Did you try putting a harness directly on your cat, and they backfired on you? Haha! I knew it because I even tried it on my cat, and the same happened to me. But in my friend’s case, she was lucky her cat accepted, and by seeing her cat’s reaction, I thought it was simple: I could also do this with my kitty.
In this article, we’ll dive deep into how to give leash training to your cat effectively, backed by facts, tips, and answers to common questions.
Difference Between Leash, Harness and Collar
It’s important to know the difference between a leash, harness, and collar. Many people think harnesses and collars work the same, but in a cat’s case, it’s different.
Harness
A harness fits around your cat’s body, distributing pressure evenly to avoid strain on their neck.
Leash
A leash is a long, flexible strap that hooks up on the harness and is used to get your cat’s grip during walks.
Avoid retractable leashes during training, as they can cause sudden jerks, which may frighten your cat.
Collar
Collars are generally used for fashion purposes or to attach something unique to your cat’s neck so you can differentiate or put a bell to get to know where the cat is.
The collar should not be used for leash walking. Cats can easily slip out of collars, and pulling on a collar can injure their neck or trachea.
Benefits of Leash Training a Cat
- Mental Stimulation: Outdoor exploration allows cats to engage their natural curiosity by observing birds, insects, and new environments.
- Safe Outdoor Experience: Cats love the outdoors but face dangers like traffic and predators. A leash provides them freedom while keeping them secure.
- Exercise Benefits: Regular exercise helps prevent obesity and associated health issues like diabetes in cats.
What You Need Before You Start
- Cat Harness: A well-fitted harness (not a collar) is crucial for your cat’s safety. Look for an escape-proof harness like the Houdini.
- Leash: A lightweight leash that’s around 4-6 feet long works best. Avoid retractable leashes initially.
- Treats: Use your cat’s favorite treat to reward their positive behavior.
- Cat Bag: In an emergency situation, you can put your cat inside the bag. It is essential when you go on a walk with your cat.
- Patience: Cats don’t respond to commands like dogs, so take it slow.
How to Harness/Leash Train a Cat: Step-by-step guide
Isn’t this look cool? Taking your cat on a walk, everybody is watching and wondering, Wow! How did this guy train this kitty? This kitty must be smart and intelligent, different from others.
Step 1—Picking Out a Cat Harness
First of all, pick the harness that is comfortable for your cat. I know you can’t pick the correct one in the first place, though you can, but the probability is low. So, to avoid that, take 3-4 different styles of harnesses and test on them.
Remember: The whole training process can take a good amount of months. For me, it took 9 months to select a comfortable harness and then to walk on a leash.
Step 2—Presenting the Harness
Start by leaving the harness and leash in front of them. So, they get used to being around it. Anytime they smell or interact with you in any way, give them a treat. This will teach them to associate it with something positive.
Pro Tip: Place the harness and leash in your cat’s frequently visited places, like their bed, where they play, etc. This will make the harness smell like them, and they will feel safer wearing it.
Step 3—Get Your Cat Comfortable With Harness
Now, you have presented the harness and tried to get the cat’s pheromone in the leash and harness. Now, you need to make your cat comfortable with the sound that the harness and leash make, like the buckle sound and velcro sound. This will continue for a week or two.
The objective is to help your cat forget that they’re wearing a harness. Some cats will tolerate the harness better than others. If your cat is one of those who hates the harness, put the harness on, wait for a few seconds, and then remove the harness and reward generously.
Note: Follow all the steps while they are eating their favorite high treats.
Step 4—Touching Your Cat With the Harness
Then, try putting a harness on your cat. If it doesn’t go well, take it off and try again later; make sure you’re putting the harness on correctly; one strap around the neck turns around the shoulders. Be careful with fluffy cats because they can’t see what you’re doing.
Step 5—Start Fastening / Adjusting Fits
Now, after passing all those 4 steps successfully. This is one of the main parts, and if your cat accepts it, further steps will be easy.
All you have to do is wear a harness when your kitty is eating treats and see their reactions. If you have followed the above steps patiently and correctly, it is likely that your cat will accept the harness. Otherwise, try different harnesses or repeat this step for a few days.
Leave 2-3 finger spaces between the harness and the cat.
Step 6—Encourage Activity and Movement
- Initially, with a harness, cats will walk improperly, but with time, they will be okay.
- Make it a positive experience.
- Then, only the cat will go again on a walk.
How to Train a Cat for Leash Walk
It is a little bit difficult to train a cat for a leash walk because they aren’t meant for this, but anyway, I have some tips and tricks that will help you a lot, but before that, let’s see how to start the training.
