How to Walk a Cat on Leash? Can a cat put his human on leash instead?
Watch this hilarious video guide starring an amazing Kodi the Kitten.
He took his human on leash and showed who is the main man in the house!
“Keep your human healthy, happy and obedient with this 7-step guide to walking your human”, instructs Kodi the Kitten.
“How to Walk Your Human” – a 7-step video guide for cats to walking their humans!
You can find more about Kodi and his best friend Shorty at their Facebook page.
This is a story Kris Bradley, the author of the article photo, told about walks with his cat Vince.
This was his idea, by the way, folks. He slipped out the door and quietly walked about two steps behind me for nearly a block one night when I went to get the mail. I turned around and saw him and freaked out a little thinking he would go rouge and dart into the bushes, but no… he stayed with me the entire time.
So, I got him a leash… now he waits by the door every night meowing up a storm until I give in and take him for a walk. If he hears the rattle of his leash he darts for the front door. Anytime I walk to the door he follows me. “Walk time??” Not to mention if I even utter the word “walk” his ears perk up. It’s hilarious!
He walks around the block (about 0.25 of a mile) and sometimes even more. I know when he has done walking because he will just flop over and lay down in the middle of the sidewalk. I can almost hear him say, “Okay, I’m done. Take me home.”
If anyone wants to attempt walking a cat on a leash, you must have an adventurous kitty first, one that isn’t easily startled. Buy a harness and leash that fits around their belly and their neck. For about 30 minutes each day, put just the harness on them and let them walk around inside so they get used to it. It took Vince 2 days.
Once they are ready to be taken outside, let them lead you as much as they want. Vince took to this like a fish takes to water… but if your kitty doesn’t like it, don’t make them do it. Some indoor kitties just can’t adjust to the noises and stimulation of the outdoors. No need to stress them out. We live in a particularly quiet, safe neighborhood too… so keep that in mind. If there are a lot of stray dogs in your area, I wouldn’t advise walking your kitty there. I saw a stray dog up the street one night and immediately turned around and went home. No need chancing it.
Walking a cat isn’t like walking a dog. They will stop to smell a tree for 5 minutes if you let them. I trained Vince to continue walking by saying “let’s go.” Sometimes I have to pat him on the back to get him walking again. Sometimes he will look up at me and meow as if to say, “3 more minutes?? Ohhhh alright. We can go, but that was a really nice tree.” He also knows to stay on the sidewalk, and not walk in people’s yards or the street. If he gets side tracked, I say “sidewalk” and he goes back to it. He’s so intelligent… it amazes me.
Keep a good grasp on your leash in case they spot a moth and want to chase it. I also suggest walking them late at night because there will be fewer cars out and fewer people walking their dogs. Have the kitty close enough that you can snatch them up if something happens. Also, we usually stay in on very windy nights because of the excess stimulation (trees blowing, etc). Good luck!
WARNING: be prepared for double-takes and your neighbors labeling you as “the crazy cat lady (or man).”
Does your cat like to walk on his own?
If you have a funny video to share, share the video or a story!
Tagged advice, cat, fun, kitten, leash, outdoor, story, video, walk
Sheryl MinnsOctober 8, 2012 at 3:25 pm
I have often had my cats (various ones over the years) follow me when I set out for a walk, but they will all just go so far and stop at a point of their choosing, then sit and meow at me until I come back. I would love to train my newest addition to walk on a lead, and then maybe take her to visit elderly people in special accomodation. There have been Pets-as-Therapy dogs taken to nursing homes, etc for a long time, but many elderly people love cats, and would be enormously cheered up by having a docile kitty to cuddle sometimes. I went to the local pet supplies store to buy a harness for my cat, but they only had dog harnesses, so I bought the smallest puppy harness thinking that my kitty would grow into it. But now she is 12 months old, and doesn’t look like she will grow any more, and still the harness is too big for her. I have been looking for a cat harness, but only found some on the net, that don’t have sizes or measurements in their description. Any suggestions would be welcomed.