How do you train your cat to walk with a leash?

[Michael Varn]

I have to assume that this training has to start when a kitten is only several weeks old.

But is it possible to train an adult to do this?

You don't see a cat on a leash very often, but you have probably seen it several times over the course of your life.

But I did hear that it does not require an expert trainer to do this.

Can anyone do this, presumably by simply acclamateing a kitten to a leash?

 

[BellaGooch]

It is totally possible to train an adult cat to walk o a leash, but it will probably take longer than a kitten. Anybody can do this with lots of patince and love! Here is a great article about Harness and Leash Training:
Harness And Leash Training For Cats – TheCatSite Articles
Good luck!

 

[ArtNJ]

I wouldn't bother. My cat Clyde used to be an indoor/outdoor and would literally keep up with me when I went for a jog as far as I let him (like 1/4 of a mile) sometimes right beside me, sometimes dashing through neighbors bushes. He missed the outside after being converted to indoor only so I thought it was logical to try. He just got too scared by every little thing, like a car on the road 30 feet away, and wanted to be able to dash away. And when he backed up, he would come right out o the velcro harness. Apparently, if you really want to make it secure, you need the velcro harness and a real collar additionally, but I decided not to fuss with that given how scared he was. Apparently, having the ability to dash into the bushes was more important to him than I realized.

I look at it this way. There are people that train squirrels to water ski. A lot of things are *possible*. This one, however, is very hard.

 

[GoldyCat]

I tried to train my first two when they were kittens. They thought going for a walk meant they'd ride on my shoulders and I'd do the walking. I did occasionally get them to walk on their own but it wasn't easy and I didn't spend much time trying. I figured it was easier just to keep them inside and screen in a patio for them to go out and get fresh air safely.