# Walking your cat on a leash



## bivlop (May 30, 2011)

Ok, I see that there have been some talk on leash training cats - but does anyone take them for walks? 

I have 3 cats, all harness/leash trained that spend time in our backyard. I wondered about extending that to walks but does anyone do this? My big question is what happens when they encounter a dog? Dogs aren't that well behaved when encountering a cat. 


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## sharkysmommy (Aug 4, 2011)

We tried to train sharky to go outside on a leash b/c he loves outside but is dumb and could get hit by a car...we put the harness and leash on him and got about halfway down the stairs when our neighbors came out who have a HUGE Great dane!!!! well.....Sharky flipped out when he saw the dog and the dog flipped out when he saw sharky and wanted to "Play" with him...sharky ran like daylight back into the house and luckily we'd left the door open!!! that was the last of the leash training for him...
I'd love to start again very slowly though b/c our neighbors moved away and that big dog is gone..so I'd also like some advice....


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

"What happens when they encounter a dog? Dogs aren't that well behaved when encountering a cat." 

Exactly! I think you've answered your own question. 

I have leash trained cats, especially my stud cats. Walking cats isn't like walking dogs; most cats like to lead and go where they want and can be stubborn or turn nasty if forced to go somewhere else or when you pick them up to take them back in when they're not ready to go. So it's mostly _following the cat around._..tho gentle tugs and voice can sometimes persuade the cat to go in a different direction. Cats on their own outdoors will stake out a territory and walk it every day, often marking like a dog does. My stud cats always enjoyed their walks and would wait patiently at the door as I put on their harness. We walked the perimeter of our half acre property and they squirted along the way, and when they were finished were content to come back into the house. They always got a treat after every walk so that was a motivation for them too. Even neutered males will spray and some females. Cats like to walk in familiar places, and can easily panic in new places or out on a sidewalk with traffic whizzing by, people walking along, and can wriggle out of a harness faster and more easily than you can imagine! If you live in a rural area it's possible to take your cat out and it will follow along with you. 

Recently I moved to a town where it's not safe to walk a cat and have downsized to a townhouse with a very small backyard. I do take them for "walkies" in a *pet stroller* which they really enjoy. It gives me more exercise than ambling along at a cat's slow pace, they enjoy seeing different things, smelling different scents and are safe from dogs walking by, and get enough exercise chasing each other around and up and down the stairs.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

I used to walk Margaux on a harness (I learned after I nearly choked my first cat using just a leash - whatever the locking mechanism was wasn't strong enough to withstand a cat suddenly taking off after something) around the backyard. I did take her along the sidewalk a few times. The one time I saw a dog (a little poodle) taking a walk towards us, I turned her in another direction. The street wasn't that busy, but she didn't seem freaked out by cars going by, and the fact that she wasn't freaked out freaked me out, so we stopped. People thought it was hugely entertaining though. They'd slow down and yell "is that a cat? I've never seen a cat being walked before!" 

As catloverami says, it's mostly the cat doing what he/she wants, and you following. Gentle tugs usually do the trick, unless she's spotted something interesting. If Margaux heard something in the bushes, she'd crouch down waiting to pounce. It was impossible to get her inside at those times. She'd hiss, growl, and try to scratch or bite me. Sometimes, I would have to go back in and she just would not budge. You know how a cat can make itself super heavy by hunkering down. Then I had the bright idea of taking her out only when she was hungry. Then it wasn't a problem to coax her back in.


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## LilyC (Aug 23, 2011)

I have. Both of mine will walk on leash but won't really go where you want them to go. 
Here is Tequila walking on leash.

Maine **** Walking on leash at park - YouTube


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## binkyhoo (Feb 16, 2003)

Tequila has beautiful ear tufts. That has been my experience too. Mitzi loved to be out side on a leash but only to hang out on the patio with us. Not like walking down the sidewalk like a dog.


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## Arkona (May 7, 2012)

We leash trained our cat and took her for walks. Like anything else when it comes to cats, it's all about patience and consistency. Some cats are more difficult than others but if it's something you really want to do and you think it will pay off for your cat in the end, then it can be done. If the cons outweigh the pros for your particular cat, then you might reconsider the idea, but sometimes you don't know until you try.

In our case we were making some good progress with Liz. We did it for roughly a month, earlier this year. She was doing very well and the training process was a lot of fun for me. It was nice to see what she was capable of learning, and to get to spend time with her outside. I had this idea that I'd be able to take her everywhere with me and go for walks with her on the beach...

However we had to cut this all short because taking her outside meant having to medicate her for fleas. Applying the flea medication was very stressful for her, and one time she got sick from trying to lick it off. These medications are so toxic, I don't think it's a good idea to use them unless absolutely necessary. She was sick for a few days, withdrawn and upset until she threw up and went back to normal. The walks were not worth having to put her through that kind of thing once a month.

But here is something we were able to record before we quit...
Catwalking - YouTube


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