Leash (Right Board?)

jarvis

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Don't know if this is the right place for this thread, but I wondering about teaching my baby to walk on a leash.

No idea if she is a candidate:
She has been a indoor kitty all her life,
She is about 5 months old
She doesn't wear a neck collar on a regular basis

but, I was wondering if it was possible to train her. My plan was going to be to let her wear a harness for a some time indoors, then walk her on the leash indoors, then take her only on the porch in my arms, but not let her down...the slowly just transition her into it...

Any ideas, tips, warnings, stories?

Thanks!
 

kitytize

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Sounds like you know what you are doing. Some cats will take to harness training faster than others.
 

goldenkitty45

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IMO if she's been an indoor kitten so far, why do you think she needs to go outside.

You would need a harness and leash - not a collar and leash. If you feel she needs to go outside, maybe consider an outdoor enclosure where she can sit and walk around and not have to follow her with the leash.

Cats are not like dogs - you more/less follow them. And unless you treat your lawn for fleas, you'll be bringing them inside if she doesn't have flea protection on her.
 
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jarvis

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Hmmm..well, I just thought it would be nice to let her explore outside a bit...she gets a little jealous when we take the dog out...

I guess you make some good points...since I live in an apartment at the moment, it would be impossible for me to treat the yard for fleas really.

Hm...well, I guess it's not such a good idea.
 

abigail

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I harness and leash trained my indoor cat only because we were driving across country and I wanted a safeguard if the car door was opened and she freaked.

She has a stroller now and enjoys going for walks inside it but taking a cat for a walk on a leash is a really funny concept. it's not like the cat is going to go where you want it to go.

I think that a better way for an indoor cat to enjoy the outdoors is a window perch, cat tree or a secure screened porch/deck.
 

goldenkitty45

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We have a dog and 2 cats and they don't care if the dog goes out. They sit by the door when she's back on the steps to be let in, but don't seem to be very upset.

Eventually we will have an enclosed screen porch/gazebo and the dog and cats will be taken out there. But the cats will be in a carrier and taken to the porch; then let out to sit with us. That way we don't have to worry about them running out the door.

As long as you have plenty of toys and a good treehouse for your kitten, he will be fine living inside
 

coaster

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Originally Posted by Jarvis

, it would be impossible for me to treat the yard for fleas really.
People don't usually treat their lawns. They treat their animals. For cats, I recommend Frontline Plus, which is effective against fleas and ticks, or Revolution, which is effective against fleas, ticks, mosquitoes (heartworm vector), and ear mites. If you don't use Revolution you should also dose with Heartgard to protect against heartworms.

I think your plans are just fine.
 
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jarvis

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Originally Posted by coaster

People don't usually treat their lawns. They treat their animals. For cats, I recommend Frontline Plus, which is effective against fleas and ticks, or Revolution, which is effective against fleas, ticks, mosquitoes (heartworm vector), and ear mites. If you don't use Revolution you should also dose with Heartgard to protect against heartworms.

I think your plans are just fine.
I didn't think that people did it either...but someone mentioned it up there ^

Thanks.
 

goldenkitty45

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I've heard of people with dogs doing it - not a common thing, but it seems to work well if you have a big problem with fleas.

Since my guys are indoors only and the dog never brings in fleas (she's treated), the cats don't have to be treated either. I don't believe in using flea preventative on totally indoor cats.
 

laserray

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I hear the negative comments about leash walking my cats.
All I can say is BULL. Cats can and will walk on a leash like a dog, just not all the time. The flea thing though needs to be addressed.

Young Kittens haven't learn the negative aspects yet.
It's co-operation between you and your buddy.
You will pick up on his/her signals as you walk.
People tell me they look like dogs on a leash.
Beleave me it's an illusion.

My tips:
Get kitty use to being in car on longer and longer trips, not just to go to the vet. Hey I'm going to see a friend, bring kitty.
Have kitty wear "H harness" on and off for a week.
I have tried various harness, mine have never escape from an H harness as of yet.

Slowly work into walking with the leash, maybe even let kitty walk around the house with it. I have a bungie lash.

My female took about a half hour to walk on a leash.
My male took over of month of love and patience.

When you first start kitty may lie down or try to back out of the harness.
You may have to drag him a bit.
After 3 months of weekend training they do pretty good until we are in new situations. Crowds, windy day, trucks, motor cycles, etc.
As they learn the new sounds and events they slowly get over it.

Remember it's not being disciplined but co-operation between you two.
Gently tug (once or twice) and call kitty's name in the direction you want kitty to go. Praise kitty for doing the correct thing.
Kitty may want to walk you, that's ok, don't tell anyone and they think your walking the cat


Find what kitty likes and do it.
I like walking on the beach, they don't, but do it for me.
In turn the like fences, piers, and board walks, so we do that too.
 

coaster

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Originally Posted by laserray

Praise kitty for doing the correct thing.
Treat rewards work better. Treats plus praise works even better.
But I pretty much agree with most of that. Rocket will walk with me, more or less after a fashion. The only reason we don't do a better job of it is because we don't practice more. Whereas getting a dog to walk on a leash is easy and takes only a few practice sessions, with a cat you may have to work at it every day for a couple months or more, making VERY slow progress. But yes, it can be done. It's natural for a cat to want to stop and investigate interesting things, so I think it's a good thing to do some of that, too, perhaps as a reward for walking with you.
 

laserray

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While treats sound like a good idea.
You can make just about any animal do anything for treats.
Read some training manuals and they suggest treats and the clicker cue.

I leashed trained without treats. Took a while, but I've had people in my face about how unnatural an act leash walking for cats is.
I explain they do because they want to do it.

