[joshl]

Has anybody mastered the art of walking their cat? My cat Mouser runs toward the door and tries to get out everytime the door opens...plus she could lose some weight, so I figure cat walking would be a good idea. I've heard that cat walking is very healthy, but it takes a while to get used to.

We bought a harness and leash, and it's no problem getting Mouser to put it on, but when she gets outside she just walks a few steps and then lays down. Will she eventually start wandering around more, or is there a specific way to practice this?

Thanks

 

[Lori]

I have never walked a cat personally, but I used to know a couple who did take their cat on their evening walk. They used a harness and it worked pretty well. I do know many times the cat would get pooped out about halfway though the walk and they would end up carrying her.

 

[coco & little guy]

That IS cat walking!! They will do what they want to. One of our guys, Coco, does this. But he eventually gets bored and explores around. You will notice that they will begin to have "favorite spots" that they will go to primarily every time they go out. Both our guys share a particular hydrangea stalk that they both rub their faces on. Wittle seems to be interested in the stones on our one walkway and also stalking the neighbors chickens. Coco investigates all the flower beds.

We each take only one cat. One person with 2 cats would not work, as they would go in different directions. Since our guys don't like collars, we got them the small dog harnesses and the extendable leashes. The harness goes around their front legs and connects with the leash between their shoulder baldes. I have a pic of it in my gallery. The extendable leash has been the best thing we bought. Coco can be easily frightened while he is outside, and when spooked, his instinct is to make a bee-line for the door. He just takes the leash with him, giving whoever is on the other end time to start running also.........he isn't strangulating himself anymore.

They go out when it's nice and we have TIME. They are usually out for about an hour, they love it too. We always give them a treat after coming in also.

Sorry so long, but it has become one of our favorite things to do with our guys. We thoroughly enjoy it. It is vey relaxing.

 

[kitkat]

Haven't been walking my cats lately since I don't have much time but yes my cats still do the 2 step, crouch down, and sniff the air routine. They can walk non stop to the front door though! Here is my post about them and if you scroll down its a pic with them with their harness on. Good luck :wink:

 

[Maleke]

When I lived at home, I trained my mom's Siamese cat Simbah to walk on a leash, and then off a leash. He is an AMAZING cat. He comes when you call him, he follows me around outside and if I go out of side he runs to catch up. I trained him before he was even a year old, he is 9 now. So I think training a younger cat is easier. My 2 cats now have been walking on a leash since the weather got warmer. They both just turned a year old, well actually one did, the other will be a year in August. They have a 16ft extendable leash......I use it in the backyard. Sometimes they get REALLY hyper and take off SO fast.....and run as far as the leash will go and then look STUNNED when they can't go any further! Eventually I will train them on a shorter leash, I find that the Siamese is easier to train then the Domestic though. Magic's kinda.....slow.....