In most cases, cats love being in nature and active, so it comes as no surprise that felines living in houses and flats may occasionally want to go out and explore the world. If you have such a cat at home, you may find useful the following tips on how to get her used to a leash. A leash is a great tool when you want to let your cat explore, but don’t want to expose her to dangers that lurk around every corner, especially in cities.
Of course, walking on a leash is preceded by choosing the right equipment. We already described how to choose a leash, what kind of harness should go with it and how to get the cat used to the new tool in one of our previous articles. Today, we will focus on how to teach the cat to walk on the leash so that walks are fun for both of you.
Step by step
Let’s follow where we last left off, in the moment where we acquaint the cat with the leash and the harness through positive associations. This will help the cat understand that this is a pleasant affair. The next step is putting the cat in the harness. Bit by bit, you try to put on her harness so that you always get a little further each day. At the same time, however, you should respect that this is a relatively big change for the cat, so you have to do this step by step. This may take a few days. A good trick is to have a favourite treat on hand, which you can give the cat as a reward.
A process that pays off in the long run
Once you are sure that the cat is used to the harness as well as the entire process, you can proceed to the next, which involves adjusting the size of the harness. The harness should be comfortable to the cat: it should not choke the cat, but should be safe at the same time. At this stage, the cat should last increasingly longer in the harness without getting her favourite treat. This part may take several days, but the patience pays off, especially in the long run.
First few days at home only
If the cat feels comfortable in the harness, attach the leash and let her get used to it. Don’t take her out right away, let her move walk around the room and give her toys to distract her from the leash, which is completely new to her. At this stage, it is good to make sure that the leash doesn’t get caught on anything at home. This could startle the cat and lead her to develop an aversion towards the whole process.
The cat explorer
When you see that the cat doesn’t mind the leash and the harness, take her out, ideally to the garden or somewhere where she can move freely and explore her surroundings. At the same time, you should chose an area where the cat cannot get startled by something unexpected. Try to adjust the length of each step of the process so that the cat is comfortable. Once you see that the cat is ready to explore another area and that she is not bothered by the harness and the leash, it’s time to take her out for a walk.
Every one of us has for sure encountered diarrhoea in our fuzzy friend. Usually, there’s nothing to fuss about, the body reacts to food that it isn’t capable to digest or that didn’t do it good. However, it is good to know, when we are capable of...
I have been sharing with you my experience with dogs and other animals for quite some time now and it occurred to me to wander a little bit into history as well, but into an interesting one! I’d like to introduce you to several well-known dog...
Allergy is a disproportionate reaction of the immunity system to common stimuli. It cannot be cured, but we can suppress its manifestations. In the last years, allergies in pets and dogs especially are on the rise. Currently, about 10% of house-dogs...
Today, we are going to take a look at the Feline Infectious Peritonitis - FIP, an utterly exceptional virus illness that always has a fatal end. Most of the cats get into contact with the viruses that cause FIP in their lifetime, even though the...
We can divide dog owners into two groups. The ones that allow the dog in bed and those that feel that this is no option. Let’s take a look at what such bed sharing with a dog actually entails.
If you like going on treks with your fuzzy friends, geocaching is something precisely for you. This way, you will liven up your trips and maybe you even discover places that you wouldn’t have found otherwise. I and my pack can’t get enough of it.
Contrary to dogs, cats have a strong bond with the place where they live. That’s why moving is very stressful for them and this stress may cause a number of diseases. It’s a good idea to plan everything well, so that you could make the situation of a...
Even though the dogs went through long years of domestication, they still retain fundamental instincts as we do. They might not be as strong as in wild dogs, but they still play a very significant role in the life of a dog and in their behaviour. So if...
Even though it’s been a long time since our four-legged furry friends lived a feral life, they still have the laws of the pack rooted deep down inside them. It is not acquired behaviour, the need to live in a pack is determined by genetics. And if...
It is no news that the dog isn’t only a pet and that it can also help saving human lives in various catastrophes. But have you ever thought about what it means for dogs to become rescuers? You haven’t? Well, then it’s the right time to set off together...
The usual pregnancy period in female dogs is indicated at about 58 – 65 days, the average is 63 days. In case of the nutrition of a pregnant female, possible changes in diet can be likened to the changes in diet of pregnant women. Pregnant female dogs...
The most frequent reason why your dog starts to gain weight is simple, as in most of people: they consume more energy than they spend. Some owners wave their arm at a well-intended warning that their pet has gained weight, stating that the dog is...
