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February 17th, 2010 by KittyKitty

Whether your cat likes to spend its times indoors or outdoors, there might come a time when you need to take your cat outdoors and this is where you need to train your cat to walk on a leash. You might have seen dogs taken out on a leash, you even might have seen ponies on leash, but have you ever seen a cat on a leash? Probably not, but that doesn’t mean it’s not possible. Here are some practical tips for leash training your cat.

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.

Start training your cat for a leash by attaching a leash to your cat’s collar. Do not tighten the leash and keep it slackened, so that the cat gets used to it. Also, do not walk or drag the cat the first time you put the leash on your cat. Let her get used to it. This is the secret of successful cat leash training. Try this method for a few minutes on the first day.

If the cat shows a little bit of uneasiness, distract him by offering his favorite toy or food. Repeat this for several days till the cat gets accustomed to the leash. Once it is comfortable, just keep the leash on for few minutes everyday.

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!