Despite what some people say, it is possible for you to train a cat to walk on a leash. Cats are extremely trainable and can be taught to wear a harness and walk on a leash. Walking on a leash is a great way for your cat to get outside for exercise and adventure.
Just think about how your cat reacts when you shake the bag of your cats favorite treats. If it’s anything like my cat, it’ll come running from a mile away when it hears the sound. Although there may be the odd exception to the rule, most cats can be trained to react to a signal, gesture or sound.
Clicker Training Your Cat
Many cat lovers use clicker training. Cats will react to a spoken word. If you used the word ‘dinner’ every time you filled their food dish, they would over time come to know what ‘dinner’ meant to them. You can train your cat to come, sit, stand up, hold a paw up, or roll over. Whenever your cat does the action you request, you reward them with their favorite treat.
Train a Cat to Walk on a Leash
You can also train a cat to walk on a leash. The key to training your cat is plenty of rewards and treats. It’s important to introduce leash training slowly. First of all, purchase a suitable harness and leash and get your cat used to them. Let them see the harness and leash and sniff them. After some time you’ll want to loosely place the harness on your cat and let them get used to wearing it. You can then attach the leash. This entire process may take a couple of weeks or longer. It’s important not to rush your cat and remember to use plenty of rewards and treats to reinforce positive behavior. If you’re serious about training your cat to walk on a leash, check out our in depth guide about how to train your cat to walk on a leash.
Some cats take to training faster than others. Don’t be discouraged if your cat takes a long time to respond to training. It’s generally easier to train a kitten than an older cat, although older cats still respond well to training. It’s never too late to try training your cat and every cat is different. If you’re cat is small or you’re training a kitten, be sure to select an appropriate sized leash. Pet stores like Animates sell harnesses that will fit a kitten. Using the correct size harness is important to train a cat to walk on a leash.
Tips to Train a Cat to Walk on a Leash.
Reward good behavior with treats
Cats love treats. That makes treats a great way to reward positive behavior and reinforce behavior you wish to encourage. Rewarding behavior is the best way to train your cat so ensure you have a good supply of your cats favorite treats on hand. Training before meals is a great time, a hungry cat will do almost anything for more of its favorite treats.
Don’t punish bad behavior
Punishing bad behavior is not helpful, it doesn’t work and can lead to stress and anxiety for your cat. If you see your cat engaging in unwanted behavior, such as scratching your favorite furniture, the best option is to distract them. A short sharp noise will distract and stop them. Use the same noise every time. Take your cat to an item that it is allowed to scratch, buying a purpose built scratching post is a great idea that your cat will love.
Keep the training sessions brief
Cats don’t always have the longest of attentions spans, and they prefer to do things how and when it suits them. Don’t let this discourage you though. A couple of shorter training sessions is better than trying to persevere with one long session. Pick a time when your cat is in the mood and interested in the training, and continue for as long as their interest lasts.
Have a focus for the training session
It’s best to focus on one thing at a time. You don’t want to confuse your cat, so go into your training session knowing what it is you are focusing on. It could be anything from using the litter box or scratching post, to teaching your cat to sit, roll over, or other new tricks. Let your cat become a master of this one objective before moving on to the next.
Be consistent
Make sure you use the same signals and cues every time, and ensure that they are varied enough for each command that your cat can recognize the difference.
Eliminate distractions
Training will be most effective when there are no distractions. Eliminate background noise such as TV and radio and train in a quiet place free of distractions.
Given time, most cats can be trained to walk on a leash. Click here for more about how to leash train a cat. You might like to try teaching your cat a few basic tricks. Check out what I discovered about training cats here.