Does anyone else walk their cat on a leash?

I walk my kitty Puck daily. You'd think that I was walking through the neighborhood wearing a costume from the musical "Cats" by the looks and giggles I get from people. Puck is good on a leash; even tonight, when I was talking to a couple and accidentally stepped on her tail, she managed to calm down fairly quickly after a brief but understandable freak out. Usually she "heels" quite nicely, although sometimes in her excitement over her early evening stroll she attempts to pull me along at a faster pace. She chases lizards and watches birds (but never catches anything, of course). She's safe from cars, FIV, FLV and sickos who think animal torture is great "fun." Hey, if cats weren't supposed to walk on leashes, they wouldn't make leashes and harnesses for them, right?

Puck leads the way:



Watching the mailman:


Getting in a good scratch:


Chasing a lizard:


Pouting because it's time to go inside:


Oberon seems to agree with the neighbors:


So, does anyone else walk their cat on a leash?

but my neighbor takes her cat, Miss Daisy, out for a walk with a leash on every day.

better than having one's neighbor upset about the cat crapping in their flower beds, I say!

Dogs pooping all over the damn sidewalk and around my apartment building is a far greater pain in the ass. Besides, cats bury their feces.

Litters and dog walkers who don't clean up after their dogs are a FAR greater annoyance to me

and the same culprit (a tiny puffball dog owned by a neighbor) goes on my neighbor's lawn too. I don't really care because lawns aren't my thing, but my neighbor goes NUTS! He tried to poison the neighborhood raccons because he didn't like them digging up his lawn, and he screams about that little dog. I'd hate to think about what he'd do to my cat if she got outside-I'm sure he'd blame her for something.

don't like to clean up after their dogs. And hey, then they don't mess up their own property. Often I will sit on the front porch and when they see me they suddenly go across the street. Gee, I wonder why?

My wife and I tried to acclamate him to the leash thing, but once it came time to strap him in, he Houdini-ed his way out. I still have the scars.

I think you have to start it with them as kittens or something.

I left the harness out for her to play with for a few days, then she wore it for short periods of times indoors-and I gave her treats and played with her when she had it on. I tried to get her to associate the harness with fun times, and she started to see it as a positive thing pretty quickly. Whenever we come back from our walks, I give her a freeze dried salmon treat, just to keep reinforcing that idea (plus, if she ever gets loose, hopefully the thought of a treat will lure her home quickly)!

thanks!

we didn't get any serious walking in until a few months later. Hurricane Charley hit my home, and I chose to evacuate to Ohio for the next two hurricanes. Puck and I spent a good bit of time wandering the halls of La Quinta Inns at night (they accept pets). After 12 hours in a car, the harness seemed pretty tolerable to her!

...that when the revolution comes, you're cat food!

And not that crappy stuff that tastes like dog food either, but the good kind that comes in the little square can, ummmmmm.

(Sorry, I'm transcribing for my cat.)

Artemis, and Merrick foods...I think they'd turn up their noses at me, since even I don't eat stuff with ingredients that are THAT good! :evilgrin:

and it was more like "taking her for a drag"! I know someone else who successfully takes her cat for walks on a leash. Is it easier if you start them when they are kittens?

Puck was about eight months old when I first put the harness on her. She's a VERY intelligent cat, too-a great problem solver-so I think she understood that harness=outdoor fun. She's a Turkish Angora, which is often called "the border collie of the feline world". She's great at word recognition; when she spends too much time in one area I just say "let's walk", and she's trotting at my side again.

Not only did she not enjoy me trying to put the harness on her, but she is not the sharpest tool in the shed, if you know what I mean. She makes up for it by being one of the sweetest little things on God's green earth, however. She never gets pissy, soesn't scratch or bite or ever get aggressive. And she loves me as much as I love her.

She is always waiting for me at the door when I come home, or she instantly trots out of my bedrrom to greet me. She then squeaks at me until I sit down and pet her. I am so happy I found her. I cannot believe she was abandoned by her previous owners. :mad:

Chloe is 17 years old and rules the roost. No way would she tolerate going for a walk, tho!

on the porch or in the shade.. she gets sunburnt real easy..

my unfortunate late kitty Jasper had skin cancer on his one white leg (poor guy had been a feral for years before I got him). After unsuccessful treatments and surgeries, the leg had to be removed. He did great without it, but the vet warned me that all light haired dogs and cats are now getting skin cancer at an alarming rate. Yours sure looks like she could use any extra protection she could get!