99% of people are just amazed. 1% are total jerks
and will give you a piece of their opinion.
My kitties seem to look forward to the attention people give them.
Warning, it's ok for people to pet them, but you need to tell them no picking kitty up.
They have their good moments and bad moments.
They follow and sometimes they lead, sometimes they refuse.

BTW I always have a carrier with me.
Make sure you have water for them, if taking long walks.
This is considered a safe zone for them.
If they are stressed, tired or threaten they climb in the carrier.
 
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jarvis

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Wow....thanks everybody!

I was under the impression that even if I DID leash train Ike, it would only be casually around the yard/patio. Are you telling me it may one day (after LOTS of training) be possible, maybe take her down the street or in the car?? I visit my boyfriend alot and if I can get her used to a leash I could walk her from the car to his door and into his place.

I think it would be GREAT to have her used to the car enough to let her sit in the passenger seat and not in the carrier (which she hatessss)...but I would have it on hand for emergencies. (I think it may also work ok, because I have a very small 2-seat truck and not a big car that she could get out of my reach in.

Let me know if you think these are OK ideas...
 

coaster

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It's possible. It's been done.


In fact, if you've got an adventuresome cat, I think it's a good idea. But that's the hitch: it all depends on the cat.
 

laserray

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Jarvis,

That's is exactly what I do.
Take it a step at a time.
I take Jake and Sassy on any vacation that you would take a dog.

Good Luck

Use the car and carrier for something other than going to the vet.
 

goldenkitty45

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Personally its a LOT safer in the car sitting in a carrier rather then on a leash. I think the ones that have them on leash in the car are people who plan on letting them walk around at a rest stop or just in case they try to get out a window.

But for the safety of the cat and the passengers/driver - the cat should be riding in a carrier no matter how much protesting they do!
 

enik

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Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

Personally its a LOT safer in the car sitting in a carrier rather then on a leash. I think the ones that have them on leash in the car are people who plan on letting them walk around at a rest stop or just in case they try to get out a window.

But for the safety of the cat and the passengers/driver - the cat should be riding in a carrier no matter how much protesting they do!
Yesterday - before I knew about these posts about leash-training - I decided to try a harness and leash I had purchased when I first rescued my kitten.
First, I put on the harness and let him walk around the house. Actually, he crawled around the house! He looked really weird. Then a scary thing happened. I was having a team of maids come in to clean my house, and when they arrived, my Snowball wentcrazy!!! He had never been afraid of people before, and they hadn't started vacuum cleaners, etc. I picked him up, and he was so scared that he scratched me with his hind paw while trying to escape from my arms! He's been a very mild-mannered, sweet kitten so far; but that really scared him!
So, I decided that I would just take him and my dog for a little ride while they finished cleaning (takes an hour). I had taken him in the car before in a carrier but never had him free in the car. What an experience! He now knows every inch of my car! My poor little dog had quite a time trying to stay away from him (but she did manage to do this). Fortunately, we were only going very slowly, and I knew that I could turn around at any time and go back home - to the scary maids! We made it to Dunkin' Doughnuts and back home. I had his leash in the car, and his harness was still on him.
So, I took both of them out of the car and we went on to the patio.
Again, he crawled. He would walk a little and then lie down on the patio blocks. I forgot all about the possibility of fleas getting on him!
But he didn't seem to mind the harness and leash. Just to make sure he didn't associate the harness with bad thoughts, I took it off him and then put it back on later; he didn't mind having it put back on
, so I'm hoping that when I next try to take him outside, he'll be okay with it.
I do certainly agree that a cat should never ride loose in the car. Not only is it scary for him, but it's very dangerous!! I know that some cats just curl up and go to sleep, but, as one poster said, just the sound of a fire truck or anything frightening could cause him to go crazy! I've learned that cats are not at all like dogs, especially in that way.
 

az<3me

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when i bought harness and leash for Givi i thought about taking him for a walk and stuff like this. but it turned out that he doesnt like walking outside! to be carried - yes please, but when i put him on the ground, he jumps back on my shoulder
so i use harness and leash instead of carrier when we go somewhere, cuz he hates carrier and starts meowing constantly inside it)

This is him riding in the car
and of course there's always someone who controls the cat. but he is a brave boy and nothing can really freak him out in the car (fire trucks, ambulance, he has a rich experiense in this kind of things
), sometimes when i keep him on my lap i open the window a bit and he looks outside, just like a dog from tv commercial
u kno that big eared dog, and wind in his face stuff lol >>>>>
LMAO

 

goldenkitty45

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Originally Posted by AZ<3Me

This is him riding in the car
and of course there's always someone who controls the cat. but he is a brave boy and nothing can really freak him out in the car (fire trucks, ambulance, he has a rich experiense in this kind of things
), sometimes when i keep him on my lap i open the window a bit and he looks outside, just like a dog from tv commercial
u kno that big eared dog, and wind in his face stuff lol >>>>>
LMAO

While so far he hasn't been freaked out by a fire truck, etc. - you are risking him freaking out one day. And don't count on someone to have control of him in the car. All it takes is one time and you will be crying with a dead cat.

Here's a story (true) that happened to someone just like you. They were riding in the car - cat in their arms like normal. They never had a problem with the cat riding loose. One day, going to the vet they were stopped at a light. A fire truck went thru the lights, lights flashing, siren on, etc. - the cat freaked out and jumped straight into the front windshield to escape! Hit his head into the window hard. They rushed to the vet, only a short few blocks away. The cat was dead from a brain concussion.

Had that cat been IN a carrier in the back seat, they would still have the cat alive for years after.

So just beaware of the danger you are putting your cat in when riding loose in the car.


The ONLY time our cats are allowed out of the carrier in the car is when we stop to eat lunch/supper. Once the car is in motion, the cats are IN the carrier!
 
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