Leashes for the Cat Enrichment Masterpost
While allowing cats to free roam can be done with supervision, unlike most dogs, cats can be difficult to recall and if they escape beyond an owner’s ability to recover them, the chances of them being found and safely returned are very slim because folks that see a cat out currently assume it’s supposed to be out (another good reason to turn away from unsupervised cats outside… less lost cats that never come home).
Instead, it is becoming increasingly common for owners to train their cats to a harness and leash (or lead) in order to allow them to safely experience some outdoor time, as well as facilitate bonding; cats trained to a harness and leash often learn to associate the items and the person carrying it with the enjoyable experience of going outside.
This does not necessarily mean that your cat will enjoy the leash immediately. It takes time for an association to be formed, and repeated exposure and consistency are often the key. Patience is also a virtue in this endeavor, as it is generally recommended to train slowly, by familiarizing them with the harness first and adding the leash later.
There are many good guides out there on how to train your cat to use a leash, but I will direct you first toward adventurecats.org. They are also home to a wealth of articles pertaining to gear choices and taking your cat on an adventure/traveling etc. Chewy also has a guide, as does the cat behaviorist.com. There are also plenty of video guides online that show examples. Do some exploring! Familiarize yourself with the process and the idea behind the process before expecting your cat to go through it.
The other thing to be aware of is that there are DOZENS of types of harnesses. Some cats will take the easiest one and do great. Others are escape artists and require a more secure harness. Because cats have such a huge variance in body type, a harness that comfortably fits one cat may not fit the next one. How the leash attaches and where it pulls comfortably on one cat may not suit another. You may have to do some trial and error to find a leash that works for your cat, so don’t abandon all hope if it doesn’t work immediately on the first try.
Here’s one made for harness escape artist cats:
Lead training can also lead to socialization. A lot of folks tend to think of wolves as pack animals and cats as solitary loners, when in fact many cats - including housecats - enjoy being part of a pride or colony. In your home, you become the cat’s family, but while humans spend a lot of time socializing dogs to be friendly to folks outside of their family, cats generally get the short end of the stick because they either don’t leave the house or they leave the house unsupervised and thus have no opportunity to be purposefully exposed to socialization.
A harness and leash can change that, particularly for kittens! Taking your cat out on a leash can help you to take them to various places and maintain control over them the way you would a dog, which can familiarize them with new stimuli and make them overall less prone to stress when there’s a change, as well as help them to be more outgoing toward people because they won’t be as afraid of meeting new ones. It can also make it less scary for things like going to the vet, something a lot of cat owners struggle with because car rides = scary and new places = scary and new people = scary. But that can be way less true if they’re trained early on to use a leash and come visit new places and people while leashed. Now it’s just a new adventure the two of you can share!
And I have to share one last leash photo, which is technically an accessory to transporting your cat around so you can use your leashes… the cat backpack! They actually have one that, if I understand it correctly, can be reversed around to turn into a cat cave/bed for a nice little hide while camping/adventuring.
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