I dont know what else to try on her.. she loves it outside but I'll be damned if I let her out on her own.

organic lotions? I attended an organic product conference last year, and there were some amazing new sunscreens coming out for sensitive skin types.

I wouldn't let her out either! I think she'd be stolen within an hour. :-(

That's insane! What the hell is happening to our planet? I guess I picked a bad time to stand on my roof with a can of Aqua Net...

in both cats and dogs-especially if they have light fur. :-(

he would take them outside and put them in harnesses with a long lead so they could wander around the yard but not leave.

They liked it.

I thought leashes were contrary to a cat's nature, but obviously I was wrong. Perhaps it requires training or a special approach. But if I had a cat, I'd certainly give it a try.

That looks like a very happy cat, as well as a healthy cat. I would imagine all that outdoor exercize and entertainment for that cat is part of the reason.

pnorman

Out of 7, we have 1 who does the leash. I've even taken him to the pet store, where he had his picture taken for their "wall of fame."

How does he behave when he encounters dogs at the pet store? And how old is he?

careful. The pet store I've taken him to is a small store and I can see whether there is a dog inside before entering. Trouble starts when a dog comes in after we're already there. They love it when he comes in for a visit because having a cat come in is so rare. He's 3 or 4, and lives to smell the great outdoors. He's one that tries to get out every time the door opens. This is Cairo in his favorite indoor position:

what a big beautiful boy!

I really love the picture of Oberon with his paws crossed. Puck looks great on the leash. Very cute.

every day, when I get home from work, I open the living room window so she can smell the grass and trees behind my apartment building. There are also a lot of squirrels for her to watch.

At my old apartment, I lived very close to one of the inlets that runs through the city of Annapolis. There were alot of ducks that would stoll by my apartment. My cat would sit in her window and get all excited. I always knew when the ducks were around, because I could hear her tail bouncing back and forth and slapping the wood on the bookshelf she sat on. :)

He follows me around in the morning and stares at me until I open the blinds so he can see what's going on outside. His nose starts up as soon as I open the window, and within seconds he's sitting against the screen. We have low bushes in front of the window where there is lots of activity. Mostly birds, but sometimes lizards and bunnies.

I know exactly what you mean about the tail moving back and forth. :-) I remember times when I was close even to feel the breeze the movement generated. :hi:

she really loves me. In the morning, when it gets sunny, she usually climbs up in the window above my bed and slids under thew blinds. Then she jumps on me, when she gets hungry.

She is a squeaker---she squeaks rather than meows (she also always walks with her tail straight up in the air. She has a strange tail spasm sometimes, where it quivers, usually when she is really happy) e it open, even in the winter, while I shower and get ready for work. I close it during the day while I am gone, but when I get home my cat runs to meet me, and squeaks till I pet her and open up the window again. She really loves looking at the trees, birds, squirrels and all the smells.
Here is my kitty, Sooty:

And she squeaks! Each of ours has a unique meow. Cairo's is very high pitched, Mozart's is the loudest, and Watson's is the most drawn out. I know what you mean by the quivering tail. I used to volunteer at a shelter and some of the cats there did that.

I like your flooring. :-)

She was originally from the USSR. My mom's side of the family were anti-communist defectors.

After my grandfather died, she lived with us and made rugs and knitted sweaters to pass the time. She passed away at age 86 several years ago, and I have several of her rugs. They are some of prized possesions.

Unfortunately, that flooring was ruined. It was pergo, not real wood. But about a year ago I had a fire in my apartment when my ex-roomate was cooking and a greasefire exploded and destroyed the whole kitchen. I actually ran back into my burning apartment and rescued my cat after I saw she had not made it out. I could not see anything because the smoke was so thick, but I heard her crying.

