Walking My Cat

[Kvla]

Hi!

I’ve been taking my cat outside on a harness and leash since she was real little. She’s super used to being on a harness. When we’re outside, she likes to take me down into the marsh area where there are countless ticks and burrs. That’s her favorite place to be is in the tall grass, but I know she also doesn’t mind being in lawn grass.

Walking with her has become more of me trying to follow her without getting a bunch of sticks in my face and getting the leash all tangled up in the tall grass. It’s not pleasant. I see other people walking there cats and their cats walk with them just like dogs! Is it possible to train my cat to enjoy walking alongside next to me just as much? Does anyone else walk their cat?

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
Maybe it's breed dependant (I doubt it) but I can't visualize a cat walking with it's owner like that.

Maybe you could talk to one of those people, or try and find a more open space for your kitty- or possibly a leash made of different material.

 

[Luc]

Try to walk with a clicker and treats. If your cat associates walking with you to a positive experience you might trick him into walking the way you want.

Generally speaking unless the cat is raised with other dogs the cat will behave like a cat. That means more than walking you'll do a lot of standing and waiting.

Cats like to sniff check all the noises and explore an environment at their own pace before they feel safe enough to move around. It takes a long time, they just don't dart out for and cover a lot of ground like a dog would.

When cats venture out often they will be only 5-10 houses away from their location.

If I put him down all the times while on the way out there is a lot of waiting and very little walking, but there is very little standing and waiting and a lot of walking on the way back.

This is what I do. I would pick my cat up and walk 3-4 houses away, while he rests on my arm and I pet him. Then I put him down only on the way back. Since he is familiar with his environment he feels safe enough and home is the safest destination so only on the way back he will walk with me like a dog.

 

[stephmnichols]

You could possibly clicker-train the cat to "heel" when you ask it to, so you could take it on similar walks the way that people do with their dogs?