Have you ever seen a cat being walked on a leash? Ever thought of training YOUR cat to walk on a leash? It is an amusing sight to see. Walking a cat on a leash is not some gimmick. A lot of cats find great pleasure in time spent outdoors. They enjoy the sounds, new smells, and best of all, they get to roll around on the grass, pavement, and sidewalk – on all those new smells.

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The bonus of walking your cat, this activity can help strengthen the bond between the cat (or in our case cats) and his/her owner – giving the pair something to experience together. Here at Kittystead, we believe every cat should be given the chance to step its paw out into nature.

It is very important to note, to not get too excited going with your cat for daily walks just yet. Not all cats will want to be walked on a leash or even want to go outside. Allow them to use the helpful hints below but let them decide if they feel safe and if this is something they wish to do often. They will let you know quickly. A few of our cats, Aria, Buddy and Missy, love to be outside. They love to scratch real trees and roll in the dirt and chew on grass. Our other cats, Joey, Abra, Cadabra, Sabrina, Taco, and Thomas do not enjoy the outdoors nor the leash. They are happy just looking through the window.
Some of the benefits for cats to be walked is rather than prowling around your apartment or house, your cat will use his/her brain in different and more thoughtful ways. They will think more about how to use their body and what things smell like. Walking might change a scared cat into a confident cat. A lot of cats may lack confidence, but they can gain confidence from being leash trained.

Our Taco was terrified of the leash and the outdoors so we did not force him on the leash even though it may have helped his confidence. As a pet parent, you have to make these decisions just as any parent does. Taco is happy in his safe bubble. In his case, he really is a scared-y cat so we decided to not continue his outside adventure. But if your cats show even a small interest, over time, and given the chance to explore their surroundings, some cats become more comfortable being on a leash outside and could grow to love it. We really want to make it clear that your furbaby may not like it and if your cat doesn’t show any interest in the outdoors, it does not mean anything is wrong with them.
Cats should be trained indoors first. For the sake of their safety, it is crucial to start training indoors, in case they can escape their harness or if the harness is defective in any way. If they know they have a home, they usually won’t go far outside if they accidentally get away from you but better to start inside. If your furbaby ever gets out of the house look in all bushes, garages, and hiding areas within 3 houses or an average size block.

Aria broke the harness and ran off a whole 5 feet and was easy to catch as she stopped to eat some grass and then she came back to us when we called her name. Her breed, Serbian cat, is sometimes more dog-like than cat-like. Aria’s harness broke, so be sure your harness is sturdy and does not have easy breakaway latches. When you purchase a harness, we recommend to leave it inside the house for your cat to play with and smell so he/she is not afraid of it. Next, strap your cat into the harness and make sure it is properly fitted and that your pet is comfortable. Then let kitty wear the harness around the house. Let him/her drag the leash and grow accustomed to having something strapped around his/her body. Note, the “leash” part should be unattached as to not wrap around kitty unless you are watching. Of course, like our canine friends, treats work great during this training process. Our treat of choice is Temptations Mixups Catnip Fever Cat Treats. This treat is approved by 7 of our 9 cats and Maggie, our Corgi, approves as well and loves “cat treat” time.
Now that your cat is comfortable with their harness it’s time to head outdoors. Once you are ready to take them outside, VERY IMPORTANT -do not let them just WALK on their own outside. (even with harness and leash) The reason is you do not want them to think walking outside is EVER allowed. Instead securely put their harness and leash on inside your home. We recommend using the same area so they know what is about to happen. For us, it is standing beside the door with the harness and leash on a banister. Make sure they are secure, check the leash, and all connections each time. Once secure, pick them up and hold them and then walk outside. Sit them a few feet from the door – either on grass or porch or sidewalk – go to the same area each time. Let your cat sniff around to know this spot and feel safe. You may stand there 10 minutes before they inch over or they may dart out immediately running around or they may be scared to death and not move at all. Your cat will lead you in the direction they will want to go. Follow their lead, otherwise, it will turn into a cat dragging instead of walking. Ideally, the first outdoor space should be enclosed with a fence and not surrounded by loud noises or a lot of distractions. If you live in a city, you might want to consider putting your cat in a crate and driving somewhere more remote without loud sounds and with little or no people, which can be overwhelming for your furbaby. Once your cat seems comfortable with outdoor walking with their leash, then you can consider slowing introducing them to parks, and walks around the block. With our group of 9, we did the above for each one alone. Later, the ones that liked to walk outside, we tried to walk in pairs. To this day, this does not work for us. Our cats do not walk together.
Make sure your cat does not become an escape artist. Once they get a taste of being outside, some cats may wait by the door and attempt to run out once it is opened. This is what happened to our Molly, one day she got out and never returned. It does happen so be aware. Buddy snuck out once as well. He was gone for almost 3 days stuck under our neighbor’s shed. Buddy was scared of their 3 dogs and would not move. Luckily our neighbor informed us and Buddy was returned safely. Make it clear to your cat that the only time he can go outside is when he is dressed in the harness. REMINDER, our furbabies are like toddler children. You can teach them and feel they know the rules but then they just forget.

Our job as their “parents” is to monitor and train and keep training. You can not expect everything you teach and train to stick with them. You now will have to be on guard when the door becomes open every time when leaving and coming. If your cat isn’t into the leash life, but you want him/her to enjoy a new space, you might want to look into a catio. For some designs, this is not a cheap option. Catios can range from one hundred and fifty dollars to the four hundred and fifty and larger enclosures can have an almost unlimited price tag. Another option is the cat tents. Cat tents are a little more cost-effective. Don’t have any outside area? Don’t rule out the fun completely for your leash hating cat. You can also look into a cat bag or even a cat stroller. There are a lot of different ways to give a scared cat the opportunity to safely smell and hear the world. Some of our cats like to hang out in our sunroom with the windows open as well. We are also looking into building a cat fence in our back yard. The expense is a lot but knowing our furbabies that wish to go outside would have more opportunity in a safe environment is something we are considering. But once again this is not a cheap option either. Indoor cats live an average of 15+ years while outside cats only average 3-5 years. Our hope is to have the best of both worlds for our furbabies – safety inside and outside THEIR home.

DAD NOTE: Maybe Kittystead could get more cats if we had an outside fence. (loudly wishing) MOM NOTE: No!

We hope this article helps you and your furbaby to walk or not walk outside. Please be sure to sign up for our newsletter for tips and all things Kittystead. If you have any questions or want to add something please be sure to leave a comment below.