People walking their cats on leads - NO! AIBU?

[feyzer]

Recently, I have noticed an increasing number of people with cats on leads in my local park and I do have to wonder what they’re thinking.

Firstly, cats are not dogs. They are territorial animals and when they go out will follow a set route they have marked by their scent. This is the whole point of going out for a cat - to check it’s territory and sniff about. They don’t need ‘exercise’ in the way dogs do. Being in a place with unfamiliar smells will be overwhelming for them.

Secondly, dogs in this park are meant to be on leads, but often are not and could attack the poor cat at any second.

Finally, cats will climb when scared or run in bushes and surely they will get strangled or wound up in the collar or lead. For instance, yesterday, there was a woman with a ginger cat which ran up a tree after a crow ((but also because it was freaked out, I think). This cat was on a long, extendable lead, but obviously this got entangled in the twigs and branches in the tree and the cat was stuck. A man has to climb up to untangle the lead. Loads of people gathering around the tree and the cat was scared. The woman was going, “Ohhh ha ha, it’s the first time he’s been out!”

AIBU to think this is irresponsible cat-owner behaviour and these people clearly do not understand the basic nature of a cat?

This is in Hyde Park, by the way. Don’t know if it’s similar in other parks?

@Newyearoldyou

Evening I agree, everything revolves around dogs off leads.

Yes. I love dogs (don’t own any pets that need walking) but regularly walk friends dogs and cats for the exercise.

All domestic pets should be walked on leads unless in a designated fenced in space to be off lead and yes that might mean paying for use of a space like you would pay for toddler soft play.

People forget our wild spaces are suffering from domestic pets. Dogs hunt like cats do, not to the same extent but they do. Will think nothing of chasing a bird or chomping on the eggs of ground nesting birds. ‘Played’ with lizards and toads who subsequently die. I’ve walked small terriers who have mauled rats in their own gardens but could easily have been a vole, a bird, doormice if off lead. All animals that are or have been endangered. The instinct is still there.

Walking cats, yeah. No problem. Love to see it actually and they’re usually super friendly and well socialised for cats.

We lead trained our cats when we got them. They're outdoor cats now and we don't take them for walks on the lead, but when we first got them we lived somewhere with a nice garden but near a main road (they'd always been indoor cats til then, but in a flat - in a house they were desperate to get out the door all the time and it scared me, so this was a way of letting them explore the garden without them doing a runner over the back wall and they eventually knew to go and drag their little harnesses to me if they wanted to go outside). We were moving soon but weren't sure precisely when, so it was a good, safe way to let them get used to the outdoors with our supervision.

These days they do their own thing, but VERY occasionally I'll take one of them to my mum's with me and let him wander the beach (directly opposite her house, sand is about 30ft from her front door) on his lead to remind him about it/keep him used to it.

He absolutely loves digging in sand and trying to catch waves, because he thinks he's a dog - I'd share a photo on him absolutely covered in sand but my face is in it!

Is this the future? Cats taken out for walks so they stop pooing in other people’s gardens? Good!

@Justonedayatatime11

I have a number of high generation Savannah's who are most definitely not allowed to free roam, but who love going for walks. They have purpose made harnesses and really enjoy it. Don't see what the problem is with it?

Ooooh.. what generation, what are they like to live with?

I'd love another cat some day but it would need to be an indoor, very dog-like cat (ie, not permitted outside unsupervised, enjoy a bit of clicker training, fairly large size...).

I grew up with cats, the thought of them not going outside and exploring I find really sad. I hate the idea that cats would just be trapped inside.

We have an indoor cat (she has no papers but looks like a pedigree breed often stolen, and is also incredibly dim).
We sometimes take her out into the public courtyard/grassy space adjacent to the front of our house on a lead as she wants to see what is beyond the front door. I wouldn't call it "walking" her as the human has to stand on the spot most of the time while she either sniffs one thing in incredible detail or decides to sit down and meditate for a while....she is definitely enriched by the experience though. There is no way you could walk her like a dog and actually move along at a set pace around a route.

I once saw a man with a rabbit walking the bust streets of Walthamstow. It wasn’t even on is harness. It kept nearly running into the road.

I imagine they are house cats and they want them to see a bit of the world . I can't see it's bothering anyone tbh .

@Bringonsummer19

I grew up with cats, the thought of them not going outside and exploring I find really sad. I hate the idea that cats would just be trapped inside.

We have a rescue cat that is we suspect has some ragdoll in her. She is so incredibly stupid, I didn't know cats could be so dim, she would never cope being outside it wouldn't be safe at all for her. I don't walk her though because she shows absolutely no desire whatsoever to go outside. She is perfectly happy inside with us.

