Leash Training a Bombay

I've always wanted a Bombay and I finally got one from a friend that has a bunch of them that she uses to catch mice on her farm and in her stables. I was able to get one of the kittens and one of the many reasons I wanted a Bombay was because of the pure black fur and paw pads...and that they are the easiest leash trained cats. Also the mini-panther is something I really like.

My Bombay's name is JiJi and he's a sweetheart. He loves being outside and is at a good age to be leash trained (not yet a year old). But my the kind of place I live in people see something fuzzy on their lawn and they pull out a gun. (not the best place for strays). He's already learned how to get his collar off, and I know I need a harness. I plan on getting one...but...

Whenever I put him on his leash with just the collar, he lays there like dead weight. I can't even leash train a dog (never been able to).

So, anyone have any tips for me on how to do this? Any tips would be great.

Pyro

I question your friend for "breeding" Bombay cats and letting them run loose on a farm to catch mice! I don't think they are really true Bombay cats (pedigree) - I think they are just black cats she's breeding.

But to answer your question. Cats need time to adjust to a harness/leash. I'd let him wear it around the house for awhile; then attach a leash and let him drag it around - be careful it doesn't get caught. Once he's used to things then take him outside for a few mins to see what happens.

And I would NEVER take him outside and left - always be right there with him.

No one around here 'breeds' cats. They have cats that get pregnant and have kittens. She loves cats, she knows what breed they are. But she doesn't breed them to have the breed. She lets them run around and just do what they do naturally, like any other living creature. The fact that she uses them to catch mice in her stables has nothing to do with their breed. This isn't the sort of town where you find people 'breeding' cats or dogs. Just people that love animals.

I'm sorry if I sound snappy. But I'm starting to get annoyed with the amount of people making it sound like just because the places I get my cats from aren't good enough because no one around here treats them by breeds, breeds them by type, and things like that.

Sorry for the rant and thank you for the advice. I don't think I will be on this site anymore or at least not for a long time. I'm just feeling very put down from the way people keep answering my questions. I don't like the term 'backyard breeder' and things like that. It's making it sound like my friends are terrible people because they don't know everything about the cats they own and because they take care of them the best way they know how to.

Thank you for your advice though.

Sorry you feel that way, but sometimes you have to open your eyes to the truth. You don't take a pedigree cat and treat it that way! BYB's are not terrible people for the most part - but what they are doing is wrong. I'm sure legit Bombay breeders would be upset to find their cats she got are running around breeding like that.

In fact, I'd like to know WHERE she got her cats! Does she sell her "bombays"? Does she have a contract for spay/neuter? Probably not. And any one that breeds just to breed and NOT produce better quality cats IS a backyard breeder who does not care at all about the cats!

I had barn cats - and they were spayed/neutered. But they were mixed breed cats too - which is all the more reason to spay/neuter. You don't need to take pedigree cats and put them on the streets/farms and do what your friend is doing.

So you're saying that someone that takes a cat to the vet once a month, feeds them the best food they can find in an area like this, gives plenty of love and attention to their cats should not be allowed to have a cat just because she owns a stable and needs something around all the time to take care of the mice issue? That just because she lets an animal do what it does naturally (eat, hunt, reproduce, and be affectionate when it needs to) is not a good enough person?

She doesn't sell her cats. When one of the females has kittens, she takes them to the vet and gets them all taken care of and then asks her friends if they would like a kitten. Any of them that don't get homes stay with her and have free range over a large area as well as her house.

Humans are the ones that made cats and dogs into pets and pedigrees...but that is not what they are. Just like us, they are animals that deserve love and attention. That is all they need. Don't you dare tell me that my friend does not care at all about her cats when you know nothing about her. That's a horrible thing to say. I'm sorry she isn't up to your standards, but she is a wonderful person and probably the best person in my area to get a cat from.

Just because a cat is raised and produced from farm cats doesn't make them any less their breed or deserving to do the things that their breed can do. Mixed breeds, strays, and farm cats are some of the most affectionate and caring and some of the smartest cats I've owned.

~Pyro

Mixed breed cats are awesome. They're brilliant cats. Pretty much all cats are brilliant.

The reason people get upset when they hear about cats reproducing out of control is because there are so many cats killed every year because of the cat overpopulation problem. If all of your cats friends (and the current kittens etc.) were spayed she would be saving lots more lives because her friends that get the kittens could then get some other kittens that are sitting in a shelter and then when she needs more cats for her barn she could get some from a shelter and safe their lives.

Everyone is just thinking about the benefits for cats in general when they want everyone to spay and neuter their pets.

As for breeds. I doubt that your friend really has bombay cats. Most breeders won't sell a cat without a spay/neuter contract. You can have black farm cats who aren't bombays. Basicall the only thing that seperates a bombay from a black mixed cat is some specifics of their look and most importantly their pedigree papers. If the cat isn't registered and with a pedigree it's not a pedigree cat. That doesn't mean it's worth less or any less of a brililant pet to have. Far from it.