Luckily, the sprinkler system kept the fire from spreading out of the kitchen, but the entire apartment had to be restored. Luckily the rugs were svaed, and my kitty and I had no after effects other than a mild cough for a few days from smoke inhalation. My kitty was a little wet and cold, and quite scared, but I got her out and she is totally fine now. After the police and fire men came, I called my mother and she drove over and took my kitty to vet, and they gave her good treatment. My mom refers to Sooty has her 'grandkitty', and she took very good care of Sooty while my condo was being restored.

Your grandma did beautiful work. I can see why you treasure them. My grandma was from Russia, but she was German. She was a quilter. She had a group of lady friends that made them. She had this big frame set up in the basement, and the ladies would sit all around it stitching a different section of the quilt. When they finished one quilt they started all over again at one of the other ladies' homes. She had 15 grandchildren and made a baby quilt for each one. I still have many of them, but my baby quilt was loved to pieces.

Sooty is lucky to have you. What an awful thing to go through. You're both lucky you weren't hurt worse. If you couldn't see through the smoke, you probably couldn't breathe either. Thank goodness you realized Sooty was stuck inside while she was still able to call for help. It's amazing that the rugs weren't ruined by the smoke.

:grouphug: from my kitties to Sooty.

Isn't that hilarious?

If we don't treat them like dogs, they will behave much more civilized than dogs.

This is what happens when the contract is broken:

http://www.big-boys.com/articles/pinky.html

...:rofl:

whatever that show is...

I laughed so hard then and I'm crying from laughing so hard again...

God damn that must have HURT!

tabby that's up for adoption? I'm on dialup, but I think I saw that one at a friend's house. Ouch!

"He's a very loving cat."

...Your cat is cute as hell!! :hi:

:hi:

This was part of the breed description of the Japanese Bobtail cats and he has taken to walking on a leash -- like a duck to water.

He generally goes on walks when my Chihuahua goes -- and she walks further when he comes along. He loves to sneak through long grass -- and smell the grass.

The JBT has many dog like traits.

He loves the final walk of the night -- and full moon and the days running up to the full moon are his favorite times to go outside -- on a leash. He is wise enough to know he is safer to go out with his life line to me. In fact the first time I put him on a lead he turned around as if to say -- alright I see that I am connected to you.

This is an amazing breed of cat -- an ancient breed, has been in Japan for at least 2,000 years. Although it wasn't recognized as a "breed" until a Service family brought one back with them -- and cat breeds in the US saw the cat and immediately set out to locate more of these cats in Japan and then standardize the breed in the US and get recognition for them at the Cat Breeders Registries. This breed has no known health problems.

My particular cat is very laid back -- and gets along with everyone including peaceable dogs. He travels well and he talks -- he has opinions on every subject worthy of his consideration.

live up to their reputations when it comes to personality? A purebred cat is often seems to be a very predictable animal. My Maine Coon Oberon is the poster child for the classic Maine Coon temperament; laid back, loving and devoted like a big dog. Puck is a classic Turkish Angora, which oddly enough is VERY similar to the Japanese Bobtail; an ancient, hardy breed that was rediscovered by US servicemen in a zoo in Turkey during the 1960s. Turkey doesn't allow exports of these cats anymore ("National Treasure"), so I'm really happy to have found my Puck before they become really hard to acquire. I use to be adamantly against purebreds, but I've since discovered that they make a good choice for animal lovers who don't have much to spend on vet bills (that "no known health problems" trait can give a person considerable peace of mind). Maybe it's an ancient breed thing, but Puck talks all the time too! I bet your JBT has won over more than a few cat haters, as my Puck has.

Hope you can post a pic sometime! ;hi:

We have another cat we found a 10 days old -- he is now 14 years old. And yes he has health problems, he has a very delicate stomach and we have to make sure he has food at all times.

It is just great to have a cat that isn't throwing up frequently.

but it might be my browser-I've had major problems with it lately. :-(

Then I tried Photobucket.com again -- this time they were again accepting new uploads.

I'm going to take photos of Huggy walking with his buddy the Chihuahua. Friends are threatening to take photos of me holding both of them -- or holding the Chihuahua and walking the cat.

