not used to wearing it. Let him protest. He'll eventually get used to it. Increase the time you allow him to wear the harness until he's used to wearing it and doesn't bolt if you put it on him.
Once he's used to wearing the harness, connect the strap to the harness, and let him walk around with that on - dragging it around with him. Same procedure as above.
It takes some patience and time. But I trained my cat to walk on a leash by using this method.
Good luck.
No, she is actually afraid of the outdoors, hehe. I've done the walking around with her inside the apartment with the harness on, strap and everything. She doesn't mind it at all actually. She just really hates the outdoors. She loves looking out of the window though. She also starts crying when we're outside and she's in the transport cage. I only put her there when we are visiting the vet of course.
I also had a kitty who was terrified of the outdoors. She would not even come close to an open door. Another rescue kitty I had knew how to walk on a leash. Someone had taught her and she actually "heeled" like a dog, keeping up with my stride. If something scared her, she would just crawl up me and perch on my shoulder.
It must be cool to walk a cat on a leash. It must take a special cat. I know mine could never do it as she is too skiddish with cars,loud noises, strangers.
It probably isn't possible with all cats, but with many it just takes a lot of time. LuckyGem's approach seems to me to be good one. Otherwise, you're either taking your cat for a drag or trying to hold on as the cat frantically tries to escape, neither of which is good.
It probably isn't possible with all cats, but with many it just takes a lot of time. LuckyGem's approach seems to me to be good one. Otherwise, you're either taking your cat for a drag or trying to hold on as the cat frantically tries to escape, neither of which is good.
She does walk, she has no problem with the leash itself (she walks perfectly fine with it inside, as I mentioned earlier), she is scared of the outdoors. So when I walk her outside, she starts crawling real low and finding places to hide, while she cries all the time.
I tried to put a harness on my cat. When I do, she lays flat on the floor and doesn't move! No luck on my side so far.
Get the book or try to find it in the library TRAINING YOUR CAT by Ray Berwick. He tells you how to leash train your cat as well as how to teach it just about anything else including being hearing for the deaf or going to the bathroom in the toilet and even flushing the toilet. I used it to teach my cat tricks.
There are basic steps to leash training and it takes a while before your cat will allow you to walk him like a dog. First you have to start inside. Let him get used to the harness and the leash. Let him walk around the house dragging the leash. Then reward him . Do NOT PULL on the leash or your cat will go on a lie down strike. Sometimes you need to bribe cats with a food treat to get up and walk over (using the leash) to it if they are on a lie down strike. Next after your cat wll let you follow him with you holding the leash you need to get him used to you occasionally pulling on the leash to signal him to come; follow; heel or whatever as well as STAY. Do all of this inside. Keep the training sessions to about 10 minutes three times a day. After he has mastered the leash inside then go to a secluded place outside without a lot of distractions like an enclosed back yard. When he has mastered that you can take him to places with more distractions. Keep the training sessions short. Do them before meals when he'll be more motivated to do what you ask because he'll learn you'll be giving him healthy treats if he does it right and he'll have an edge to his appetite. Deli meat like cooked chicken or turkey are good treats.The indoor training should take a minimum of three weeks or more. Leash training is the hardest thing to teach a cat because they hate being constrained but they can learn. You just need to teach them on their terms.
Needless to say, before you try to leash train, be sure your cat knows basic commands like "Come" and Stay.
My brother trained his cat to walk and stay on leash. I agree with the learning basic commands. Pepe Le Peu knew his commands fairly well. He never tried to bolt out the door, I think my brother taught him to only go out with leash on and that he wasn't allowed out with out the leash. It was a body harnish leash. Never just a collar leash like one can do with dogs. Pepe Le Peu also knew how to ride shoulders very well.
It is very possible to teach cats it just takes a bit longer and well... more treats.
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