6 Tips for Leash Training Your Cat

With lots of patience and help from my partner I was able to get my 6 year old rescue, who’s afraid of the vacuum and blender, walking on a leash in the park.

Leash training your cat can bring unexpected joy into you and your pet’s life. Once they are accustomed to going out on adventures, they will return home calmer and more content than ever.

While training a feline is not as straightforward as training a canine, it’s anything but impossible. Here are six helpful tips to ease your cat into the idea:

1. Get the right equipment:

It can be incredibly frustrating when you are in search of the perfect cat harness or walking jacket. Many retailers either make products exclusively for dogs and simply offer smaller sizes for cats or charge exorbitant prices for “specialty” items.

The most important thing to keep in mind is your cat’s comfort. Make sure the harness or walking jacket you chose doesn’t bind or restrict the cat’s movement if they pull against it. Measure your cat’s neck and chest to ensure you’re purchasing the proper size.

The harness used in the video is available at Petco, and so far I’ve been impressed with it but it does fasten with velcro. This could eventually fail if wear builds up and should be checked before each use.

2. Get them use to wearing it:

Your cat is not going to like wearing a harness of any sort. If there are metal attachments or plastic parts that can clack loudly be sure to insulate them. Cats are incredibly sensitive to noise and most animals don’t like the sound of metal being struck.

Once the harness is in place, run your hands down the length of your cat a few times. This allows them to feel what you’ve put on them and calms alarm at unfamiliar sensations.

Many cats have a tendency to go limp or flop over in response to being harnessed. This is somewhat normal but a good time to check that nothing is too tight or uncomfortable. Remember, this is about the comfort of your animal.

3. Reward them while wearing it:

If your cat is still laying in the corner to protest their indignation, after you’ve ensured they’re safety, it might be a good time to try a treat or meal.

For the first few weeks I would routinely harness Oni before he got his meals. This made him positively associate the harness with getting fed. Cats make strong associations to situations and objects, so try your best to make this a fun and rewarding experience for your cat.

4. Try short trips at first:

The first time I went to the mailbox with Oni draped over my shoulder he was terrified. While it was only a few flights of stairs down to the lobby, it was an entirely new world of sights and smells for him.

Eventually, he got use to the lobby and I started taking him around the block. Now we walk to the park, grocery store, and other small errands around our neighborhood.

The key here is patience. If your cat gets too scared and needs a break, give them a break. This can mean ducking into a quiet space for a few seconds and reassuring them, or deciding to head home and try it again tomorrow.

5. Chose a quiet location/time of day:

Noisy traffic and pedestrian congestion can be very overwhelming to your cat. Glaring lights or direct sunlight is harsh on their very sensitive eyes. For these reasons you may want to choose a less busy time of day if you live in the city, or a less congested area of you live further out.

It’s best to head for a park or a grassy area where your cat can feel safe to explore. Be sure to look out for off-leash dogs as many people break these rules because their dog is good with other dogs. A simple “hey, is your dog cool with cats?” will usually suffice.

6. Give them extra room:

As you’ve probably discovered, you won’t be walking your cat most places, you’ll be carrying them and possibly walking them back. I still haven’t figured out how to get Oni to walk to the park, but he will walk part of the way back pretty reasonably. It’s in the park that he does most of his actual exploring.

A good retractable leash will save you energy and time in the long run.

With a short leash your cat may simply sit wherever you set them down. To encourage exploration, or to get your cat to walk along like Oni did in the video, I recommend giving them several extra feet of leash. Of course, you’ll want to make sure you don’t do this near anything dangerous that your cat could get hurt or tangled on and always watch out for trees they could dart up quickly.

With the leash extended walk in the direction you want your cat to go and call out encouragement to your cat. It may take several attempts before your cat decides to follow. Be patient, the experience could be very rewarding for you and your cat.

Of course, this has only been my experience and every cat is different. Only you can decide what’s best, but many experts agree that you should at least give it a chance.

And, lastly, don’t forget to have someone record your adventure. Not only will you cherish the memories you make with your pet, the looks on your neighbors face will be priceless. Trust me.