And some people believe I am walking two small dogs <grin>.

and look-he matches the decor! ;-)

I'd love to see a photo of you walking both your fur kids. Sounds adorable!

Yeah, I've had seven rescue kitties in the past. In 2003 I spent over $7,000 trying to save two of them (one had a genetic disease-and he was the most beloved pet I've ever had). I lost them both. The next two I got were purebreds with health guarantees. I'm still raising a foster feral kitten, but for now another adoption is just something I can't afford.

she also cleans herself very often, so several times a week I find a nice pile of spew on my pergo floor or my bedrrom carpet. But she NEVER throws up on my bed. If she is about to get sick, she always gets off the bed. I think she does it out of respect. She is a real sweetheart. I don't mind cleaning up her mess because she is such a loving creature.

Here is my kitty, Sooty :

well actually, she's a MUT but she has all of the characteristics of a JBT, is so smart and such a joy that she must be a spontaneous manifestation!
(Photo depicts cats plotting some sort of misadventure.)
http://www.imageshack.us>
My beloved Albert was trained to the leash years ago when I lived in an apartment. My current cats are trained to stay in my yard, Yes, cats are that smart and it's not so hard to teach them.

These cats are an absolute joy! I like the markings on your JBT.

As to the markings, she was named Feenix, (odd spelling) for the bird shape on her back, and because beloved Albert... who's tail was always his torment in life... died the day she was born, her name seemed fitting at birth.

my Maine Coon Oberon is clicker trained. He does several tricks, like giving a high five, sitting up on his hind legs, coming when called, etc. Go to www.clickertraining.com for more info.

Those are two adorable kitties you've got there!

:hi:

They are the best. I didn't have a chance to read through the clicker training web site you mentioned but I have trained them to pay attention when I "click" my finger nails... they both sit pretty, (sit up and beg in dog terms), they come running to my whistle, (I never did like that "here kitty kitty kitty" crap) and they learn new things very quickly.
Feenix, (my JBT) can even jump up on door knobs, turn them and open the door.

He fetches mice, comes when called, sits up on his hind legs, and opens lever-handled doors. My daughter taught him to open doors for a science project. We have two cats on special diets, and Watson constantly "frees" them whenever they are isolated. The special dieters are on canned food, which attracts the whole herd. They congregate outside the door waiting for Watson to do his thing. We can't just close the doors anymore. We have to lock them.

I've never heard of clicker training. I'll check it out.

And they DO look like they are up to no good. no good at all.

:patriot:

And my kitties held grudges.

But your cat is beautiful.

if I attempted to try anything LIKE that. :o

I love the crossed-leg pose on that cat. :)

these days:


and I think Oberon feels the same way your kitty does about harnesses, lol! (although I can't find one that fits him correctly, poor jumbo sized dude)!

It worked ok the first time, the second time I had to get somebody to help me get her out of a tree.

There was no third time. :)

she squirmed and fought, so alas, I could not take her out. In my neighborhood, there is a lady in the apartment building across the street who does and her cat loves it. I wish I could get my Sooty out more.

Your cat is very, very cute, BTW. Lucky you, with your obediant cat.

My 8-year-old Keiko (marmalade tabby) walks on leash as well as any dog. He'll cast a dirty look at such things as parked motorcycles, and he'll slink if he's a little frightened of something, but generally he just walks eagerly and cheerfully. The first thing he does when he gets on grass is lay his face down on it, as in "Oh dear earth! You're still here!" But as of next week, Keiko will be able to freely go outside because we're no longer living on a busy street! Hooray! And yes, people are amused to see him walking so well.

Too funny-kissing the earth like that! Puck will flatten herself to the ground if a dog walks by, poor thing. She's only 1 1/2 years old, so I hope she'll be an even cooler kitty by the time she's Keiko's age. :hi:

the Tabby Tote:

I took one of them out on a leash once, and wound up with a household flea infestation.

No more outdoor excursions.

but I would like to. although in my neighborhood, there are so many ill kept cats I worry about ear mites and fleas.

Puck looks great though, especially that big fluffy tail!

They all tend to startle easily, and we didn't want a cat running into the street. They got used to it quickly, and now cry and beg at the door if we jingle a harness.

and have they figured out how NOT to get tangled up when they are back there?

