Sometimes it’s hard to get a cat to join you in any outdoor activities, but just like a dog, you can train them to walk on a leash and harness with you. This guide will inform you about how to train a cat to walk on a leash. It’s easier than you think!
If you would like your little kitty to accompany you when you’re going on outdoor adventures, it’s possible to find a comfortable harness for them and teach them to walk around on a leash. This will be great when you’re outside and can also come in useful when you travel around or when you want to take your pet to the vet. It can be great fun for you and your kitty to get exercise together. Don’t worry, leash training a cat is a lot simpler than you think!
Introducing a Cat Harness
One of the key ideas to get your cat comfortable with a harness is to create a positive and rewarding experience using food as a motivator. You can start by exposing your animal to their favorite dish while wearing a harness or by holding the harness out in front of them so they can smell it and then rewarding them with a treat. Velcro noise can be alarming to your animal, so do practice regularly with your best cat harness so they get used to it.
Trying It On
Now training a cat in the next stage is to get him aware of the harness. You can slip the harness on your animal but don’t fasten it straight away – give them more treats as a distraction and provide a positive aura around the leash. You can put the harness on just before meals. Once your kitty is ok with this, you can adjust the fit of the harness, being able to fit two fingers beneath the harness and no more than that. Reinforce the positive atmosphere and provide additional rewards as they are in the harness for a few minutes.
You shouldn’t feel too worried if you’re wondering how to house train a cat in this way and they freeze up because this is perfectly normal. They may also refuse to walk. Your cat hasn’t experienced something like this before so they are going to take some getting used to it.
Attaching a Leash
It may take a long time, usually between several days or even a couple of weeks for your cat to become comfortable in their harness, but once they’re comfortable walking normally in it, you can attach your leash. Have an indoor adventure before venturing outside – take your cat indoors where a leash can be attached easily, letting the leash drag behind them as they’re fed treats.
Once your kitty becomes comfortable with the leash attached, you can follow them around the room whilst keeping your leash loose in your hand. Of course, offer plenty of praise and treats as encouragement. After some practice, you can apply some small pressure on the leash and call your kitty towards you, rewarding them with a treat. Just make sure the pressure is not too great as your kitty may freak out. Clickers can be purchased from pet stores to reinforce good behavior.
Have you ever had any issues getting your cat to walk on a leash? We would love to hear from you, send us your comments below.
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