As far as pets go, cats can be your loving companions for the next 17 years or more if you’re lucky, becoming an integral part of your family. People believe dogs are more fun to have in the house because you can play with them and take them for a walk in the park every now then. But I’m afraid I have to disagree with that belief. Did you know that you can start walking your cat majestically like a dog outdoors? You may have fantasized about walking kitty by the beach or in the park and immediately discarded that thought because you didn’t think it was possible, maybe in an alternate universe. Well, I’ll be sharing with you the secret to making this happen.
Here are five tips to help you achieve this seemingly impossible feat of walking your cat like a dog. Walking your cat is a great alternative when your feline friend doesn’t play too much.
1. Getting The Right Gear
What I mean by this is simple- getting the right harness and leash for the kitty is the crucial first step to making this work. To ensure you have the right fit, take your cat with you when you visit the pet store. You should get cat gear for kitty rather than trying to fit or impose your cat in a dog’s harness. Comfort is key here, and you would want your cat to be very relaxed while wearing the harness. It should neither be too tight nor too loose, but just the right fit will do. A smooth harness and leash are preferable for comfort, and the leash should be at least 3 to 6 feet long.
2. Get Your Cat Used To Wear The Harness Around The House
So you have the harness and the leash, how do you get the kitty to tolerate the harness? This also requires daily practice and persistence. It’s a lot easier to train a kitten than an older cat, so patience is key here. Cats, in general, hate surprises, so before you introduce your cat to a routine, you have to be subtle. Do not force the kitty to wear the harness if she doesn’t want to. The trick is getting your cat to be comfortable wearing the harness indoors and walking very slowly with it for the first few days. A good tip is to make your cat wear the harness without the leash to make him used to feeling this in his body during the first days.
Anyhow, don’t try to force things. If you try to fast-track the training, you could end up frightening and releasing her inner tiger. Cats need time to adapt to walking with the harness on.
3. Keep The Sessions Short
Sometimes during training, you’ll notice kitty just freezes and drops to her side, seemingly refusing to walk with the harness on. Although cats are very energetic creatures, they’ll eventually get tired and lose interest if the training goes on for too long. While your cat is getting a little used to walking around the house with the harness on, it’s essential to keep all training sessions to a minimum of 10 to 15 minutes daily. Different cats will react differently to these sessions. You know what your cat loves, the toys she loves playing with, and the treats she’ll do anything to have. Give treats and use these toys to reward good behavior. Restrict the kitty’s movements outside and help her understand that putting on the harness means freedom to the outside world. This reinforces the training you’re giving her, and positive results are only a few steps away.
Walking my cat Sophie like a dog
4. Practice Guiding Kitty With The Leash
Founder of The Amazing Acro, Samantha Martin said that any cat could be trained to do anything, all that is needed is Patience. “Patience is key”. Now that your cat is comfortable walking with the harness on like Michael Jackson’s Thriller Jacket, the next thing is to introduce your cat to the leash. Don’t expect to get the result you have in mind in the first few attempts. Your cat is not used to having her movements restricted, and she will struggle to break free of the leash. It would help if you didn’t force or coarse your cat but instead use positive reinforcement like giving treats and pats for good behavior. Treats should undoubtedly do the trick. Practice guiding the kitty by applying gentle pressure on the leash. Once your cat is comfortable walking with a leash indoors, walk your cat around the house.
5. Safety & body language when walking your cat outside
Walking the kitty around the house with the harness and leash on is one thing, going to the park or the beach is an entirely different experience. However, you must have practiced well enough around your home to understand the right gestures and movements to keep the kitty under control.
Once you start walking your cat freely, without any resistance from your kitty, make sure to take your cat to safe environments, without sudden loud noises or anything that could scare your cat to the point of panic. I have some experience and believe me, you don’t want a panicked cat on a leash. Be ready to quickly pick your cat up if you see coming anything that could make your cat run, for example, angry barking dogs approaching. You know your cat better than anybody and will know exactly what in the outside will make your cat scared, you just need to act in advance if you see something.
There you have it, 5 tips you can use to transform your cat, teaching it to start walking with a harness and a leash just like a dog. Now you see why cats are the best.
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