Some Tips for Successful Cat Leash Training

Often it has been seen that whenever a cat owner opens the door, the cat runs out of the home. Probably the cat is just curious to have a look at the outside world. If that is your problem, then you should probably consider cat leash training. Cats are considered to be very stubborn and thus the question is quite obvious, can you leash train a cat? The answer is yes, cats can be trained on leashes. The trick is doing it the right way. Most cats (not all) can be leash trained with patience.

Before deciding whether you want your cat to be leash trained, you need to determine whether it’s even necessary. Does your cat love the outdoors or is it a cat who likes to stay indoors all the time? If all their needs are satisfied within the house, they will seldom leave the house. Considering their feline nature, they have certain hunting instincts in them. These instincts can be satisfied by placing a protected birdfeed or birdbath within view (not reach) of the cat. Also try to place some green grass within their reach, so whenever they need to eat it, it should be freely available to them. If all this doesn’t seem to satisfy your cat, however, leash training might be your best option.

When it comes to cat leash training, it’s helpful if your cat is already accustomed to wearing a collar. That way you’ll avoid the extra steps involved in collar training and you won’t need to start from scratch. If your cat does not have a collar, then probably you are going to have a tougher time to complete cat leash training, but it’s still not impossible.

The first step is to acquaint your cat with the leash that you will be using. The best way to do so is to place the leash at a place where a cat spends most of its time. The bed or feeding bowl is a good place. Put on the leash or harness just before the cat is ready to take its meal. Make sure that the leash or harness leaves a space of two fingers when placed and does not make the cat uncomfortable. If the cat is comfortable with the leash consider yourself lucky as cats generally do not like foreign objects placed on them.

Kitty training, especially training your cat to walk on a leash, is a lengthy process. During the training period, you need to have lot of patience. Keep an eye on the reactions of the cat all the while. If you try to force your will on the cat, you are bound to lose, so do it with patience. You can also entice your cat to cooperate by giving him treats.

Next, try to walk your cat around the house. Once she gets accustomed to walking with the leash on, try to take her outdoors. Put the leash on for longer times now and walk with it even while it is walking casually. If the cat at this moment is comfortable, then consider your cat trained to walk on a leash. Next time you are going outside, just leash your cat and take it outside with you.

Cats are very independent animals and like to stay that way. It is often said that humans do not make cats their pets; it is the other way round. Cats use humans so that they can get food and shelter. For this they have adapted themselves in such a way that we feel affectionate towards them and take them as pets. You need to use these attributes in order to coax your cat to walk on a leash.

Leash training is just one unusual form of cat training. Visit Cat Toilet Training to find out why and how you can easily teach your cat to give up its litter box and use the toilet instead!