Leash Walking Indoor Cat?

robert mauro · Jan 26, 2017

Hey all, not sure if this is the correct forum, but I was considering leash training my indoor cat, to allow limited outdoor walks on leash only, as well as easier vet visits where I could leash him once there.

Does anyone have any thoughts or experiences or opinions on limited leash walks for an otherwise entirely indoor cat?

sarah c · Jan 26, 2017

Hi,

We do this with our cat and he took to it right away. He did have experience being on a leash with his old family. They didn't take him for walks but just tied him in the back yard as he isn't street smart. Gradually he would go further as he got more familiar with the neighborhood, and when he was younger he'd sometimes do a big loop around the block. Cats don't walk like a dog though, mostly our cat likes to explore the parking lot and wait for the stray cats to come out as unfortunately he's obsessed with them.

Training is simple, get him used to wearing the harness for a short time, and make a positive connotation to it with treats and positive tone of voice. Try to take him out when its quiet, Taz is much more tentative when there's a lot of street noise. Of course it's up to your cat if this will be something they take to, we think our cat has some mainecoon blood and they have a rep for being dog like and doing well on a leash. Cats are predators who like to explore and need enough stimulation to satisfy their curiosity. Our cat was bored within the confines of our apartment and would beg and yowl to go outside. Anyways, hope this works out for you if you try it!

arouetta · Jan 26, 2017

All the immunizations and preventatives available to cats can be hard on the cat's body. Indoor cats really don't need the full battery as exposure is non-existent. However if you do take your cat out on a leash, that changes everything and you will need to use preventatives and vaccinations as if you have an outdoor cat.

Good luck. The one time I tried to leash train a cat, it went really well.....until he saw the bird. Zero to 60 in just a couple of seconds and he hit the end of the leash so hard he spun. (Luckily with harnesses it's comedic, not dangerous.) I never took him back out.

greypaws · Jan 26, 2017

MrSparksSnow.jpg

greypaws
Jan 10, 2017

Go for it, if your little one takes to it like mine did, he'll be so much happier. We go out every day that is nice, even snowy ones. We use the come with me kitty harness. I can't stress enough, if you don't fit it correctly and make sure it's tight, if something scares kitty, they will back out of it. There are some places that sell a vest style harness that looks to be a much safer bet. I"m going to look into getting one of those too. We started out just 5 minutes and as soon as Mr Sparky becomes stressed or upset, he hates car motors, I pick him up and carry him inside. We go out again when it's quiet. Sometime we just sit together on the front porch. Walking a cat is not like a dog, you just let them take the lead and follow them. Sometimes they'll lie down in a sunny spot, so be prepared to patient. One thing I never do is take my electronics with me, you need both hands free and no distractions or else a fun walk can turn into a disaster. My husband took this picture, I was in charge of the leash. Do let us know how you get on if you decide to try this.

NewYork1303 · Jan 26, 2017

Our cats love going out on their harnesses. I think it is good for them to know the neighborhood if they end up getting out at some point by accident. We just moved, so we'll have to see how they do in our new area.

IMG_4915.JPG

NewYork1303
Aug 6, 2016

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NewYork1303
Aug 6, 2016

tiptopper · Jan 26, 2017

Years ago we took our cat outside and she got fleas. Never let her walk on the grass again.

sarah c · Jan 26, 2017

Greypaws you're inspiring me to take my cat out in the colder weather, we never take him out in winter.

Tiptopper, Taz got some fleas this fall but it was the first incident in a few yrs of going out. The guy who feeds the strays told me to take my cat out after 4 pm, apparently the fleas aren't jumping after this point in the day? No idea if this is true or not but he never got flies when we'd take him out after work.

greypaws · Jan 26, 2017

Love seeing all the kitties taking a walk. Mr Sparky knows what is happening when I get his harness & leash out. We just walk around our yard and a bit at the neighbors if he's in the mood. I do take the precaution of using (ETA changed to Advantage II) for fleas. When I got him he had had a severe case of fleas from his former place, flea bite dermatitis and had pulled all the hair off his hind end. Not willing to risk him getting one of those little critters on him or tapeworms if he ingests one. After three months his coat is finally looking wonderful and he grooms himself as any other normal kitty.

Please let me know where you got those cute vests. That's similar to what I was looking for.

ETA I misspoke, it's Advantage II. NOT Advantix for the fleas.

tiptopper · Jan 26, 2017

Greypaws said:
Love seeing all the kitties taking a walk. Mr Sparky knows what is happening when I get his harness & leash out. We just walk around our yard and a bit at the neighbors if he's in the mood. I do take the precaution of using Advantix for fleas. When I got him he had had a severe case of fleas from his former place, flea bite dermatitis and had pulled all the hair off his hind end. Not willing to risk him getting one of those little critters on him or tapeworms if he ingests one. After three months his coat is finally looking wonderful and he grooms himself as any other normal kitty.

Please let me know where you got those cute vests. That's similar to what I was looking for.

Doesn't Advantix contain permethrin?

greypaws · Jan 26, 2017

tiptopper said:
Doesn't Advantix contain permethrin?

