Cat On Leash

Hi again cat's lovers,
I heard some people said putting cat on leash is a cruel thing to do! I never thought about it that way... What do you say guys?

i dunno..i tried putting them on a leash when i bring them out but somehow..they dun quite like it... i guess it depends on the cat..if they are ok with it..not strangling their neck..i guess it's fine...

Toes liked it because it meant he got to go outside and go visiting. Tailer lays down if I put one on her so I don't.

It's OK if you walk with a harness - don't use a collar, though!

Sylvestra likes it because it's the only way she's allowed to go outside.

Some cats like going out on a leash, as long as you use a harness.
My Bengal liked it when I first got him, now he is not so sure. I think he tolerates it because he knows he gets to go out.

A friend of mine has a Siamese, that loves to ride in the car. She also loves walking on a leash.

Yup, depends on the kitty. My Rusty loves it, 'cause he can go outside, but Babycakes gets "boneless kitty syndrome" if you put a harness on her! Go figure !

Originally posted by KittenKrazy
"boneless kitty syndrome"

Click to expand...

ROTFL!

One thing to be careful of too - make sure it's a harness designed for cats - I used a small dog harness on Mr. Underfoot one time b/c he's such a big cat I couldn't find a cat harness to fit him, and he just backed right out of it!

That's odd - I use a small dog harness on JC, because he can get out of the cat harnesses (I've had 3 or 4) in a few seconds flat. He can only go outside on a leash, so he doesn't seem to mind it at all. A friend has 2 cats that refuse to go into carriers, absolutely freak out, so she uses a harness and leash to take them to the vet's.

Toes has a harness and leash for the vet, but Tailer goes in a cat bag (that's a Sherpa bag designed specifically to hold 1 cat) and she stays in there the entire time whether she meows or not.

Toes is worse than walking a dog because he's so darned curious and has to check out EVERYTHING!!!!

i only use a harness on blackie, he doesnt think it is cruel, he beggs to go for a walk, my 2 cats are indoor cats and a walk means he can go otu and smell around, he drives me crazy with it sometimes wanting to go, my stripey doesnt like it so i put him in a traning kennel and sit outside with him while he smells and watches the birds, hes happy with that, but i take blackie for a walk almost everyday, if your cat would like it and you use a harness whats the harm..

I'm glad you posted a followup to your other thread! I didn't want to railroad your thread with a debate on 'leash: cruelty or not' when you were just asking for leash help, so I didn't respond further. Russian Blue had already made excellent points as usual Cat on Leash .

I don't think putting a cat on a harness is cruel. It depends on the individual situation and setting. It's not suitable for some, but a very pleasurable activity for others. My Mozart loves his walks around our cul-de-sac, he trots along very happily in his routine. There are very few people or dogs wandering in my neighborhood. If I think I see an unleashed dog, I scoop my kitty up. I also don't want my cats to roam around down behind our house to the steep ravines and the creek where I can't get to and keep an eye on them.

I have had Rutterkin on a leash since she was a tiny baby, we had a pet Dwarf rabbit and I put Rutterkin in her harness and away she went. I worried that I was being cruel and would be seen as being a weirdo....especially round here....for taking a cat for a walk. But she took to it like a duck to water. She lives inside and sits at the door when she sees we are getting ready to go out and gets most upset if I dont put her harness on! She loves a ride in the car to....going out often with us in the car. She has no problems what so ever in a leash ....but I must admit because I have never tried it before none of the others will have a bar of it. Molly lies down and wont stand up...and the boys ...well lets just say I have never seen such sad eyes, but Rutterkin loves it and wish I had started the others off as kittens ...but it never entered my head.

Rowdy loves to go outside, with her harness and leash. That's the only way that she's allowed out.

I hardly think that its cruel to allow a kitty some outside playtime (if they want it), while keeping them safe. Rowdy can go over our six-foot fence a whole lot quicker and easier than I can. Outside of the yard, its a mean, nasty world for kitties.

You couldn't PAY Opie and Buddy to go outside so I don't even try it, with them.

My dogs don't leave the yard, without leashes, either.

There's nothing cruel about putting a leash on a cat, provided it's done right (with a proper harness), and the cat accepts it.

Some cats, as you've seen above, love it because of what it means to them. For those, it's a wonderful idea.

Some are just not interested in "this stupid human contraption, thank you very much". For those, there'd have to be a very good reason for insisting, else it would be cruel.

My cats are indoor/outdoor, so getting a breath of fresh air is not an issue, but I am gradually making some effort to suggest the idea to the one who is most likely to take to it (Fawn), so that she would be able to visit my Dad with me, in his extended care facility. Animals are welcome there, but of course one needs to be able to control them, and given that they have resident cats, I wouldn't think of taking one of mine in there unleashed.

First the harness. Fawn nearly freaked the first time I tried it, but I left it a while after that to let her "get the nasty taste out of her mouth", so to speak, and she was better the second time. I don't know whether she will eventually accept it or not, but if she does get used to the harness, then we'll work on adding the leash, and maybe eventually she'll get to go see Grampa. However, it's not something I'll be insisting on, since it's not something that NEEDS to happen.

I don't think it's cruel at all to have a cat on a leash! At least they are out of harms way on the leash!

I have an important observation/question: what happens if your cat gets fleas from these walks? and ticks too. will giving a simple bath get rid of them or you need medication. just wondering.

A bath should do it if it's done immediately, but fleas jump, so really keeping your cat on a monthly flea treatment like Program, Advantage, or Frontline would be best (speaking as someone living in a year-round flea zone!).

aha...

Honestly, all of my pets (even the indoor-only ones) are on Advantage anyway, though - the fleas here are so bad that they'll jump on ME in the yard and hitch a ride into the house. I think it really depends on where you live.

what causes such a flea infestation??