Now you must remember leash training a cat will not be easy and may take a fair amount of time. Success depends on the personality of your feline companion. Training a cat to walk on a leash could take as little as a few weeks or stretch out, with your patience, over many months. Maintaining your patience, and strict avoidance of punishment or coercion, is paramount to success and happiness for all involved.  

Kittens adapt more quickly to the walking concept than do older cats that are in complete control of their lives. BUT our feline masters can learn to associate the harness and leash with the pleasure of outdoor excursions. 

Harness? Yes, you must use a cat harness with an upper ring for snapping on the leash. Select as simple and lightweight a harness as possible, but use one. Cats are adept at slipping backwards out of a snug collar when it is attached to a leash. Believe me, I speak from experience.   

Every tiny step of progress towards the cat walking goal should be rewarded with praise and perhaps a food treat. Never, ever punish or scold your cat when they are resisting the leash. Cats do not respond well to negative reinforcement.  

Your mutual learning experience begins indoors. Start by giving the cat a few days to become accustomed to the harness by leaving it on for about 15 minutes at a time. Then comes the leash. At first don’t try to walk the cat, just let them move about dragging it behind them. 

Keep a constant eye on your cat to prevent entanglement and any scary situations from arising. If the cat becomes irritable distract them with a favorite toy. Encourage your darling to walk toward you and give plenty of praise when they do. These daily lessons should be short and non-stressful.  

Now it’s time to pick up that leash. Keep the lead as slack as possible and walk around behind the cat wherever he/she wants to go. Don’t try to steer them, just follow along. After a few days of playing follow the leader it’s time to convince the cat to follow your lead. 

Put into action your best sweet talk to get the cat to follow you as you hold, not pull, on the leash. Let your cat wander from side to side but you set the general course. When they reach the end of the leash and feel resistance they’re either going to come to you or sit down and resist. Always be gentle and avoid pulling or jerking your cat. A cat loves a challenge and they usually win so don’t turn this into a battle. If it becomes a tug of war stop the lesson, pick up your baby, and tplay.  

After you’ve both somewhat mastered walking around the house, head for the porch. If your cat has never roamed outside they may be frightened at first by all of the stimuli rushing in. Sit with them as they take in all in. Eventually the day will arrive when their heart stops racing and they’re ready to explore. Go along with it. Before long you’ll be taking daily strolls together.

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Please Note- I am not a VET. These pages are provided for informational purposes only. If you have a sick cat, PLEASE contact your veterinarian!