OOPS I misspoke, its Advantage II ....... NOT Advantix. Vet said Frontline & Frontline Plus not working in our area, said the Advantage II was safe for kitty, no premethrin in it.

robert mauro · Jan 27, 2017

Hey all, thanks for the great replies! Gorgeous cats in those pics! I've already picked up a harness (same style as someone above recommended) and have a vest style one also on order. I did get a "cat leash" but have decided not to use it, and instead am waiting on a bungee cat leash (the one I picked up doesn't stretch). I figure it would be better for those attempts at running after something, so, the stop is a lot less abrupt than a solid leash - until then, it will be training around the house. Also waiting on a name-tagged collar to come in (not to attach the leash to, but for "just in case" he gets out of the harness). He's not yet microchipped - too young. Regardless, he'll be inside or in my closed off patio until he gets his microchip and name-tagged collar.

I've had similar feelings about allowing them some outdoor "freedom" (without the risks of having an outdoor cat) as a number of you posted, so, it's reassuring to see I'm not the only one who thought as much. If Peanut takes to the harness, it will be interesting to see what his behavior is. He's currently very doting and follows me everywhere - very much like the Burmese he looks a lot a like (or a puppy). It would be neat to see him take the lead and show me what he's interested in.

May start indoor "leash training" this weekend. I'll be doing what you all suggested above. Harness tomorrow morning for a bit, and see what happens. If he's ok with it, we'll move on from there. But most importantly, I don't feel the need to have a cat that "walks" on a leash - I simply feel the need to allow him the option to decide if it's something he likes. If he doesn't, that's fine with me.

Thanks everyone! I'll keep everyone posted.

robert mauro · Jan 27, 2017

di and bob · Jan 27, 2017

I had two of my house cats leash trained, the two that liked to wander too far if let out. It was extremely comical to get them used to a harness, my Chrissy would just fall over and lay on her side like she was suddenly paralyzed. It takes a few weeks to truly get them used to it. They can back out of a harness, so be careful that something doesn't scare them. It was so fun to see people pointing and staring when they drove by!

imaginewizard · Jan 27, 2017

Apparently River used to go on walks with his previous owner, but he hates doing it with me/in his new neighbourhood. Idk if I should give up on it or whether he needs to get used to it again?

SeventhHeaven · Jan 27, 2017

Robert Mauro said:
in your other hand *this other wand toy (below) may make them jump prefer above dangling in front of them they will just walk

wand toy.jpg

SeventhHeaven

Jan 27, 2017

It gives you peace of mind knowing if your indoor cat is free they can find their way back

Home again, aren't freaked out are confident about the world outside. Downfall once you start you can't stop mine would wine

at the door like dogs @ 6pm for walkies cry howl if we didn't go lol my fault. Now it's random no schedule they don't demand,

they need to listen well be good for me to take them almost like rewarding, Try to make every experience positive, bring treats

let them lead playing games have fun.

tiptopper · Jan 27, 2017

tiptopper said:
Doesn't Advantix contain permethrin?

Greypaws said:
OOPS I misspoke, its Advantage II ....... NOT Advantix. Vet said Frontline & Frontline Plus not working in our area, said the Advantage II was safe for kitty, no premethrin in it.

Good you changed your post since Permethrin is toxic to cats.

robert mauro · Jan 27, 2017

Well, he's fine with the harness, but it's too big.

NewYork1303 · Jan 27, 2017

Greypaws said:
Love seeing all the kitties taking a walk. Mr Sparky knows what is happening when I get his harness & leash out. We just walk around our yard and a bit at the neighbors if he's in the mood. I do take the precaution of using (ETA changed to Advantage II) for fleas. When I got him he had had a severe case of fleas from his former place, flea bite dermatitis and had pulled all the hair off his hind end. Not willing to risk him getting one of those little critters on him or tapeworms if he ingests one. After three months his coat is finally looking wonderful and he grooms himself as any other normal kitty.

Please let me know where you got those cute vests. That's similar to what I was looking for.

ETA I misspoke, it's Advantage II. NOT Advantix for the fleas.

The ones my cats are wearing in those pictures are the Kitty Holster harnesses. These are good, but the cats can back out of them. The ones that I have now are from www.hyendry.com. These are completely custom. Ours were ordered with the double locks so they have velcro and plastic buckles to keep the cats secure.

rascalshadownj2 · Feb 14, 2017

Hi again,

Thinking of cats walking on a harness and leash, I have a question. I always take my cats Rascal and Shadow for a walk with their harnesses and leashes separately of course. So far they do really well. But all of a sudden, my cat Rascal has started growling and hissing whenever I take him out at night for a walk with his harness and leash. The harness is the type they call a T harness. One end goes around the neck, and the other part goes underneath the front legs. I always make sure the harness isn't too tight, but not loose enough that it will slide off. Anyway, can anyone tell me why all of a sudden Rascal has started growling and hissing when I take him out at night? We live in a rural area, and I see a few cats now and then. Is he smelling the cats that might be coming around our house? Would that make him hiss and growl? What are your thoughts on his behavior? I would like some opinions on this. My other cat Shadow Never does this when I take him for a walk at night.

Thanks!

Nancy

http://www.leatherbrothers.com/Cats/6708.htm

robert mauro · Feb 15, 2017

I got a second harness from Amazon, because I didn't like the way the first one fit. It's similar to the Hyendry mentioned above (size: xs). He's happily going for walks. I follow him for a bit, then ask him to follow me back.

So far so good. :-)

Leash Walking Indoor Cat?

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