- First of all, you don’t need to go outside in the beginning. That can be the biggest blunder. Initially, you have to train them indoors with baby steps and consistency.
- Now, try these exercises with the leash attached for short periods of time around the house.
- Attach the leash, but don’t make them go in any direction; just follow them wherever they want to go around the house.
- Once they’ve learned to come to you, you can try walking alongside them and encourage them to walk with you.
- Having control over your cat indoors is the very first step towards safe walks outdoors. Once they seem comfortable enough just to have the leash on, take them outside.
- When they’re comfortable, you can try taking them outside. Always go to your cat’s place, and don’t rush them into the next step unless they’re ready. Also, keep in mind that walking on a leash is not for every cat, so don’t force it.
- Wherever you see your cat doing a good job, reward them for it. Make sure to give them love and praise, too. (For any kind of progress, be it small or big, giving treats is a must.)
This is a super important point: Do not force them to do anything they don’t feel like doing. Instead, try to be encouraging and do not punish them.
Leash walking Tips
Here are a few things that you should keep in mind while you take your cat on a walk.
- One cat per person: I have tried in the past taking multiple cats together on a walk, and it became a great disaster. So, do not try.
- Whenever you take your cat on a walk, always set up your leash using a slipknot technique.
- Be attentive, don’t be on your cell phone, and watch the environment all around you all the time while you’re walking a cat because there are people who are walking their dogs, and when a dog appears on the scene, the cat becomes prey, and they’re going to freak out, and this can destroy all the training that you have done for months.
– What you have to do in this situation is scoop your cat up and go back to your place.
– There are also poisonous plants, so watch what your cat is nibbling on and chewing.
Common Mistakes and Challenges That You May Face
1. Picking the Wrong Harness
Picking the wrong harness for your cat will limit their mobility, increase your chances of failing at least training, and, in the worst-case scenario, get your cat hurt because of a failed stunt due to the reduction of the mobility of your cat despite you being able to use the same harness for everything; using a different harness for each activity will do wonders for your cat’s safety and fun. The everyday harness has to be light and straightforward.
This kind of harness ensures maximum mobility for your cat, allowing them to run, jump, and fly without noticing that they’re wearing a harness. Lighter harnesses are usually easier to escape, so I don’t recommend those if you’re starting leash training for traveling in public places.
You want a harness that is escape-proof; this will prevent your cat from getting in trouble in the worst moment possible around cars or in a plane when dogs are around. Trust me, with regular harnesses, cats can escape.
The fit: It’s equally essential that the harness has to be tight enough so it’s secure and your cat won’t be able to escape but not so tight that it’s restricting their mobility, making them uncomfortable or flopping on the floor as soon as they’re wearing it.
2. Not doing Proper Indoor Training
I would consider our cats to be not ready if they are not familiar with harnesses or if they are not comfortable wearing harnesses. It restricts movement, or they walk clumsily if they’re trying to sneak out of it, or they are complaining constantly.
I would also consider they are not ready if they cannot follow our lead when leash walking indoors.
3. Don’t Force Your Cat To Put On A Harness
If your cat doesn’t want to go, they will let you know; my recommendation is that you respect your cat’s decision and wait for another day.
Cats can be tired, have an upset stomach, or just not be in the mood for it. In the beginning, a little enforcement is okay, and it’s good to challenge.
4. Letting Our Cat Walk Before Us
As your cat gets used to the leash, they are going to want to go in front of you despite the fact that it might seem more manageable at the beginning, just to follow their lead.
There are several reasons why you want to avoid it, and the most important is about security:
- If your cow walks in front of you, it’s going to decide where to go and where to stop, so when your cat is leading, you’re going to face a lot more bush-checking holes, checking tree climbing, and there’s really nothing wrong with it, but it’s just going to limit you extremely when you want to go at pace.
- The second reason is if your cat is taking the lead, they’re going to be more alert and on their own, so it’s going to be a lot more complicated for them to listen and respond to your commands.
- Also, if your cat is in front of you, you’re going to notice a stretch before you do, and they may just take off at speed, and the leash may slip out of your hand, and you never saw that coming because you didn’t see the threat, and finally they will never learn to follow you, and it’s going to be challenging to let them roam free and expect them to follow you.
If they’re off-leash, my recommendation is that you always lead the way, having them walk next to you or behind you.
5. Choosing the Wrong Place to Walk
Choosing the wrong place to walk with your cat can really affect your cat’s enjoyment. Your cats are avid hunters with a strong predatory instinct, but they are also prey, and their survival instincts are equally strong.
