Training your cat to a harness and leash

Posted on May 22, 2022 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

cat gets harness and treat — Gus enjoys a treat while being harnessed

Training your cat to a harness and leash can come in handy even if you don’t plan to take him adventuring.

Training your cat to a harness and leash: Benefits

Enrichment for your cat
Extra security if you are traveling
Useful for introducing your cat to other animals

ENRICHMENT: With one of the broadest hearing ranges of any land mammal, a keen and discriminating sense of smell, and vision that tracks fast moving prey, the great outdoors is stimulating for a cat. Even if your kitty has a catio, leash time is special time, allowing him or her a chance to investigate new places and to spend time with you.

SECURITY WHILE TRAVELING: If you are traveling, having a leash and harness on your cat gives you some extra security during flight layovers, customs checks, or taking a break when driving. You can have an “extra hand” while changing soiled pads in the carrier or allowing your cat to stretch her legs.

INTRODUCING OTHER ANIMALS: Once you have passed the scent swapping stage and feel the animals are ready for the next step, you can have the them “meet” with a barrier in between. Having your cat on leash and harness can give you more control over encouraging calm behavior around the new arrival. If your cat wants to “rush” the barrier, gentle pressure on the leash can slow this down and avoid a hostile encounter. The leash can help us model the appropriate behavior of a slow, non-aggressive approach to the newcomer.

Training your cat to a harness and leash

I often hear that “my cats acts as if she were paralyzed when I put a harness on her – she just flops downs and won’t move”. There are a number of videos on the internet of cats being dragged along by the leash while laying down.

A Better Way

Zelda walking indoors on her leash.

Like any new item, introduce the harness and leash separately. Pick a highly valued treat and train when your cat is likely to want to eat.
Let your cat sniff the harness and offer him a treat.
Reward him for letting the harness sit on his back or for putting his paws through the arm holes.
Secure the harness, reward and remove.
Allow your cat to become accustomed to the harness being on for increasingly longer periods of time. Distract him with treats and toys. If he knows how to target, use the targeting stick to encourage him to move forward while wearing the harness.
Once comfortable with the harness, add the leash. Work with kitty inside at first, with the leash attached but not being held. It is a good idea to have your cat get used to dragging the leash behind so if you drop it mistakenly, the dragging leash won’t frighten her. You can use treats, a target stick or a toy on a wand to encourage her to move forward.
Pick up the leash and go for a walk! Start indoors and do some laps around the house.

Walking outdoors

Walking outside may not be for all cats. Cats who have spent most of their lives indoors may find the great outdoors overwhelming and frightening. It may never be their “cup of tea”.

To give this the best chance of success, start slowly. If you are just going to the backyard, start with brief trips outside in a carrier that is covered (have her harnessed and leashed). Leave the door open and let your cat smell and hear the outside. Let her come out on her own, if she wants to. Gradually work up to allowing her to meander around the yard with you at her side.

If you are planning on venturing further, it is wise to have a “mobile safe place” – a stroller or backpack. Introduce these items gradually but let your cat guide you – I have had cats that jumped right into the stroller and quickly learned that the stroller meant shade and safety.

Walking a cat vs walking a dog.

Cats do not have the stamina of dogs. Cats have evolved to move stealthily and quietly, with short intense bursts of activity: running and pouncing. They do not have the stiff-legged gait of horses and dogs, who can walk and trot for long periods of time – cats will get tired and will need some way of being transported.
Cats will want to run and hide when danger presents itself. The backpack or stroller will keep your cat safe and comfortable when on a walk.
Is your cat walking you? Walking your cat is often you going where she wants to go. If you feel you need to direct her path, target training can help.

An essential skill for the “adventure” cat is recall – train your cat to come when called. This can be invaluable if the worst happens and he somehow gets away. He most likely will hide and not respond at first – give him some time to calm down and let his training kick in. Keep calling him or giving him his recall cue.

Training your cat to a harness and leash can come in handy when traveling or introducing new pets. It also can strengthen your bond with your cat as you both enjoy the flowers in the garden together!

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Walking Cats – Confessions of a Cat Herder

Posted on February 14, 2021February 14, 2021 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

A lifelong cat owner, I had an indoor-outdoor cat as a child. I continued to have cats as I grew older, gradually spending more and more time with them. When I took a break from work for two years to sail from California to Maryland via the Panama Canal, I took my two siamese cats with me and I am relieved to say that they both made it home and lived to be 17 and 18 years old.

When we moved to Colorado, I began to supervise my cats’ outdoor activities due to the number of predators that were around. For several years, we lived in a house that bordered on an open space. At night, you could the coyotes howling and hunting in the open space behind the house.

Cats could only go out with a human supervisor. At the time, I had two long haired cats that would follow me and stay close by while I gardened; our domestic short hair preferred to stay indoors exclusively.

