Walking the cat

I have heard that with a lot of work, it is possible to leash-train your cat, but I cannot picture a cat walking down the sidewalk with their master holding their leash just like a dog.

Has anyone out there leash-trained their cat? How was it? Does your cat walk alongside you like a dog? Does your cat get easily spooked and try to run away?

I do not believe it is a good idea to walk just any cat. In order to walk at a certain fast pace for long distance, the animal must have high energy level and high stamina. Most animal species in the cat family do not have good stamina for keep walking long distance at fast pace.

The only cat I know capable of being walked is Savannah cat which is a cross breed with wild African cat. This cat breed has high energy level and they love to go out, and unlike other cats they also love water.

I had a cat once that I put on a harness and a leash. I would let her ride on my shoulders. Because my hair was long, she loved to go under it to feel more secure. She loved going out with me like that. I took her everywhere I could. She was my best pal and we had a lot of good times together. I started her out on the harness and leash when she was a kitten so that she got use to the idea of it being on. I would also take her out with me in the beginning for short walks so that she would get use to the outdoors too. Eventually, she loved going out with me and looked forward to picking up the kids from school everyday.

My parents had one cat that they would put a harness on and a leash and just walk her around the yard. They live in the woods so they didn't want to just let her out because she might run away and get eaten by some wild animal so keeping her on the leash was both safe for her as well as enabling them to give her some extra exercise and fresh air because she loved being outside. I definitely wouldn't try to walk a cat down the street the same way people walk their dogs however.

I agree! I can't even fathom why someone would want to put a cat on a leash. I'm pretty sure that the cat would become uncomfortable and irate. When cats get angry they become very wild and there is no stopping them. A leash wouldn't be ale to control them. I am just laughing at the thought of an owner walking their cat outside and the cat gets upset. I am picturing the cat run and jumping up and down; tangling their owner with the leash. It definitely wouldn't be a pretty sight. I have never seen anyone put a leash on their cat nor have I ever seen an owner walk their cat. Personally, I don't think cats need to be walked because they are not energetic or care to see the outdoors. All they want to do is lay down or play with their yarn, while laying down.

All 3 of my current cats are leash trained because it is a safe way to let them go outside while being supervised. Mine took to it quite well actually. My cats do not walk next to me like a dog in fact we don't go for walks like I do with my dog, we just stick around the yard. A lot of people don't realize that most owners who do leash train their cats do not go for walks like a dog, they let the cat go where they want and then bring them back in. While some owners do actually take a walk with their cat its not common its more common to just stick around yard.

My cats will walk on the leash, but no where near as good as a dog! They will usually come if you call them, or shake the leash a little. Sometimes I have to give them a gentle pull though. The leashe for my cats is just basically to stop them running away whilst they play outside - nothing more than that, I don't really think I could go take them for a walk!

I had one cat that was trained to walk on a leash but for the most part he would just lay on the ground and enjoy the grass.
It took some time for him to adjust to the harness being on him but once he did he did get outside with me more.
Even if he just hung out in the grass on less net to me I thought it was worth the time getting hissed to it because was at lest outside with me. And I enjoyed that, and so did he.

I use a leash for my cat. She's escaped through an open door before when it was dark outside, and she took off. We live in an area with woods directly behind us and a busy road in front of us. It's not exactly the best place for an indoor cat to wander around in! I put her leash on when I go in the backyard to relax or garden. She sits and waits by the door for her leash, and when it's on she scurries outside and usually plops down in a patch of sunlight and takes a nap. Sometimes I'll walk her up and down the sidewalk in front of the house, but she usually ventures into the grass and starts eating it! People laugh when they see a cat on the leash, but it's the best option for her. Chasing her around in the woods at 2 a.m. was not fun!

I am actually planning on buying my cat a halter today. She's bored in the house, but I live in the city and don't want her to get hit by a car. I'll feel stupid walking a cat, but I think it's the best choice for her. I'm just planning to take her on our patio, but if she went over our fence the insane lady next door might hurt her.

I had a Siamese that was very comfortable on a leash. It's one that showed up at my house and after trying to find the owner with an ad posted in the paper for a month and watching for an ad, I kept him. I tried a leash on him when travelling and taking him out at a rest area for some fresh air. He acted like it was nothing, so I walked him around and he acted like it was no big deal. After that I only put him on a leash a few times to show friends and family, since they couldn't believe it.

We put a collar and leash on our cats but let them roam the yard on their own. If we see one of them taking off after something, we can at least grab the leash. They're pretty good about staying in the yard though and not wandering off. I don't walk our cats down the street though. They're not like dogs, they're pretty stubborn about doing what they want to do and that generally doesn't include going for walks with you.