Walk The Cat
Mara
Source: Jennifer
Yes, you can train your cat.
Train your cat to walk on a leash.
Does that sound ridiculous? It's not, leash training your cat can be a great source of fun for both you and your cat. I'll give you some tried and true methods for training a cat to walk on a leash.
It's best to leash train a young cat but older cats will conform to the leash quite easily with your patience and persistence. The truth is cats in general are not as independant as everyone seems to think. All cats need a lot of praise and rewards when training and a successful trainer is open to the cats sensitivity and special needs. Many people are exposed to many different dog training methods but there isn't much going on in regards to cats. A long held myth is that cats don't want to have anything to do with being told what to do. The reality is cats love being with you just as much as dogs and they will go by whatever rules you set down if you are consistent and patient.
No scolding or punishment is necessary when working with cats, they don't give in to domination methods as dogs do. While it may be appropriate to show a dog who's boss, doing this while training your cat will only lead to a panicked flight or fight response. The best way to get a cat to co-operate with you is to be gentle yet firm at the same time. You do have to be confident because just as with dogs, cats need to feel you are a secure individual that can be trusted. Stability of character is a must for training cats as they usually can sense frustration and irritability and will become uneasy around you.
Get a harness that is designed to pull from the torso, not the throat. Cats can easily slip out of the neck collar or even a loose fitting harness. Choose a harness that is lightweight, has tightly closing clips and adjust it so that you can fit a finger between the harness and the cats body.Once you've purchased the leash and harness, let the cat play with them.
Don't put it on them yet, just leave both leash and harness lying around so the cat can get used to them being there. You could even rub them in catnip or honeysuckle to get them to be interested in them. Make them look and feel friendly to your cat. After a couple of days, make your cat's favorite meal and just before giving it to him/her, slip the harness on and give her the food. If she's fussing with the harness after the food is gone, distract her by playing with her favorite toys. Praise her continuously. Remove the harness once she is relaxed. Do this a often, once or twice a day for about a week. Keep doing it until he/she doesn't fuss about the harness at all, only then can you proceed to the leash.
Now, it's time to clip the leash onto the harness. Don't try to walk your cat yet, let him walk around the house dragging the leash along. Never leave him unattended though as the leash could get caught in something. Follow him around while he gets used to it and praise him profusely. If he becomes agitated by the leash, distract him with treats and toys. Be positive with him at all times. As he gets used to this you can pick the leash up and follow him around. Don't try to control him, just tag along keeping the leash slack. Don't begin a tug of war or take control too much. Gentle nudges and maybe a few course corrections to encourage him/her to follow you is good enough but let your cat know you are doing this together.
Once you've practiced this for awhile you will be able to determine when your cat is ready for some loving direction. Go easy on your cat using a sweet, higher pitched voice, saying her name a lot and just being encouraging with your tones. Kitty is never going to walk like a dog but if you praise her when she does follow you and treat her gently while leading her she'll learn to trust your direction and follow along confidently. Don't go outside yet, keep this in your home for awhile until your cat is totally at ease with having you guide her. You may notice that when your cat feels resistance she either comes to you or lays down on the spot. Be patient, never pull or jerk the cat back into place or she'll form a very negative opinion about you and the leash. Gently persuade your cat to follow along, let him explore and always have his favorite treats or toys with you.
If your cat has adapted well to the training then he's ready for the great outdoors. Again, keyword here is patience. Don't expect to go on a brisk walk, cats just don't work that way. On your first outing you may not get out of your yard. That's fine, just make sure you and your cat can explore in a peaceful setting where there is nothing shocking to a cat's keen senses, i.e.- cars, motorbikes, lawnmowers, dogs, construction sites, etc. Also remember that walks for dogs are all about getting the energy out. Dog walking is usually fast paced and rythmic. Walking your cat is going to be a slower process with stops and starts designed to peak his/her curiousity and get him interested in doing things with you.
Eventually your cat may get comfortable with strolls around the neighborhood as long as she trusts you to protect her from any dangers. Some cats however, will never be interested in anything outside of your yard and for many older cats, laying around on the lawn, sniffing a cool summer breeze is about as much outdoors as they want to experience. Adjust yourself to your cats needs and you'll get along just fine.
The greatest benefits of leash training your cat is that you will both be able to spend more outside time together without leaving your cat vulnerable to the dangers that exist when leaving a cat to wander the streets alone.
Please, never leave your cat unattended outside. Indoor cats lead much better and longer lives than cats that go out alone. The only thing is that indoor cats need you to help them excercise. Take some time out and enjoy watching him explore the world while providing the protection he needs to be a healthy, confident kitty.
