Is Training Your Cat to Walk On a Leash a Bad Idea?!?

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CATS AREN'T MADE FOR A LEASH. DUMB PEOPLE ARE.

Would you recommend driving them to other locations first as to not give them the direct association with outside therefore increasing the risk of them running out of the door?

I am looking into leash training my cat so when i take them to the vet they do not have to go in a crate. I have 1 cat who hates that and is mad for days after.
I have made my balcony into a catio.

I’m so glad to hear this. A few months ago, I took in a feral kitten after watching her being repeatedly attacked by another cat. While I know she’s happy and safe indoor, it’s obvious she longs to be outdoors again. I remember how happy she always seemed roaming the neighborhood. I’ve been considering leash walking her. That way, she’ll have the opportunity to go outside but will be able to do so in a safe way. However, after reading articles on how it’s not recommended, I’ve been on the fence about it. This helped me make up my mind.

Can you please make video on how to train cats to stop jumping or running to hunt while on leash ? I understand it’s not possible. But if you have seen any such cas

It's an option, and not all cats will love it. I want to train mine, just in case there is a road trip in the future, and I need to let her out for business. A friend of mine plans to take his 3yo baby traveling in a caravan when he retires next year. I have a spare harness that I will give him (too small for my "big boned" fluffy, but I bought them before the cat adopted, in three sizes).

Personally if I was doing regular walks with a kitty, I would have a front sling to put her in for safety, if aggro dog turned up. Faster to put her in it than a back pack, and she can hide in the sling.

I know that this is from 3 years ago but my bubby, Sylvester always tries to get outside so I'm trying to harness train him

My concern isn't running off or getting lost. Our cat is smart and knows how to survive.

My fear is the temperature drops drastically and he won't come in.

I let him out at 50°F and he wouldn't come in. The temp dropped to 30° F at night and he was still outside. Still refusing to come in.

The other day we got a harness and leash. Our cat knew what it was from seeing the dogs in the neighborhood going out for walks.

He sat still, let us put the gear on him, and he was happy. He jumped down and walked straight for the door looking forward to going out. Once outside, he tried to bolt, but couldn't.

He's not one to give up. He found a way out of the harness by standing still and waiting for the chance and he was off.

The temp was 30°F and dropped to 15°F.

He was in our yard playing all night. He made friends with a skunk and they were having fun. Meanwhile, I'm trying to get him to get back in and he kept running under the deck so I couldn't catch him.

I'm tempted to just let him stay out. He knows what he's doing, but I'm afraid to let him go.

I've tried cat strollers and backpacks, but he's a big cat and is more wild than domesticated. He needs to run. Plus, he loves the cold. Inside is too hot and the summer is stifling.

Oh, he's part Maine coon (40%), part forest cat (30%), part Abyssinian (15%) and part Egyptian mao (15%).

We want to build a tall fence to keep him in, but our area doesn't allow for anything over four feet. He can jump that easily.

What should I do?

This is reason that I can not / do not even want to take cats from shelters near me… 3 shelters all forbid leach walking. I have 2 cats and we go for walks all the time, its our bonding family time.

what’s the best harness? I see a lot of cats with minimal harnesses while I see a lot of “cushioned”harnesses in stores as well.. which one is better?

Kinda fascinating that over there shelters tell you it’s indoors only whereas here in the Netherlands you’re basically never allowed to adopt a cat unless they can go outside. They don’t care about leashes too, they just tell you to let em outside after they’re used to the home. Only exception is when you live near a busy road.

If you don’t cheap out on a GOOD harness that is properly fitted I see no problem. I’ve got the best for my kitty since she was 4 weeks old. She goes anywhere with me leashed or carrier and it strengthens our bond. She’s now 8 months and a adventurous cat

Yes, totally true that cat can get loose from a harness, especially if it is a nervous cat. I have two cats – one walks on a leash no problem. He also lets me trim his nails, give him meds and brush his fur. Another cat does not allow any of it and even he walks on a leash no problem if smth scares him like a car or a person he starts panicking and trying to get away. And he can get out of harness in a second. IN A SECOND! The secret is always stay behind him and leash must be with a little tension, as soon as he manages to turn back he somehow backs out of harness. Anywho i m lucky i live in own house with a fenced yard so only one cat goes out on a leash, another one stays in the yard under supervision. But i agree with the article – know your cat. Not all can go out on a leash. Also they used to sell some sort of west , now they dont

My sons black cat loves walking with harness and leash! If my cat liked it I would have done it and it probably would have saved his life when my apartment burned down I almost died trying to save him got hold of him 5 times and everytime I got close to the door he’s freak out jump away and hide. I was under chemo treatment and very weak if I had a harness to grab I might have at least got him out. One minute after I got out a fire ball went through the building and burnt the building behind. I remember knowing the moment I had to leave my cat behind I felt like a psychopath. 😞 over 3 years I still can’t get past it. My kitty died cuz my neighbor put a hot cigarette in a trash can 5 hours earlier on an outside shared balcony. I don’t hold it against her I know it was accidental and there was alot of factors working against fire fighters high wind, plastic siding, cheap furniture an attic full of dryer lint (like 30 years if it) because driers were not vented properly. I just miss my cat Brapp

Back in PA, 30 yrs ago!, I got a male cat from a humane society. The cat was an indoor cat. After getting bonded to him, I took him outside, as I lived in a semi-rural area, and did that on a leash. He still had his claws. After awhile, and he was used to the outside of my house, I let him off the leash cause it seemed he liked it outside. SO he became and in and out cat. He loved it. I had him for 9 yrs. I recently got a 2-yr old female FERAL cat from a local shelter, and that was 5 wks ago. SO she's already familiar from being outside. Soon I will test it, but need to find as good an "escape proof" harness as possible. Since my wife and I live in AZ, we have a typical walled lot, but do not intend to let her run free! She already enjoys looking out the two sliding door areas we have. To walk here around the neighborhood will have to wait for awhile.

Thanks for the videos

ALMOST lost my cat today. I love Jackson's methods, but today something spooked him and he went into a wild jumping phase trying to get away. I almost lost him. I finally was able to pick him up and he was screaming and howling like nothing before. It scared me to death. It just takes one incident like this today to realize it's not worth it (for me, personally). When I got inside to take the harness off, it had moved so that it was potentially easier to escape. I used the recommended harness. I think if it was another harness, he might have finished the job.

I've had my adopted cat for less than a week. He was outside for who knows how long with severe fleas, ear mites and a respiratory infection. Getting those things cleared up and now he is much more active. Vet says he's between 5 and 6 months old. He's been outdoors and he likes the outdoors but I do not want him wandering off. Try to couple harnesses that he got off immediately. Found one that seems to fit him well and just need to get him used to wearing it. He still seems to love me after the 5 or 10 minutes that he had the harness on. What I've been reading is it takes about 2 to 3 weeks for a cat to get used to the harness and walking with a leash. I really want to be able to do this because he is a high energy kitty that loves the toys I've gotten him so far but I really think being outside is such a positive for humans as well as animals. He loves to ride in the car and I do a lot of camping so I'm going to try a papoose also. I take a backpack hiking and I would want the papoose in front.

I adopted a cat who was a year old, as I was moving to a house on a main road I decided she should stay indoors (unusual in the UK) but thought I would try and harness train her – it didn't go well, she hated the harness so much she now won't even tolerate a collar (she is chipped). I just adopted a kitten and am considering trying her with a harness as she wants to go outside and is young and energetic. As you say, it is like parenting, I also adopted a 3yr old human with additional needs, therefore a lot of ways in which I choose to parent him are contrary to the norm, however, I know him and what works for him.

My cat gets a daily leash walk. I've tried several harnesses indoors until I found one he could not escape. He mostly chooses where to go, but I will limit him and not let him go into thick brush where I can't follow. In our neighborhood in Arizona are bobcats, coyotes, ravens, hawks, and the occasional mountain lion. I stay close enough to him that these predators will avoid us. He is still scared of bicycles and cars. I take a cat backpack and we have used several times. I took him once by car to a park with a lake, but on that day there were many children at the lake and he was too nervous, so we had a short visit. The terrain around our house has many large granite boulders, so he tests my agility and at 70 years old I tire easily, way before he does. Our walks are typically 30-40 minutes. There are two indoor only cats living with us, and he has not learned to get along with them. He has a predatory personality and poor cat social skills. When he comes back inside from a walk he is more likely to pick a fight with another cat. So he needs a time out behind doors in a separate room. This cat has been with us for six months; he is an ongoing management problem and we are very likely to rehome him soon.

Our kitten is 5 months and took to the harness instantly. He also LOVED going outside. The bad thing is that he is now obsessed with going outside. He is already very vocal, and now he won't shut up. And, every time we have to leave the door, he tries to get out. It has been stressful, but we Def want him to go outside just not without a leash.

Im not sure if i can get my cat to like the harness i bought for her so i got some ID tags made for her collar and let her out. If she came back once then definitely she'll come back again.

8:24 I think any and every animal should be in a harness with the leash attached to the harness when walking
I’ve dealt with dogs before who struggled so much against the leash they choked, a harness is a *necessity*