We stay out there with them, and frequently untangle. We use lawn anchors sold to keep dogs tied in place, and very long nylon small dog leads.

It's more like him trying to figure out where the smell is coming from. And if I can't get him to walk I'm stuck lugging around a 15lb cat.

havent heard from Abbie and Evita lately

We have two British Shorthairs we adopted as adults from a breeder just over a year ago, and had purchased little custom collars for them to wear. Lucky had a shamrock, and Lucy had one with hearts around it ("I Love Lucy"), and after securing it around Lucy's neck, she immediately got on her hind legs and started dancing around swinging at her neck with her paw, so she was obviously completely uncomfortable about it! Lucky tends to freak out rather easily so we didn't even attempt to work with her. The sad thing is that Lucky really needs the exercise...if she could talk, her pet phrase would be "Get in my belly!" I do believe that getting some time outside, and being exposed to some fresh air every so often is beneficial for exclusively indoors cats like ours, so when we built our new place last year, we included a screened-in porch so they can "go outside" while still being protected from all potential hazards. They love to lounge out there for hours and are fascinated watching the birds and squirrels. BTW, your cats are very cute!

:hi:

I have a cat that's similar to your two; my "Jabbacat" Miro:


And I wish I had a screened in porch-you have some lucky kitties there!

I haven't really tried to walk Oberon, my Maine Coon. I just can't find a dog harness that fits him (his neck is too large). I have special ordered a fully adjustable one from Germany, but it has yet to arrive.

Here are some of his Grandparents:

...he has that classic round full face that's typical of the British Shorthairs. Do you know if he has some "Brit" in his background? I've read that lots of Brits tend to have odd voices - Lucy meows and whines like most "normal" cats, but Lucky seems incapable of those traditional sounds. She purrs like the world's tiniest outboard motor when she's content, and makes a kind of scratchy chirp when she gets excited, like when fresh tuna is being scooped into her bowl! The picture of Miro on his back was hilarious to me, as Lucky assumes that position all of the time, usually in an attempt for some cuddling and attention. I've had a chance to see some Maine Coons at a couple of shows, and they truly are massive, but seem very sweet-natured as well.

I'll have to check out some of the info you mentioned regarding what you feed your kitties in some of the earlier posts...we've tried a number of varieties looking for the "perfect" food.

Thanks again for the welcome, from a long-time lurker at DU! :)

just about anything. He does have that round British Shorthair look (especially his face) so who knows? He "moos" more than meows, lol!

Check out the pet food threads in the Pets Group and Economic activism and Progressive living group in DU groups-lots of info there on healthy, holistic human grade pet foods there

Love to see some pics of your kitties sometime!.

:hi:

really jumped out at me, but the American Shorthairs have a similar shape, just not quite as full. Thanks for the direction to the DU Groups - I've barely scratched the surface as far as that part of the site, so I'll definitely have to check that out. We've got plenty of pictures of L&L on some CD-ROMs, so hopefully it shouldn't be too hard for me to figure out how to post them... :)

She won't move with the harness on. I think it's a problem of gravity or something, you know how those 3 ounces can stack up. Nice pictures of your cats.

they would fall to the floor and act paralyzed. We live on the third floor of an apartment building, so I never could leave them on the back porch unattended. Recently we put up some latticework and I planted some wheatgrass for them. That way, they can't take a tumble. They love to go out and laze on the porch now.

my late kitty Peewee. I think they believe that something has a hold on them-like a giant hand-when that harness first goes on, lol!

I never would have believed a cat would walk on a leash ....

But then my Dad had a retrieving cat, who would bring back plastic golfballs when he hit them in the yard and put them at his feet.
As far as I know cats do not generally do that.

certain cat breeds are natural retrievers. The Forest cats, Turkish Vans, some of the oriental breeds-kinda like dogs; some breeds just do it without any training. :shrug:

They're both rescues, and neither can defend him/herself outdoors (one was declawed by previous owner, one is an amputee). They are all too comfortable inside now.

But your pics are terrific. That *tail*!!! :thumbsup:

None of mine would put up with that. They are all totally petrified of the outside world.