Does that sound ridiculous? It's not, leash training your cat can be a great source of fun for both you and your cat. I'll give you some tried and true methods for training a cat to walk on a leash.
It's best to leash train a young cat but older cats will conform to the leash quite easily with your patience and persistence. The truth is cats in general are not as independant as everyone seems to think. All cats need a lot of praise and rewards when training and a successful trainer is open to the cats sensitivity and special needs. Many people are exposed to many different dog training methods but there isn't much going on in regards to cats. A long held myth is that cats don't want to have anything to do with being told what to do. The reality is cats love being with you just as much as dogs and they will go by whatever rules you set down if you are consistent and patient.
No scolding or punishment is necessary when working with cats, they don't give in to domination methods as dogs do. While it may be appropriate to show a dog who's boss, doing this while training your cat will only lead to a panicked flight or fight response. The best way to get a cat to co-operate with you is to be gentle yet firm at the same time. You do have to be confident because just as with dogs, cats need to feel you are a secure individual that can be trusted. Stability of character is a must for training cats as they usually can sense frustration and irritability and will become uneasy around you.
Get a harness that is designed to pull from the torso, not the throat. Cats can easily slip out of the neck collar or even a loose fitting harness. Choose a harness that is lightweight, has tightly closing clips and adjust it so that you can fit a finger between the harness and the cats body.Once you've purchased the leash and harness, let the cat play with them.
Don't put it on them yet, just leave both leash and harness lying around so the cat can get used to them being there. You could even rub them in catnip or honeysuckle to get them to be interested in them. Make them look and feel friendly to your cat. After a couple of days, make your cat's favorite meal and just before giving it to him/her, slip the harness on and give her the food. If she's fussing with the harness after the food is gone, distract her by playing with her favorite toys. Praise her continuously. Remove the harness once she is relaxed. Do this a often, once or twice a day for about a week. Keep doing it until he/she doesn't fuss about the harness at all, only then can you proceed to the leash.
Now, it's time to clip the leash onto the harness. Don't try to walk your cat yet, let him walk around the house dragging the leash along. Never leave him unattended though as the leash could get caught in something. Follow him around while he gets used to it and praise him profusely. If he becomes agitated by the leash, distract him with treats and toys. Be positive with him at all times. As he gets used to this you can pick the leash up and follow him around. Don't try to control him, just tag along keeping the leash slack. Don't begin a tug of war or take control too much. Gentle nudges and maybe a few course corrections to encourage him/her to follow you is good enough but let your cat know you are doing this together.
Once you've practiced this for awhile you will be able to determine when your cat is ready for some loving direction. Go easy on your cat using a sweet, higher pitched voice, saying her name a lot and just being encouraging with your tones. Kitty is never going to walk like a dog but if you praise her when she does follow you and treat her gently while leading her she'll learn to trust your direction and follow along confidently. Don't go outside yet, keep this in your home for awhile until your cat is totally at ease with having you guide her. You may notice that when your cat feels resistance she either comes to you or lays down on the spot. Be patient, never pull or jerk the cat back into place or she'll form a very negative opinion about you and the leash. Gently persuade your cat to follow along, let him explore and always have his favorite treats or toys with you.
If your cat has adapted well to the training then he's ready for the great outdoors. Again, keyword here is patience. Don't expect to go on a brisk walk, cats just don't work that way. On your first outing you may not get out of your yard. That's fine, just make sure you and your cat can explore in a peaceful setting where there is nothing shocking to a cat's keen senses, i.e.- cars, motorbikes, lawnmowers, dogs, construction sites, etc. Also remember that walks for dogs are all about getting the energy out. Dog walking is usually fast paced and rythmic. Walking your cat is going to be a slower process with stops and starts designed to peak his/her curiousity and get him interested in doing things with you.
Eventually your cat may get comfortable with strolls around the neighborhood as long as she trusts you to protect her from any dangers. Some cats however, will never be interested in anything outside of your yard and for many older cats, laying around on the lawn, sniffing a cool summer breeze is about as much outdoors as they want to experience. Adjust yourself to your cats needs and you'll get along just fine.
The greatest benefits of leash training your cat is that you will both be able to spend more outside time together without leaving your cat vulnerable to the dangers that exist when leaving a cat to wander the streets alone.
Please, never leave your cat unattended outside. Indoor cats lead much better and longer lives than cats that go out alone. The only thing is that indoor cats need you to help them excercise. Take some time out and enjoy watching him explore the world while providing the protection he needs to be a healthy, confident kitty.
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