Walking your cat pt.2

In our last post, we mentioned the importance of giving your cat some freedom to roam. We also identified the dangers relating to this activity and how you might teach them to walk with you on a harness or leash for some extra peace of mind when letting them outside.

Many cat's will struggle to let you walk them for quite some time, but rest assured it is possible to train theme whether they're a kitten or an older cat. You just have to be patient and persistent. Never lose your temper or force the cat. Stay sensitive to it's reactions, and have plenty of treats ready to treat them when they do the right thing.

Here are some tips to getting your cat on it's way to walking with you on a leash!

• Use a harness that is designed to pull from the chest and not the throat. Obviously you don't want to choke your cat. But in addition to that, it's also more resistant to the cat getting out of it. The rule of thumb is actually two fingers between the harness at the cat. If it is too loose, it will come off very easily. Remember to keep this lightweight and detatchable. Stick with the H style designs.

• Take small steps over a period of time. Give your cat the harness and let them stay near their favourite sleeping spot for a few days with the harness on. The whole process involves them feeling comfortable, so you want to let them wear it whilst doing their favourite activities, essentially forgetting that they even have a harness on. Put food infront of your cat, then put the harness on. Reward your cat immediately afterwards.

• When attaching the leash to the harness, don't try to tug at it, or walk your cat immediately, just let it walk where it wants, dragging the leash behind it. Make sure you supervise this just in case the leash get's caught in anything.

• Once they are okay with the leash, you can start picking up the leash and following them around with it. At this point, don't pull at it at all. You want to let the cat let you follow it, but not hinder it's movement.

• After the above steps, it's time to start training them to go where you want them to go. Use your voice to encourage them to follow you. They will not walk in a straight line like dogs, but they will eventually start following your queue with a small gentle tug. If they lie down, then don't force them and drag. A bad experience will take several steps back.

• Finally, once you have all of this under grasp inside the house, it is time to test drive it out doors. They will be nervous at first, and so a lot of reassurance is needed. Let them get used to the world outside, until they feel relaxed and not stressed. You'll notice this change when they stop hiding and show an interest in exploring.