March 2, 2021
How To Really Walk Your Cat

Cats like going outside, and it can be heartbreaking to find your feline looking longingly out the windows at the sun and breeze. If well educated, your cat should be walked on a harness, enabling you and your furry partner to go on countless adventures. However, if you've ever attempted to walk your cat on a leash, you'll realize that the teaching isn't always simple, and the nice outing might end up looking like this.

Have you ever noticed a cat on a harness being walked? It’s among the most baffling yet breathtaking things you’ll ever encounter.

Walking a cat on a leash turned out to be anything other than a gimmick. Like people, several felines love spending time outdoors, listening to the birds' chirps, and smelling freshly cut grass. Furthermore, the practice will help reinforce a cat’s relationship with her owner by providing them with something to do together.

So, the cat’s out of the hat, folks: Leashes are no longer exclusively for pets. What you need to remember is as follows:

Although not all cats would like to be walked on a leash, any cat should be given the chance.

Walking a cat will make your pet enjoy a more enjoyable existence. Most cats like going outdoors to scent, view, and roll about in the sand, grass, and gravel. They like scraping the bark on real trees. They will do those stuff while walking.

A cat can use her intellect in new, more careful ways while out for a stroll rather than prowling an apartment. The cat is pondering a little more. It’s pondering how to make sense of its body and how stuff smells. The cats tend to be more responsive and active. The idea that you’ll both be working out is an extra advantage.

A shy cat will become a cool cat by walking.

Many cats lack trust, but once harnessed conditioned, they acquire it. Some cats feel more at home with their everyday lives when granted the ability to discover their environment.

Not all cats would obey the leash orders.

That’s good. Whether a cat expresses no urge to go outside, her choice should be respected.

Getting a good harness is essential

One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a cat owner is walking your cat on a dog harness. Although you may think it is safe, it is really not. The problem is, your cat is an escape artist. (And you might not know it yet.) Truth be told, cats have very different needs in a harness than dogs, and their anatomy and torso shapes are very different.

After years of searching for the purrfect cat harness, I gave up and got some product designers to help me design my own harness, just for cats. After months of research into what makes a great cat harness, it boiled down to three factors:

  1. Comfort
  2. “Escape-proof-ness”
  3. Lightness
Flashing images of the Whisker Harness in sapphire blue one two different cats.
Introducing Whisker Harness

The Whisker Harness has been expertly designed and engineered to distribute pressure to a wider surface area on your cat’s torso to optimize the comfort level for your cat. After testing our harness on more than 90 different cat sizes, it is 100% escape-proof — even for the sneakiest cats. (I see you over the little Bengal!) The ultra-light design makes the Whisker Harness the most comfortable cat harness on the market.

Picking the perfect size Whisker Harness for your cat

You can get your Whisker Harness here.

Cats can first be conditioned indoors.

It’s important to begin practicing indoors for safety purposes. I suggest getting a leash and holding it inside the house for your cat to interact with and scent so she doesn’t get scared of it. Next, lock your cat in the harness to check that it is well adjusted and relaxed. Then let kitty walkabout with the leash on. Enable her to dangle the leash and get used to holding something around her neck.

I advise tempting the cat with rewards in the process; for example, when changing the leash, give her a spoonful of wet food to keep her occupied.

Before moving outside, cats should be secure in their collar.

When you’re about to head outside, open the door and let your cat sniff around before choosing where to go (while you are holding on to the leash). The first outdoor room should preferably be protected by a barrier and free of stimuli. If you live in a community, try placing your cat in a crate and going somewhere safer where you won’t be bothered by excessive sounds and crowds.

Add exercise to your lengthy list of activities you want to do with your cat until she or she is at peace on the lead.

Making sure your cat doesn’t grow a pattern of fleeing.
Some cats can wait by the door and try to run out until it is opened once they get a taste of being outdoors. Make it really plain to your cat that she should only go outside while she is wearing the leash.

Explore various options that are exciting.

If your cat isn’t interested in walking on a leash because you want her to enjoy a different setting, I always suggest a catio, which is an enclosed outdoor area where your cat can play easily. Doesn’t it sound liberating? You might build a catio on your terrace or in your yard and share the room. This will also serve to improve the link. You might also get a cat fence, a Whisker Bag, or a cat stroller as alternatives for encouraging a nervous cat to comfortably smell and hear the environment.

So, what are your thoughts? Would you encourage your cat to join the pack of dogs?

Jessica Hilse

Cat lover | Travel Guru | Frequent-flyer
Read more
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