Many owners are now teaching cats to walk on leashes. This allows for the cat to go outside of the home and get exercise, as well as allows the owner to spend quality time with their animal. Many owners are finding it a necessity to walk their cats so they can get more exercise without jumping over fences or running away. If you decide to train your cat to walk on a leash, there are several easy steps to take in order to make the walks with your cat much easier.
The first thing to do when preparing your cat to become accustomed to a leash is to make sure that you have the right kind of leash. A harness is the best thing to purchase as a collar will allow the cat to find a way to slip out of the leash. It is important to make sure that the harness is not too loose or too tight. In order to make sure that it fits properly, you can place two fingers between the cat and the harness. If you can not do this, it is probably too tight, and if you can fit more fingers, than the harness is too loose. It is also important to keep in mind that the tension from the harness should be able to pull from the chest and not the throat.
If you don’t want to use a harness for your cat, there are also jackets that are available to attach leashes to. The leash will usually be attached at the middle of the back, making it comfortable for the cat. The leash should also be fairly lightweight. This is because most cats are not that large and it will be hard for them to move quickly when walking.
After the right things have been purchased for the cat, you can leave them by the cat’s sleeping area for a couple of days. This allows the cat to get used to the leash and harness as a normal thing. They will be able to grow accustomed to the smell and the look of the harness and leash, making it more comfortable for them when the time comes to begin training them to walk.
The next thing to keep in mind when you are teaching your cat to walk is to use positive reinforcement when getting them used to the leash and harness. Positive reinforcement means that you use methods of encouragement when preparing your cat to walk. After about three or four days, you can put the harness on the cat for a little while. This will help them to get used to it. The best time to do this is right before their meal. You can then reward them with food for allowing you to put on the harness for a little while. This will allow the cat to react positively to the harness and leash.
You can start with only putting the harness on the cat, and allowing them to get used to the feel of it. The next step is to add the leash to the harness so that they get used to the feeling of having it attached to the harness. For the first few days, you can let them wander around the home with the leash and harness attached. By doing this, they will begin to feel like it is natural to have the materials attached to them.
Eventually, you will be able to take the other end of the leash, holding it loosely while you let them walk around the house. After the cat gets used to having the leash held onto at your end, you can teach them to follow you, instead of you following them. Usually, you can do this by simply pulling on the leash, which will redirect the way that the cat is walking in relation to the leash.
If the cat is an indoor cat, it is probably best to also slowly train them to get used to the outside sounds and smells at a slow pace. If not, it will make it difficult to control them when you are walking them for longer periods of time as they will be unsure of their surroundings and what the different things are in them.
The trick to teaching your cat to walk on a leash is to have patience. It is also important to remember to react to your cat with positive reinforcement as you train them to walk on the leash. By getting the cat used to the leash and harness first, then slowly training them how to walk, it will make it easier to train the cat and a better experience for both the cat and the owner. Training your cat to walk on a leash will eventually become a great way to spend time with your animal.