Around this time, I read My Pride and Joy by George Adamson of “Born Free” fame. Adamson was known for rehabilitating captive lions and returning them to a wild existence. He would take groups of these captive-raised unrelated lions and establish artificial prides. One of the daily exercises the “pride” engaged in was a walk. I wondered if walking cats together would help them get along better.

And so started the ritual of walking cats every morning. The townhomes I live in are an impromptu retirement community. The grounds are spacious with older trees and a pond. The roads in the complex are quiet with little traffic.

After several attempts at walking cats on leashes and having to let them climb trees with leashes dangling as they tried to escape the neighbors’ dogs (often on leashes), we changed to a “freedom” walk. The cats were not leashed and followed me around. I reinforced this behavior with treats.

(Update: I have found that I have to leash Gus, my formerly feral cat. He is still inclined to roam and get into cat fights.)

None of my cats are littermates. Some of the cats engage in friendly behavior (grooming each other) but others are aloof from their housemates indoors. Social Groups of Cats

Being outside is a different story. The four cats will band together, for example, if a strange cat approaches. They don’t fight amongst each when the intruder shows up.

One cat may growl at another if he is further away, but once close up, they will touch noses and confirm that they are part of the same group.

George Adamson established “artificial” prides; we establish “artificial” colonies when we house unrelated cats together. Like a colony of free-roaming cats, the indoor “colony” has its own signature scent which the members recognize each other by.

I guess it is a case of
“Better the Devil You Know than the Devil You Don’t”,
or, from the feline purrspective,
“Better the Devil who Smells Like You than the Devil Who Doesn’t”

Tips for Taking Your Cat for a Walk

Posted on February 7, 2021October 1, 2021 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

I have seen a lot of advertisements and posts recently on social media about taking your cat for a walk. This can be a source of enrichment for your cat; it is also be a great time to take photos of your friend and bond with her more.

Just like many humans, cats don’t like surprises. If you want to try taking your cat for a walk, be prepared to spend at least a few weeks preparing him.

What you need

A harness made for cats – these should be adjustable with comfortable padding to distribute the pressure on his neck and chest if he pulls against the harness
a leash – a leash about 4-6 feet long will work. I use an extendable leash with a bungee leash on the end in case my cat goes after a rabbit or mouse.
“treats for the trail”

Training for the Trail: The Harness

Let your cat smell the harness.
Slide the harness over his head. Click, treat and remove.
Work up to clipping the back.
Leave the harness on for increasingly longer times.
MAKE THIS FUN – MAKE SURE TO REWARD HIM.

Training for the Trail: Walking Indoors

Practice walks inside – using the leash
if your cat has been trained to a target, get him to walk along for short distances on the leash following the target
Alternatively, toss a treat in front of him to get him to move forward

Taking Your Cat for a Walk: Choose the Place

A back yard or enclosed area is an ideal place to start
Choose a QUIET time for his first walks

Taking your Cat for a Walk: Venturing further Afield

your cat is a small animal who is a predator but is also prey
you must provide a safe place for your cat if predators or unwanted people show up
If you walk on sidewalks and paths, a pet stroller can be a wise investment
If you are more adventurous, a backpack can be a solution.

Both backpack and stroller are best introduced to your cat with training. Your cat will soon figure out the stroller or pack means safety from dogs and sunshine.

Hazards of the “Trail”

Cat Fights

Strange cats: Feral cats are most likely not going to be around when you are out – they avoid humans and typically hunt during the evening and night time hours. Free-roaming pets or community cats present more problems. This is when you want to have your cat leashed.

Be attentive to your surroundings – your superior color vision can sometimes pick out strange cats before your cat is aware of them. You may be able to put her in her stroller or pack or take evasive action before there are any hostilities.

Monitor you cat’s body posture (tense, alert?) and vocalizations (low growl?) – these can indicate the presence of a strange cat. Once your cat is aware of the stranger, AVOID picking him up. Encourage the stranger to go away, while keeping a firm grip on the leash.

I have had a cat stalk us while I was walking Gus. I did encourage the strange cat to go away, verbally and with a well thrown pebble while keeping a firm grip on Gus’s leash.

Dogs

When I started walking cats around my townhome, I very quickly learned that many dogs are not well-trained – they escape their owners, leashes flying the breeze and make a beeline for your cat.

Offer the stroller or pack to your cat as a refuge. Training your cat to sit when dogs approach can be helpful – if your cat does not run, the dog usually will not chase them.

Be calm and assertive to the approaching dog – firmly command them to “sit” or “down” or “stay” (common commands the dog may know). Don’t turn your back on on the dog; don’t stare directly at him. Back away slowly. More tips..

Cars

Cars are terrifying – we need to get kitty into a safe place.

Train your cat to be picked up so that you can hold her or put her in the stroller or pack. Cue is “up”, click while lifting, and make sure to reward when you put her down.

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