Places that are noisy and busy with dogs or other predators are places you should try to avoid as your cat is going to be mostly driven by survival mode, and they are not going to indulge in their hunting and curiosity, especially when starting to try to find a place that is quiet and without predators. Cats are not dogs. They are curious, and they prefer ambushes.
6. Choosing a Leash which is Too Short
If they hear a bird in the distance, they will also get distracted by every hole they can fit their mortar meetings in. This will definitely make them stop more than you would like to. Using a leash that is too short will make you stop every time your cat wants to stop.
Well, if you’re using a longer leash, your cat can stop. You can keep it at your own pace, and they will catch up afterward. Your leash should be at least 10 feet, but the longer, the better.
7. Repeating Commands Over and Over Again
Especially during training, if you can’t enforce a behavior, you should not use a command. If you repeat the command over and over and over, it’s going to lose its meaning: Mia, come here, Mia, come here, Come here. You are wasting the word, and you’re telling your cat that they can just ignore you when training, especially outdoors.
Call your cat only when they are wearing the leash. When ignored, pull from the leash and enforce the behavior. When your cat is with you again, you can reward them as normally as if they did it on their own.
8. Using Regular Treats When Outdoors
If you want to create positive associations while you’re outdoors or train your cat. Your regular treats won’t work. Your cats will be so focused on hunting and surviving that the treats that you usually use at home will not work in this instance. You need a high-end treat. I personally like using very thin fillets of raw turkey when outdoors. Use it only as a treat, and don’t substitute the meal with it.
9. Allowing the Leash to Get Tense
Cats are escape artists, but there’s one thing your cat can escape from a harness, which is submitted to zero pressure. Your cat will only try to escape from a harness, spawning in the opposite direction to the ones they want to go by pulling from the leaves.
You’re creating an opposition reflex if your cat is at the end of the leash range, especially if they’re backing up. You should not offer resistance; instead, give your cat some additional room by walking towards them or releasing the leash if you have left any.
In the case that you have to prevent your cat from going the direction they want to go because there’s a threat, there’s a dog, or you don’t want to go there for whatever reason, instead, use some bursts of pressure, but don’t let the leash go and dance for more than a fraction of a second.
FAQs
Q1. When should you start leash training a cat?
Ans. My cat started walking with me on a leash when she was 14 months old, and I started giving her training when she was 5 months old. It took me 9 months to train her well.
Q2. Can you harness train an older cat?
Ans. Harness training an older cat is possible but not going to be an easy task. It will require extra time and more patience because older cats generally do things in their own way and are less adaptable to new experiences.
Q3. How long should a cat leash be?
Ans. A cat leash should be 6 feet long. You can attach 2 leashes, one normal and a bungee leash at last. It works great.
Q4. Do cats like walking on a leash?
Ans. It depends on the individual cat. Some cats like to explore new places and have new experiences, while others may get stressed. Always go at your cat’s pace and prioritize their comfort.
Q5. Can you use a dog harness on a cat?
Ans. No, you can’t use a dog harness for a cat because ofits size, and cat harnesses are specially designed for cat comfort.
Q6. Do cats like collars and harnesses?
Ans. I feel cats don’t have their own preferences. It’s all about how you mold them. If the collar or harness has a perfect fit and great comfort, they will accept it.
Q7. Can cats wear harnesses all the time?
Ans. Yes, it depends on how well you have trained them.Well, if you don’t remove them, they don’t have any other option, but in my opinion, I count it as cruelty if you make them wear them while sleeping. This is what I think, so I make them wear harnesses only when we go on a walk.
Q8. Are cats harder to train than dogs?
Ans. Yes, cats are definitely harder to train than dogs because of their self-reliance and solitary nature. They often enjoy spending time alone. You cannot do anything forcefully with them. Otherwise, they become defensive and may attack you.
With cats, you always have to be calm; you cannot shout at them or punish them. You always need to please them with treats or their favorite toys if you want your work to be done.
Q9. How Tight Should a Cat Harness Be?
Ans. You should be able to fit 2-3 fingers between the harness and your cat.
Conclusion
You cannot teach every cat leash training. It’s about the right cat, the right equipment & the right training. You go nice and slow. You get them used to it and get their mojo up if they are going outside. And if they are “scared,” take a step back; don’t go.
I think the equipment has gotten better. There are great harnesses out there that they can’t get out of, but we’ve got this whole system. And it’s about how you train your cat if they want to go out there.
One more time, I will tell you this: never,, ever walk a cat with just a collar and a leash. Do your research and take the correct harness for your cat.
Alright, I have discussed a whole lot of things in this article. I hope you got what you were looking for. Do let me know in the comments how you take your cat outside or how they go outside if they want to go.