As for how to leash train. It came very naturally to my cat so I was lucky. It really helps to put the harness on inside and then bring out your cats favourite toys. If he's anything like my cat he'll go running after the toys and forget all about the harness. Do that in several short sessions for a few days and hopefully he'll accept the harness then.

It really helps to have a flexi lead outside. I.e one that can extend out quite long to give the cats more room. It's hard if you have just a short fixed length leash. Cats sometimes want to dash around a bit. Also usually when outside with my cat she'll just sniff around things and explore while I stand in the middle of the garden. You don't really walk cats, you more just stand there and make sure they don't get into trouble.

Best of luck though and I hope you can stick around

Oh and never ever put the leash on just the collar! Cats have very delicate necks and if he panics and runs while you have it clipped on like that he can break his neck! or if it's a proper breakaway collar it'll break away and he'll be loose.

You need a proper harness. I'm very happy with an H type harness. Nikita accepts that because she knows she's going outside when I bring it to her. She is fine with the harness but I can't put a normal collar on her, she'll go mad trying to get it off. Also a key thing is that she has never gone outside without her harness on so the idea of being outside without a harness hasn't ever entered into her mind, fortunately.

Those that have farm cats for the most part neuter and spay them and they make fine barn cats. Its good she feeds them regularly and takes them to the vet, but IMO she should not allow them to continue to breed litter after litter. How many adult females and males are there? We had 6 adult barn cats.

Doing what comes natural is ok only to a point. Catching mice, running around, is all ok - breeding indiscremently is NOT ok. If your friend was really concerned about her cats, she would also neuter and spay them and continue the rest she's doing - I have no problem with that - I have a problem of her breeding cats and not neutering/spaying. If one of the adults dies, you can always get another cat for replacement - as long as its neutered/spayed.

You've stated that if she can't find homes, she keeps them - so how many more cats is she keeping and not spaying/neutering?

BTW here is a pedigree Bombay - I seriously doubt your friend has one - it may kinda look like one cause its all black.

http://www.cfa.org/breeds/profiles/bombay.html

I gpt P.Kitty as a 3 year old from the pound. We bought him an H harness and very light nylon leads (they are 10', so we bought 2). Our walks are definitely more me following him than say a dog walk, but over time it is where he will listen and go where I lead about half the time.

We had him wear his harness indoors a bit (and he always wears a breakaway collar, too, with his tag on it)and he acted like it was awful. He'd sway his back and do this whole drama routine. Reminded me of Snoopy acting like his leash was choking him in the Peanuts cartoons. Anyway, once outside he immediately forgot to do the drama and walked normally. It took a few times where he would freak out, I'd take him right back in the house and remove the leash (leave the harness), wait a few minutes and then repeat. He got the picture and it now works great. (I also made sure he'd run back home when scared by dog barking or something rather than run the wrong way--- if the leash was still on him, it could be bad news).

Good luck! I think having him leash trained has been great for both of us! I love getting home from crappy day at work and just wandering around outside with him to decompress.

I'm sorry you feel "put down" by some of the replies on this site. I am sure that is not the intention of any of our members. I am not going to debate on whether or not your cat is a purebred Bombay. It's irrelevant to your question and I am sure you love him regardless. I would however like to share with you this article about spaying and neutering cats that list the health benefits.

http://www.thecatsite.com/Care/177/S...Your-Cats.html

Back to JiJi and his leash. I have to second with Siggav that you should never attach a leash directly to a collar. It is best to buy a harness or something similar. Abby has one like this:

http://lupinepet.com/cat/cats.php

I recommend the Lupine brand. I've had very good luck with them.

When I first started taking Abby outside, she would just lie there. Then she would just slink along the ground. Cats are not like dogs on a leash. You need to follow them, for the most part they will not go where you want them to go.

Good Luck and let us know how you make out.

I'm gonna agree with pyrotechnics here. People can do what they want when it comes to "breeding" cats. As a matter of fact it's not even up to us humans. Can't cats mate as they please? Can't we just let nature take its course and let cats be cats? I love my boy box and he's not a purebred Bombay but he sure as hell acts like one. He was born in a house where everyone smoked cigarettes constantly, the entire house was filthy and flea ridden. But hey if mom a cat didn't think it was safe she wouldn't have had kitties. And you know what? My lol man came out of that house flealess and the vet said he's "the healthiest cat I've ever seen". I think cats have good judgement of whether or not they should have kids. And I dint think people should be breeding cats in the first place. Would you want someone forcing you to have kids just because "you make the best kind and they're 100% black or white or Chinese or what have you?" Ps to abbysmom. Thank for the harness/leash advice

My older cat is leash trained and leash training came naturally to him since he didn't just drop dead when a harness was put on. One trick to try with cats that do stop moving the moment a harness is on is to put the harness on and take them outside immediately. If he likes the outdoors, the treat of being out there will usually start to outweigh the torture of being confined by a harness (well they act like it's torture).

I use and am very happy with this harness: