Did you try to walk a cat?
By youless
@youless (112595)
Guangzhou, China
August 9, 2012 9:22pm CST
It is very common for people to walk a dog. However, did you try to walk a cat? Long time ago I had such an idea and therefore I tried to walk my cat. My cat liked to go out by himself, so I thought he would also like to go out with me. The truth was he felt terrible scared when I brought him out. So finally I had to return home with him
It is disappointing.
It is disappointing.6 people like this
26 responses
@enjoythejourney (524)
• United States
10 Aug 12
I thought it would be a great idea, so I tried it a few years ago It was a disaster. My cat just did not cooperate. Maybe she would have if I started her younger but I tried when she was an adult and she was not happy.
Cats are independent critters so maybe they are just trying to show us that they will not be led. I am not really sure. It may have disappointing but now that you are home you and the cat are probably much happier.
I can almost here him purring from here.
3 people like this
@deazil (4730)
• United States
10 Aug 12
Yes. I have leash trained 4 of my cats. The first 2 were kittens the others were adults. It took awhile but was worth it. They were indoor cats but had a large fenced in area coming out from the house (backyard) from one corner to the other and out about 30ft. We used to sit outside with them. The patio stuff & grill, etc. was in that area. The yard is large and goes back quite a ways. They didn't like going out to the front of the house but they loved walking all over the back yard. They were usually very good. I made my own leashes about 25-30ft long. That way if they bolted I had a chance to catch up before they got choked on the leash. Didn't happen to often. I got very good at leash training cats! You can't walk them like dogs because they tend to sit...and sit..staring at a leaf or a bug. And it doesn't work if you pull the leash to make them do what you want. If you pull on it the situation gets worse. There are other things involved but I turned it into an art and trained 3 other cats that weren't mine. I did have cats that couldn't be trained and would just freak out. One thing you have to remember when walking a cat -- the walk is all about them. You're only there to provide a little guidance. :-) Walking the first 2 I trained as kittens was a wonderful time for me. Sadly they're gone now. I miss walking them so much. But it can be done, though I won't say it's easy. And I think there are some cats that just don't like it.
2 people like this
@danishcanadian (28955)
• Canada
10 Aug 12
My husband tried once with our cat, and they walkedall over the apartment building. Our cat is an indoor cat though, and did not feel lkke going outside, so they stayed within the walls of our apartment building. The cat did stop infront of a few apartment doors, because he smelled that other cats lived inside.
2 people like this
@marie2052 (3691)
• United States
10 Aug 12
That was awesome youless.
My current kitty Tink I trained him to a leash.
My Vet's office said that is the first cat they had ever seen come in on a leash and collar.
He is awesome. he much prefers the leash to being thrown in a kennel to transport him.
Soon as I get him in the car I let him out of the kennel from the Vet and he will come and lay down in the passenger side seat and look at me like TAKE ME HOME LOL
As they say its unusual for a cat to do this.
But he was very ill when he was 5 weeks old, and I wound up being his mommy before I ever got to take him home.
So I think he is up for whatever I want him to do. he is a more loving cat than the others I have had with my children growing up. they seemed so independent and I am sure they would not have went on a leash.
I am glad he is that way. The only time he needs his kennel is going to the vets since some have larger dogs there waiting to see the vet too.
@changjiangzhibin89 (16796)
• China
10 Aug 12
You are imaginative.It is very rare to see someone walks a cat.There is different natural instinct between the cat and the dog.The dog may strut even be a bully on the strength of its keeper's power when the dog keeper walks it.Quite a contrary to the dog,the cat may make off at the sight of a crowd,no matter who walks it.
2 people like this
@Juliyan23 (600)
• Indonesia
10 Aug 12
What happened with your cat? Did he /she tried to run away? Or didn't want to move at all?
My cat always do falling asleep wanna be (he just lays on the floor pretending he is sleeping) whenever I wear him the harness. So he just didn't want to move at all from his place , I couldn't get any chance to walk a cat :o
2 people like this
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
12 Aug 12
Hi youless,
If my cat Banjo is around when I take the dogs out for a walk he will just come with us. He is pretty skittish but he stays with us and keeps up, not like the dogs who want to go off exploring on their own.
My last cat, Cassandra was a beautiful white Persian and if I took my little Maltese dog, Pixie for a walk, Cassie would often come too. Pixie and I would walk on the footpath while Cassie stayed in the gutter. People would look at us and smile and point - it was good fun.
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
19 Aug 12
yup.i've had 3 i leash trained.
i started doing that with the one so i could keep him in grabbing distance-there were coyotes where i used to live.
they get used to it.it takes a little longer than training a dog tho.
1 person likes this
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
12 Oct 12
I think it is hard to walk a cat as it is not an animal as smart as a dog. Besides, cats are shy animals. If they see a lot of people around, they feel shy and will try to stay away, which adds to the difficulty of walking a cat. Have a great day, youless.
1 person likes this
@Loverbear (4918)
• United States
10 Aug 12
I have had cats that I have been able to walk on a leash. Usually you need to start working with them while they are still kittens. One cat I had was so attached and dependent on me that she was happy to walk on the leash just so that she could be close to me.
Most of my other cats are so independent that they don't want to walk on a leash. I could force the matter but it wouldn't work out well so I let them do things their way. Again, if I had started with them when they were young I am sure I would have them trained to walk on the leash without any problem.
1 person likes this
@Loverbear (4918)
• United States
13 Aug 12
It is amazing what you can teach a cat to do if you start when they are young. The biggest thing is to bond with the cat and pay them a lot of attention. While I haven't worked with the current crew I have (four cats...) you can teach them to do so much. I've taught them to walk on a leash, retrieve (we have wonderful times playing fetch the sock. You do have to have something soft that they like to play with), and climb ladders on command and so much more. You have to be patient and understanding.
There is a gentleman who goes to the humane society and adopts cats to train to work in his cat act. He has around 20 cats and each one has their job in the act. The cats love to perform and they adore their owner. Just remember to be patient, and it may be a bit slow going to start with. But the rewards are wonderful, because not only do you get a trained cat, but you also have a huge bond with the cat and will find that you have a more loving companion. When you're training a cat (or dog) don't punish them when they don't do what you want them to do. They will associate the leash and harness or whatever with a negative experience and they won't want to do it. You need to make the training fun and something they want to do. It's like Khuay, the cat in my avatar. He is such a loving and fun cat who retrieves like a dog. It only took a few times to train him to do the trick. And his is such a loving caring clown, like the rest of my cats.
1 person likes this
@bellis716 (4799)
• United States
11 Aug 12
To train a cat to walk on a leash, one would have to start when the cat was a small kitten. One of our neighbors had a cat that they trained to a leash when she was a kitten. They did not walk her but clipped the leash to a clothesline. She was already pretty old by the time I knew her and was quite happy to lie in the sun in front of her owner's home. She never went anywhere so long as her leash was clipped to her collar. It didn't even have to be attached to anything. Missy, the cat, lived to be 21 years old.
1 person likes this
@Canellita (12029)
• United States
13 Aug 12
I have never tried to walk a cat, but I used to know someone with a dog and when she walked the dog on his leash, sometimes the cat would go along with them. I never saw it, but she said the cat liked to take walks with them. Maybe your cat just has to get used to the idea.
1 person likes this
@Canellita (12029)
• United States
20 Aug 12
Dogs are not self-trained. They have to be taught and many people have shown it is possible to teach a cat as well. Keep trying.
1 person likes this
@minmin45 (166)
•
11 Aug 12
I have tried but my cat did not like the harnest and refused to move. It was a failed atempt. Some cats love being walked on a leash! Sometimes I see people walking their cat in the park. I will try to train my new kitten to walk on a leash, Ill see how that goes! Have a nice day!
1 person likes this
@tangleddreams84 (581)
• United States
23 Aug 12
I tried with my dog to walk the cat. She just sat there looking around scared like she did on the windowsill.
1 person likes this
@sacmom (14192)
• United States
10 Aug 12
No, not unless I leash train the cat when it's still a kitten! LOL
I actually trained a cat that I had to walk on a leash some years ago. It was my first time ever training a cat to walk with a leash, however, I've have plenty of cats in the past to know better that cats aren't into that sort of thing. LOL I figured it'd be best to train it while it was a kitten, that way I'd have a better chance at having it work out successfully. And it did! He walked with a leash beautifully!
I used to take this same cat pretty much everywhere with me, so not only was he used to being on a leash, he was used to wearing a harness and riding in the car as well. 
Happy mylotting!
Happy mylotting!1 person likes this
@tess_quinain (1149)
• Philippines
10 Aug 12
I don't have pets. Ah, I have a small aquarium. That's my only pet. I can't take them for a walk. hehe.. but I think it's not common for cats to go out. They are homebody.
1 person likes this
@myfb2009 (8296)
• Malaysia
10 Aug 12
Youless, when i was young i ever tried walking my cat. I thought it is as easy as walking my dog. But, indeed i was wrong. Because cat tends to easily feel distracted and scared. At last, i ended-up cuddling my cat instead, while going for a walk. Seems like, cat prefer to go out all by itself rather than go out with its owner. 
@grenzy8 (183)
• Philippines
10 Aug 12
That sounds funny to me I had never heard someone who tried walking with their cat but only you. Maybe it's because I have never seen any cat with a tie like dogs when they were being strolled around, second cats naturally don't like walking with humans I think they just love to be cuddled by us. But I guess that's a nice try.
1 person likes this
@RSantos026 (288)
• Philippines
10 Aug 12
I think in some pageant they allowed to walk a cat, and it has a sash quote "BEST in Cat Walk, this is my first impression in this post. LOL
@YoyetPogi (74)
• Philippines
10 Aug 12
HAHAHA! maybe you have to practice him/her going out much better if you try practicing him/her when he/she is still young. BUT lol I can't imagine trying to walk my cat (if I have) outside. :D I know that cats are inefficient going out with someone especially when they are leashed because their want is to be free. :)
1 person likes this
