Can you leash train an adult cat?

[angel23456]

My cat Newton is an adult male, fixed. He's overgrown since he was fixed. He used to be a partially outdoor cat a few years ago before he got (I think) a urinary tract infection and we were told it's better to keep him inside. I had started taking him out on the patio with a leash and harness and he wouldn't move much and just crouched there. Is it too late to train him, or is it not even good to try it since he got sick before, or because he's overgrown? Sometimes when we have the door open to carry in groceries or something he'll step out like two feet and look around, and we tell him to go back inside.

Also, we've had my dog Millie (an Aussie-Golden retriever mix) for six months now and still Newton does not like her. For a long time we kept them apart, in separate rooms, and then we would occasionally test the dog in there with the cats. Pumpkin (my female cat) is afraid of Millie, but doesn't hiss often, and has not struck out at her, whereas Newton has, several times. Is there any good way to get him to stop trying to hurt the dog? Millie is afraid of him now, despite their size difference.

 

[mani]

If Newton isn't crazy about going outside, I wouldn't even bother with the leash thing, as it's hard to teach an old cat new tricks

  However someone may come along and tell you otherwise.. I've just never tried it.

As for the dog issues.. I find they settle down in time.  Newton probably takes a swipe at Millie's nose when she gets to close?  If so Millie will just learn not to get too close.  It is probably impossible to make them be friends, but they will work out a pecking order and, in time, you just never know. 

 

[maewkaew]

It's possible to leash train some adult cats. but probably not others. I have helped both kittens and adult cats learn to walk on leash. i don't know if it would work for your cat; I don't know just what you tried the first time to get him to walk. & if he didn't like it then, you may not get him to change his mind now.
But I can tell you what I did.

With the first cat, I tried it because he really really wanted to go outside. He had been used to running loose. But that would have been very dangerous in the busy urban neighborhood and anyway the contract with the rescue group said he was not to be allowed to free roam. He was a very dominant, territorial cat and I think he felt a need to know what was going on out there. Going for walks with a harness and leash ended up working out very well for him. he really liked going out to "patrol" the area and check out the smells and rub on things to leave his own scent marks. It really helped settle him. and fortunately he managed to accept not being allowed to just come and go on his own, as long as he did get his regular walk.

I split it up into first just getting used to the harness ( or walking jacket -- in more recent years I often see at cat shows , pet expos etc , cats in little vests, sometimes called "walking jackets", that often fasten with velcro and have a hook on the back to attach a leash. and some cats seem to find those more comfortable.) and then to adding the leash.

( It is not unusual if a cat rolls around or tries to grab at or bite at the harness at first because they don't know what it is. or the cat might sit there frozen. You have to get them past thinking how weird it is. ) So anyway, I first just put the harness on him , gave him a treat and petted him, praised him and took it off right away. Then each day I would put it on for longer, and give him lots of petting and scratches and praise ,sometimes a small treat, to distract him from thinking about how weird it felt but also to create positive associations with it. Then I had worked up to leaving it on longer while I would play with him with a wand toy, or feed him his dinner. or just spend more time giving him attention.
So finally he would just run around the house with it on and was used to it and did not care.

Then i tried attaching the leash. and again that is something that is weird to them at first or they think it's a toy. and most cats will grab at it, bite at it, roll around etc. just like a puppy often does. And just as when you first put on the harness, you can also just attach the leash for very short times at first and gradually add more. you can do it a few times a day.
To get them to walk with the harness and leash on ( some cats think they can't walk with the leash on!) you can move in front of them and hold out a treat so they have to come to you for it. or just bend down or kneel in front of them and call them to you and give lots of pets and praise.
or you can use a wand toy to motivate the cat to walk ahead.
When you hold the leash and are standing with the cat, you could try tossing a treat a bit ahead on the path.

Most cats are not going to heel like an obedience trial champion dog. It's more like they just wander around and you follow. But some cats will actually walk on leash in a more dog-like way, especially if they get used to a certain walk that always follows the same path. like my cat's "patrol walk" . he would stop the same places to sniff a pole or corner of a wall and renew his It's normal for cats to go for a regular walk.

(Re TREATS. It is best to get some treats that don't have grains or sugar but are just meat, the proper sort of food for an obligate carnivore -- like freeze dried pieces of chicken etc. My cat loved dried pieces of salmon -- Salmon Snacks from Snack21. Later we found Bravo Bonus Bites training treats for dogs and cats. They loved the freeze dried venison liver. and also of course give small size treats. break or cut them up if they are big. And when you are thinking about total calories you need to factor in what they got in treats! so if you are doing training and they are getting 10 or 15 treats they need less of other food . )

Other thoughts......
Will he play with wand toys , Cat Dancer etc. to get more exercise? My cats love the 'fishing pole' type toys with a furry or feathery toy on a strip of thin leather attached to a long stick, that I move for them to chase.

& I'm not sure what you are feeding him or how much, but obviously diet does play a role in weight! Most spayed/ neutered adult cat need only somewhere between150-250 calories per day, amount varying based on things like bone structure/ ideal weight and activity level. What with their growth slowing down as they approach full adult size, plus being neutered, those are things that reduce their energy needs. the problem is that many owners keep feeding just as much, or don't cut down the amount enough. and the cat gets fat.

And it's not just the calories to consider, but the balance of nutrients . Cats are made to be carnivores. The ideal diet for a cat is high animal protein , moderate fat, and extremely low carb. And for health of urinary tract & kidneys and digestive system they need wet food ( canned or a balanced raw meat & bone diet). Cats need to get water as part of their food because they tend not to have a strong enough thirst drive to keep well hydrated otherwise.

There is a great site from a veterinarian with a lot of stuff about cat nutrition and how diet affects health. http://www.catinfo.org I highly recommend that if you haven't checked it out, read the main article Feeding your Cat. Then there are others you might want to check out like one on urinary health and one on obesity , plus others on commercial canned food and a section about making homemade cat food.

Re the Feline - Canine situation. I dont think it is so bad if a dog gets a little alarmed by a cat at first, but hopefully they will both settle down and it just ends up being a healthy respect. Cats and dogs have very different body language, and that's part of why it can sometimes take many months for them to work things out.
You can sometimes give both the cats and the dog one of the little treats of just freeze dried or dried meat, when they are hanging out in the same room peacefully. ( Don't do it right next to each other where one might try to grab the other's treat.) Or have one of you sit and pet Newton and the other Millie when in the same room. You can also try that with your female cat but not if she is so terrified that you have to force her to even sit with you in the same room as the dog.
Meanwhile keep Newton's claws clipped every week or two. Hopefully Millie has figured not to get in too close to him right now. Continue to keep them in separate parts of the house when you're not there, so things aren't escalating when you dont know about it.