Hi, this post is for cat owners who walk their cats on leashes.
Does your cat attack you when he has to come back inside? How did you train your cat not to fight you when it’s time to come back in?
I’m the guardian of a male ginger who was rescued off the street. He was already an adult when I took him in, so am not sure how many years he lived outside (or if he was abandoned by an owner). He is good around people, but gets aggressive around other cats. We’re a one-cat household, so I worry about him getting lonely when I am at work all day.
I want him to have a happy and fulfilling life—he gets much playtime, is on a high quality raw diet, gets treats, love, etc—but we live in the city and it’s not safe to let him run around freely in the neighborhood. There are at least 5 construction sites nearby, dogs often off their leashes, and many cats around here have gone missing and/or hit by cars. So the compromise is to walk him outdoors in quiet parks with a leash and harness.
He took to the harness very quickly, walks like it isn’t even on him. The thing is, he becomes a different cat when outdoors. Indoors he is sweet, no major problems (except now he cries often to go outside). When sniffing all the scents outdoors, exploring, walking wherever he can go with me in tow, he starts to go primal. This guttural growling I never hear unless he’s outside, and then when I have to pick him up to go back in the carrier, he bunny kicks my arms with claws out, bites, growls like he’s being kidnapped by the worst person in the world. Today I’m tending to my wounds from his latest attack after carrying him to his carrier. I was wearing long sleeves, he managed to get through that even. I realize at the time I’m taking him away from something he’s really enjoying, but it’s not like I’m a stranger or hurting him, to get these attacks. When back inside, he immediately is nice to me again.
I truly want to be able to continue taking him outside, but I also don’t want to be attacked anymore! My hands and arms are getting covered in scars from this, and it is painful when it happens. If anyone on this site knows of a resource or tips for training him to go calmly when it’s time to go inside, that would be life-changing for both myself and my cat. I bought one of those clickers but I don’t even know how to apply it to this situation, since he’s been ignoring treats when outside.
Basically, walking him on a leash isn’t the problem, it’s just getting him back indoors without so much aggression towards me. I recently watched a nature show where cheetahs were being walked on harnesses without attacking their handlers. If it can be done with a cheetah, there’s got to be a way to make it work with my 13 lb ginger.
Thank you in advance…
Does your cat attack you when he has to come back inside? How did you train your cat not to fight you when it’s time to come back in?
I’m the guardian of a male ginger who was rescued off the street. He was already an adult when I took him in, so am not sure how many years he lived outside (or if he was abandoned by an owner). He is good around people, but gets aggressive around other cats. We’re a one-cat household, so I worry about him getting lonely when I am at work all day.
I want him to have a happy and fulfilling life—he gets much playtime, is on a high quality raw diet, gets treats, love, etc—but we live in the city and it’s not safe to let him run around freely in the neighborhood. There are at least 5 construction sites nearby, dogs often off their leashes, and many cats around here have gone missing and/or hit by cars. So the compromise is to walk him outdoors in quiet parks with a leash and harness.
He took to the harness very quickly, walks like it isn’t even on him. The thing is, he becomes a different cat when outdoors. Indoors he is sweet, no major problems (except now he cries often to go outside). When sniffing all the scents outdoors, exploring, walking wherever he can go with me in tow, he starts to go primal. This guttural growling I never hear unless he’s outside, and then when I have to pick him up to go back in the carrier, he bunny kicks my arms with claws out, bites, growls like he’s being kidnapped by the worst person in the world. Today I’m tending to my wounds from his latest attack after carrying him to his carrier. I was wearing long sleeves, he managed to get through that even. I realize at the time I’m taking him away from something he’s really enjoying, but it’s not like I’m a stranger or hurting him, to get these attacks. When back inside, he immediately is nice to me again.
I truly want to be able to continue taking him outside, but I also don’t want to be attacked anymore! My hands and arms are getting covered in scars from this, and it is painful when it happens. If anyone on this site knows of a resource or tips for training him to go calmly when it’s time to go inside, that would be life-changing for both myself and my cat. I bought one of those clickers but I don’t even know how to apply it to this situation, since he’s been ignoring treats when outside.
Basically, walking him on a leash isn’t the problem, it’s just getting him back indoors without so much aggression towards me. I recently watched a nature show where cheetahs were being walked on harnesses without attacking their handlers. If it can be done with a cheetah, there’s got to be a way to make it work with my 13 lb ginger.
Thank you in advance…