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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

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Original poster

Lead training a cat?

56 replies

Katymac · 17/01/2017 19:07

Bought a harness for my Siamese & put it on last night he wriggled a bit then groomed himself; gave him a massive cuddle afterwards

Tried again today (daylight) and he shook himself & ran straight to the front door & sat looking at the door - we never go out the front door with him because of the traffic - he goes out the back door through a cat flap

He wasn't massively interested in being walked he want to explore - but I'll have another go tomorrow; but e didn't struggle or fight or run - just sniffed and wandered

He also seems to respond to clicking fingers - do you hink he might have been click trained & lead trained before?

OP posts:

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happyvalley4 · 17/01/2017 19:09

Why are you putting a lead on? If he's got a cat flap he can go out anyway.

AuntiePenguin · 17/01/2017 19:17

I've never heard of or seen a cat on a lead. Why do you want to use one?

Original poster

Katymac · 17/01/2017 19:18

If all goes well I'm taking him on holiday with it (UK - campervan) if it doesn't I have a massive rethink coming on

He seemed quite happy

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VivienneWestwoodsKnickers · 17/01/2017 20:25

Yep, my cat walks well on her lead! She's too docile to be outside on her own, am terrified she'll be stolen or run over. So the compromise is a harness with a lead. Obviously we look totally mad, but she likes it!
And yes, apparently you can clicker train cats.

Original poster

Katymac · 17/01/2017 20:41

How long did it take you to train her?

Thinking about a treat to train her with....I guess cheese & onion square crisps are out

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VivienneWestwoodsKnickers · 17/01/2017 20:51

Honestly, she took to it beautifully, no bribery involved. We took her out 2-3 times a day, very short distances, literally 20m up the path to begin with, then a little further after a few days like that and building on it. She still doesn't go far, but I'm not planning on taking her hiking or camping, so it's enough for her. Go at your cat's pace, let her sniff and explore. The first lead was a short one, but she did better when I switched it for several metres of thin polypropylene - light and strong. She seemed to prefer the lighter weight of it.

Original poster

Katymac · 17/01/2017 21:01

I thought it was odd how he took to it - if he hadn't been walked before that would be odd

We have had him 2/3 yrs & he's a rescue - so he could have been trained before

I'll get a lighter lead for him - but his harness has little owls on it (it was half the price of the plain one!!)

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LiefieLiefie · 17/01/2017 21:28

DBIL bought us some as a joke present for Christmas. Ours don't go out currently due to wild animals in our area.

They struggled a tiny bit the first time we put them on, but they seem fairly used to it now. They don't walk though, just tend to have a bit of a sniff around and then flop down.

Toddlerteaplease · 17/01/2017 22:48

Tried this with one of mine as wanted to get them to excersise more. The harness bit wasn't a problem but being led on a lead was not happening!! Don't think I'll try again

RubbishMantra · 17/01/2017 23:33

I've tried Little M (a Devon Rex) with a Mynwood walking jacket - sturdier and harder to wriggle out from than a harness. More comfy I reckon as well. He has a cat flap out back, but he elects to never leave the courtyard, and I feel like he's missing out... He loves meeting people, and I have designs on him being a therapy cat.

We haven't ventured further than the church yard opposite though.

Here's a photograph of him, getting used to his technicoloured dream coat.

Toddlerteaplease · 17/01/2017 23:52

Awww little M. 😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻

Original poster

Katymac · 18/01/2017 09:43

Aww - I'll see if I can get a photo of Flynn later

So it could be quite easy?

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Weedsnseeds1 · 18/01/2017 10:55

I read everything I could find on lead training. When it came to it I just plonked the cat jacket on and off we went. I used a lightweight extending lead. They don't walk where you want them to particularly just sort of wander about, checking things out. Mine tends to follow me everywhere though, so I let him look at whatever he was interested in, then walked ahead a bit and he would trot after me. If he happened to stroll off in the direction I wanted to go, I just followed him. That cat is so cute rubbish !

RubbishMantra · 18/01/2017 17:55

Oow, look at WeedsCat in his walking jacket. Surprised you can get it around that magnificent ruff of his!

Little M feeling the love.

It depends on the cat @Katymac - Little M's a bold little thing, and kind of happy to go with the flow. But yes, not at at like walking a dog.

YesItsMeIDontCare · 18/01/2017 17:59

I'm going to get a Mynwood for Leroy!

You need to realise that it's nothing like walking a dog! You spend a lot of time standing around like a prat while they sniff stuff!

RubbishMantra · 18/01/2017 18:39

The first time I saw a cat on a harness was my old neighbour. Cat was a Burmese and wasn't having any of it, just plonked his bum down in protest. Owner must've relented and given him free range (he was only allowed out on a harness) because he'd regularly come round to call for MCat. He'd stick his head through the window and utter a noise I've never heard coming from a cat. Then they'd go off and do cat stuff.

If I was walking home , he'd stalk me, hiding under cars and behind hedges.

Weedsnseeds1 · 18/01/2017 18:42

The ruff is still expanding! I'm awaiting the jettisoning of about 10lb of fur come spring! His jacket is a Butterfly cat jacket, with liquorice allsots design, he has a skulls and roses one too. Very similar to Mynwood I think.

ClaudiaNaughton · 18/01/2017 18:48

I remember years ago in Central Park NY meeting a very grand gentleman with a Siamese on a lead. I chatted to him and he said he took the cat out every day as he lived in an apartment. Cat enjoyed it very much. I'd never seen anything like it and photographed them.

YesItsMeIDontCare · 18/01/2017 18:52

Oh WOW at that ruff!!! Leroy's got a bit of a ruff, but would probably need a bit of manual pomfing to be that impressive!

RubbishMantra · 18/01/2017 23:17

WeedsCat must be heavily related to a lion.

GardenGeek · 18/01/2017 23:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

Katymac · 19/01/2017 10:32

Lovely pictures

Flynn climbs in his carrying case whenever I open the door!! & loves being in a car - well actually he sleeps

So fingers crossed

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Oldraver · 19/01/2017 12:49

We started off with Ernie on a lead in the garden as we didnt want him escaping..he has an injury so didnt want him escaping. He took to it quite well though he was only a kitten..not sure if he would like it now.

I have a friend who takes their cat on country walks...they have a backpack for him then put his lead on

chemenger · 19/01/2017 14:07

When I have tried harnesses on cats in the past they have collapsed in a boneless puddle on the floor and refused to move, so it sounds like you are doing well.

On holiday in California we were in a campervan and stayed on a site in "The Garlic Capital of the World", which is a whole other story, I met a man walking his cat on a harness there, the cat seemed very happy have a wander round and met new people. They had been living on the site for months rather than moving round. He followed the cat where it wanted to go rather than leading the cat.

Original poster

Katymac · 19/01/2017 22:26

Pictures of Flynn but no harness pics yet sorry

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