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I live with a year and a 1/2 old Savannah cat, and in some way I have heard these breeds are similar...
My Savannah loves going for walks on a leash and has got to the point where he will trot a full 2 mile loop with me only stopping for a few sniffs, to climb a few trees and to try to pounce on a few things. It has taken a lot of time and doing what he wants to do, but we have gotten to a point where he seems to understand everything I say and is generally inclined to want to cooperate with me as long as I usually try to cooperate with him. It is a really fun way to spend time with your cat and burn off energy.
But if you are going to do this, and will not be allowing him to come and go as he pleases, I would suggest to always carry him out the door in a cat back pack, so he does not learn to try and door dash, and always have the cat back pack with you in case he gets scared and needs containing. It can also be handy as an alternative to your arms as a crash landing site that can be hoisted into a tree in an emergency.
My cat never tries to door dart because he has never gotten out that way. Instead he just climbs in his backpack and meows if he wants out.
Also, we went through a rough patch where he meowed to go out 8 hours a day, even though we spent a couple hours out walking every day. So I began a strict routine of only walking him in the evening and he figured out meowing other times was fruitless and it became a lot easier to live with him. Now it is winter we just go out weather permitting and his learning not to meow for a walk all day seems to have stuck, and he now seems to be OK going out with no schedule.
I do allow him to walk back in through the door as I want him to know how to get home if he ever gets out accidentally, and so far this has not led to him figuring out it could work the other way too... And I try to always get him to come in on his own without forcing him. He always gets his favorite treat when we come in, and now just saying "Treats?" at the end of a walk is enough to get him happily trotting back to the house.
I think both Savannahs and Bengals can have strong wills and it is important not to start any habits that you might not want to continue.
My Savannah loves going for walks on a leash and has got to the point where he will trot a full 2 mile loop with me only stopping for a few sniffs, to climb a few trees and to try to pounce on a few things. It has taken a lot of time and doing what he wants to do, but we have gotten to a point where he seems to understand everything I say and is generally inclined to want to cooperate with me as long as I usually try to cooperate with him. It is a really fun way to spend time with your cat and burn off energy.
But if you are going to do this, and will not be allowing him to come and go as he pleases, I would suggest to always carry him out the door in a cat back pack, so he does not learn to try and door dash, and always have the cat back pack with you in case he gets scared and needs containing. It can also be handy as an alternative to your arms as a crash landing site that can be hoisted into a tree in an emergency.
My cat never tries to door dart because he has never gotten out that way. Instead he just climbs in his backpack and meows if he wants out.
Also, we went through a rough patch where he meowed to go out 8 hours a day, even though we spent a couple hours out walking every day. So I began a strict routine of only walking him in the evening and he figured out meowing other times was fruitless and it became a lot easier to live with him. Now it is winter we just go out weather permitting and his learning not to meow for a walk all day seems to have stuck, and he now seems to be OK going out with no schedule.
I do allow him to walk back in through the door as I want him to know how to get home if he ever gets out accidentally, and so far this has not led to him figuring out it could work the other way too... And I try to always get him to come in on his own without forcing him. He always gets his favorite treat when we come in, and now just saying "Treats?" at the end of a walk is enough to get him happily trotting back to the house.
I think both Savannahs and Bengals can have strong wills and it is important not to start any habits that you might not want to continue.