Lead training a cat?

[Katymac]

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?

Well to be honest MrsN, Leroy has a medical condition so it's safer for him to go out on a lead. The alternative is for him to not go out at all.

Some cats bond with their person more than their territory, not many, but some do.

Well I am doing the best I can

He has been rehomed twice and is nearly 10 - I think losing us will be worse than trying the travelling.

I will make him as safe & comfy as I can and am probably considering his comfort more than I am DH or mine.

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us & subject to Flynn being happy we are going for it.

If he is unhappy I will rehome him (I have had offers) but he loves us and we would miss him

I really think he will adapt - but I have contingencies if he doesn't

4 weeks in & I thought I'd update you all

Flynn is loving it - he walks 3-4 times a day - he follows a hedge or the edge of the path or even line in grass cuttings

He sits on the dashboard in th sun & the van has been cool for him even with the hot weather

He won't travel under the bed so we got him a soft folding crate (in tasteful red polka dots) & he sleeps in that while we are driving

He loves his lead and sits under it trying to reach it & if left on the side he will try to get his head into the harness!!

He has met lots of new people and loves the attention & none of the dogs we have met (accidentally as we do try to avoid) have been phased by him - presumably because of the lead; one dog, a large black lab spent nearly 5 minutes with them smelling each others bums!!

Fingers crossed for the next few weeks

Sounds wonderful! Think we need some pictures, though. Please...!!!!!

We had one of our fosters out on a lead from time to time, he loved it. He did have a tendency to disappear into bushes, which was fun. He's gone to his forever home now and can go outside on his own so I'm sure he's a happy boy.
There are lots of circumstances where going out on a lead is a good compromise if the cat would otherwise be indoor only.
I was at the vet with another foster this morning and she (the vet not the cat) had been to a rescue centre in the US where they clicker trained the cats to high five people who came to look at them. Apparently it was very effective in getting them adopted.

Glad to hear it's all going well. My boy has been on two holidays with us so far this year and had a great time pottering around on his lead!