I want to take my cat out for a walk. Is it silly to walk it with a leash? Does it help the cat? Should it be allowed to wander around by itself and come back home when it feels like it? I worry she will hurt herself if she goes alone
—Tamizh Muthuvel Hi Tamizh,
Before we talk about leash training the cat, let us look to see what are the basic steps we can take to stop your cat from wandering off. If she is still a kitten, restrict her movement outside the house and raise her as a completely indoor cat. Invest in litter trays, and indoor scratch pads to keep her busy. You cannot enforce this on a cat who is already used to the outdoors. For those cats that have already been raised with outdoor exposure, you will have to work on some simple training mechanisms.
While you should not stop her outings, you can allow it in a supervised manner. Preferably let her out just before her mealtimes and call her back inside when it is time to eat. Cats tend to not wander off very far especially when they know that they are just about to be fed.You can train her to come back inside with the help of a whistle. Whistle when you want her to come back home. Make the sound before every mealtime so that she can start associating with that sound.
If your cat is not spayed, she is more likely to get out looking for mates. Having them sterilised is a very important responsibility. Attach a tag with your contact details to her collar to make it easy for somebody to find you if your cat gets lost.
To answer your question on leash walking the cat, though it is not something that is witnessed commonly, it is not impossible. Invest in a good fitting harness and leash to assist you with the training. Make sure that the cat is comfortable with the new add on. Start walking indoors, making sure she is not stressed and is comfortable with the walk. Reward her and keep reassuring her throughout. Once the idea sinks in, you can start taking her out into familiar and calm outdoors that he can enjoy.
Remember, not all cats like to be leash walked. If he is not accepting on this, let her be!
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