Where I'm from, it's mandatory in city areas. Cats are not allowed to free roam.

It’s nuts. I’m by Greenwich Park and in the last few months seen a lot of cats on leads in the park - having never seen it before. People with dogs are not expecting to see cats in the park. Dogs are off lead and are allowed to be. Why risk your cat being attacked? If you want to take it out on a lead for some fresh air then down the road/in the garden/somewhere else where there aren’t off lead dogs might be sensible? Not a busy London park which is very popular with dog walkers…..

Most cats will hate this and will make it a very stressful experience for all so I cant see it taking off

Must be some stupid Insta fad

My cat would freak and run away for sure if I tried it

Kittens would Have to be trained from a young age to accept this and anyone that tries it with an untrained cat is a knob.

I would rather someone walk their cat then keep them cooped up inside all day everyday however I worry that people are choosing to do this out of a fad rather than what’s best for the cat.

Most cats don’t need to go out on a lead. They should be free to go out on their own.
If you don’t have any outside space then a cat is not a pet you should get.

I don't see a problem with it, if no animal is coming to actual harm (i.e. not merely perceived harm, based on very little information).

As a PP said, if a cat doesn't want to be on a lead, it will make that very clear. I have a dog who has always disliked walking on a lead. She made that very clear, so eventually we stopped trying. (Fortunately for her, we have enough privately-owned space that she can exercise off-lead.)

Not all dogs like walks, and I have no trouble believing that some cats do.

Even I first had my cat around 12 years ago I lived in a ground floor flat with no private garden, so after he was neutered at six months I had the idea that a cat harness would allow me to take him out into the shared garden (quite big and only shared between 4 flats), show him around etc, make sure he knew where to come back to. He went completely floppy fell straight to the floor on his side and refused to move let alone be walked, all whilst now DH almost wet himself laughing, having told me the cat would not have a bar of it. It just came from me being worried about him. I'm very surprised act cat will allow itself to be put on a lead and walked.. Also in a public park there are lots of things that would terrify a cat!

It's not for all cats but some cats love it and if the owners are sensible about it what's the harm??

Of my two one would love to go out (if I could get a harness on her) but she's pure white so needs to kept indoors.

The other one is too anxious- they have access to a netted balcony and she loves spying on people but if they dare to look at her she'll come sprinting inside.

My neighbour walks his cat on a lead (not sure of the reason). The cat absolutely loves it and trots along very happily. If you stop to chat to them the cat will lie down on her back for a belly rub.

@WiddlinDiddlin I have an f1, 2 f2s, and 5 other lower generation Savs. The high generations are incredibly high maintenance and require a lot of time, space and patience! A bored Savannah will absolutely destroy your house. Having said that, I'm a massive fan of the breed and a well bred Savannah is a joy to own.

Nala (Dean's cat 1 bike 1 world) absolutely loves her life. She loves exploring and is very very happy.

Not all cats are fixed to a territory.

@feyzer

Yes when I was growing up my cats often used to follow me up the road or something. But they know their boundary. There’s a point where they feel anxious because they haven’t scented the next area (or sense they are entering another cats territory or something else puts them off) and they will then turn back or wait for you there. If they were on a lead through, they could get dragged beyond their comfort zone.

It really does depend on the cat. If they're trained from kitten age, they really don't seem to mind it. We put ours in a harness for the first time at 9 weeks. Started with 10 mins in the house per day and then slowly built it up to going out in the garden and then further afield as he got older and more confident.

Also it's him who drags us around. The idea is you don't walk your cat, the cat walks you. We literally just go where he takes us. If he was in any sort of distress, we 100% wouldn't do it. The park is his favourite spot because he can climb the trees.

Bengals love the lead! I miss my bengals

Cats are not meant to be on leads, they're not dangerous to humans so there is no need at all.

I think it's a little crazy. maybe round the streets would be ok as other dogs are likely to be on a lead but not in a park. there was a lady walking her car in a local country park not long ago. lots of off lead dogs. luckily my dog wasn't
there but if they were they would likely try chase it. you don't expect to see cats in a local dog walking area.

Why does it matter? What if the cat was not allowed out for (for whatever reason) and the person does not have a garden? It is better for the cat to be out on a lead than not out at all.

@IncompleteSenten

Nala (Dean's cat 1 bike 1 world) absolutely loves her life. She loves exploring and is very very happy.

Not all cats are fixed to a territory.

I just love that she has shunned any aspects of being a ‘normal’ cat. No territory to speak of, she’s happy to sleep in tents or posh hotels. She’s totally bonded to Dean and just wants to go wherever he goes.