My cat wants to accompany me on my walks

[Walkingcatcompanion]

Hi
My cat has started to follow me when I go out for a walk. This was quite endearing at first but is now irritating. She's not the brightest cat and will follow me out of her territory so I feel I need to pick her up and go back home. I will need to get my partner to keep her shut in I think, while I go out, but does anyone have any ideas for discouraging her? The other idea I had was to buy a harness and walk her on a lead. She's a tortie and I think she's shred my arm if I tried to harness her.
TIA

Our tortie does this, too. We take her back and get one of the DCs to shut her in until we have gone. Our male tabby sits on guard at the end of the road until we get back.

P.s. good luck harnessing your tortie... my lovely but feisty tortie wouldn't stand for it, I'd be shredded to bits!

We had a cat who used to follow us on the school run and to the local shop. He would wait outside and then walk back with us. If we were walking further we used to have to make sure he wasn’t following us, a few times I didn’t realise he was and had to take him home and then start again.
He was obviously very loyal and wanted to be with us but strangely he wasn’t a very affectionate cat at home wasn’t a lap cat at all.

Just remembered my middle school was next to the housing estate I lived on. Several times I was allowed to run home and lock dcat in as she was sat howling to be let in at reception!
Oh the shame!!
A fiesty tortie queen - my first ever dcat. Took her home on the bus when we got her!

DS2 had a paper round in the local streets and Sparklingcat would always go with him. She would get all excited when the newspaper trolley came out.
Didn't involve any main roads though and I did worry she might take off, but she never did.

I had a cat who did this.

He also ate dog food and lived on top of the refrigerator so he was just an all-round weirdo, ie cat.

I’ve had 2 experiences.. my first cat Joe would do this and we used to let him walk with us quite far.. we loved it but sadly it had tragic consequences as he was killed by a car quite far from home.. I always felt bad as we encouraged him to wander far.
Now we have Leo and I am more controlled with his outdoor time. He walks me and the kids to school in the morning but waits at end of our street and then walks me home. If we are going further I make sure he is home so he won’t follow. He is an ex-stray and very road smart too.

We used to have a tortie who did this too. Tbh I found it really stressful! I didn’t like her straying from her territory so would walk her back home and lock her in. We had woodland at the back of our house and she’d try to follow us walking the dogs round there too. Be aware they could be easily spooked if they are out of their territory and if they run off in a panic could get lost.

This is what worries me. I've just been for a walk and shut her in. All fine.