Cats on leashes

I will be moving into my very own apartment at the end of the summer. I have long been contemplating adopting a pet, since I don´t enjoy living alone. I just don´t have the time to have a dog and give him regular walks (I don´t have a yard), so a cat seems more practical. Not a bad choice, either, since I am more of a cat person. Though I prefer it if cats can go outside, if I got one, I´d have to keep him/her inside. My apartment is not on the ground floor, and I am in the middle of town with traffic. So, leaving one cat inside all day is horrible, so my conclusion is to get two kitties from the animal shelter.

It has been suggested to me that it is possible to take cats outside on leashes. Cats aren´t really heelers, but apparently if you get them used to a harness when they are little, they will walk outside with you and associate the leash with getting out.

My question is: is it kinder to the cat to NEVER let it outside, and let him/her have free roaming rights, but inside only? Or is it a positive thing to take the kitty outside, but on a leash? Or can anyone think of a way I could have my kitty go outside by herself while I am gone from a first-floor apartment with no catflap and a children´s sandpit right outside? I´m worried she´d use that as a toilet...

Never seen a cat ona lead but why not i suppose?

Although they are a bit more free roaming than dogs but saying that my gf's cat in Grobenzell got a lot taller and thinner and that's a very quiet area.

Ruthie, cats are hunters by nature, I don't think they would like to be on a leash. Jeez, what would the neighbors think . You will be the talk of the neighborhood. Not that I think you would care.

Now I want a leash cat!

You know me, LR, I´d love the attention. Though I don´t know how well my tender ego would take all the accusations of animal cruelty I´d get. Hmm, something to think about... Just would be nice to see my kitty frolicking in the grass and chasing butterflies or eating grass or whatever they like to do out there .. I´d get one of those long, retractable leashes. But I have also thought about what happens if a dog comes after her and she goes up a tree (which I would want her to do) - - getting her back down - - hmm, tugging on the leash?

An air rifle?

Used to have a Manx and a Norwegian Forest cat both loved to go out on a leash


(not mine but looks prety much the same)

YAY! Glad to hear about a positive experience. How soon did you start him on the leash? Was it a long one? Did he like to go out in winter, too? Details, man, details !

The girl's obsessed!!

Two cats is definately a good idea. We took two instead of the one that we planned, and were very happy we took the decision. About goin out on a leash, should be possible and cats get used to it, but start ASAP! I started with mine a bit too late (~6 months old iirc) and they never got the hang of it.

The she-cat wouldn't tolerate the harness at all, the he-cat was OK with the harness but both of them got freaked out every time I tried to take them to the back yard of our apartment building (empty, abandoned, no dog or other cat in sight). I tried to take him outside without a leash as well, but he was shivering in my hands and ran back home at the slightest rustle.

The upside of this is that they seem pretty happy without going out to nature, so less of a hassle for moi and the lady of the house. Plus, I can leave the door of the apartment open, they will go out on an "adventure" (i.e. sitting on the mattress in front of the neighbor's door), and run back at the sound of the elevator moving, someone opening the door, or the can-opener (moi again) performing his evening duties.

Goes to show, cats are individuals. Some cats like this, some like that, some like going out, some would rather stay in. Preferably where there's sun. Or under the blanket on the couch.

P.S. consider getting them a cat-tree (Kratzbaum), they're fantastic and will help keep your sofa in a presentable state.

Would a cat be happy just to play on the balcony if you had one or are they all daft enough to jump off ?

She still perches on the balcony ledge - but we have cat netting up now. Looks like shit, but came in handy for weaving in fake plants to disguise the big satelite dish

my best friend from back home always had their cat on a leash in the front yard, and they would walk it down the street on the leash too. No problems.
forget about what people will think, its your cat and your life.

Probably good camouflage for when people walk out onto the balcony just in under crackers too eh DD?

We have a couple of Skoggkatts(Norwegian Forest cats) in the UK too. Very very very pretty cats

As for the leash thing. We got leashes for our two kittens, the plan was to take them out to Olympiapark and get them used to it from a young age. But we never got round to it. We tried the leash on once or twice which was quite funny, they really did not like it.

Our vet advised us against it though, which kinda put the dampers on it.

Yep, forget about what people think, but if you have a bloody cat on leash, be prepared for some people to point their fingers at you, and laugh their fucking arses off. I mean come on, who can blame them? A cat on a bloody leash?
If you are going to walk about the place with a cat on a leash, the please, please, ensure that you do so whilst perched atop an ostrich, with your hair being gently tressed by a passing flock of friendly seagulls, and whilst a veritable league of keen, energetic chipmunks neatly trim your toenails into rose petal shapes.

Get real. Cats should either wander about doing their own shit, or be made into delicous deep fried snacks by asian street vendors. Novelty cat meat! w00t lol.

They bring dead mice and moles home insisting that you accept their contribution to the family dinner, they pick up fleas and come home with ticks as big as thumbtacks attached to their foreheads. My cats were inside only for 18 years (the old cat) and four years (the other two) and were perfectly happy. They are now outside cats as well and enjoying themselves but they did not miss outside while they could take a walk on the banister on the second floor.
Try borrowing a leash for a while and seeing how the cats behave. But don't expect them to heel, they are hunters and passive defenders, up the next tree before you can say Messer. We baby-sat a cat for one summer, he frigging hated the leash and rolled and hissed and clawed trying to get it off.

Rubbish animals. No pack mentality, how can you bloody well train the things? If it was a dog, a simple moist finger in the anus would have totally sorted everything out, for everybody.

I'd walk a hoover down the street before I'd be seen out with a cat on a leash, frankly. But hey, that's just me.

In England people would piss themselves laughing, but here I suspect you're right - you'll mainly be treated to numerous angry diatribes on animal cruelty. Could be an interesting cultural experiment, in fact. Let me know if you decide to do it... I want to watch!

I´ll be sure to make videos.

But that´s the other thing -- I´ve heard inside cats are physically healthier -- no accidents with cars or other animals, and less exposure to illness. It´s just a question of their mental health. Maybe I´m too concerned about the responsibility. I´d be cuddling and playing with them all the time, and they´d have each other during the work day, so maybe inside is the way to go. With a netted balcony. My older sister lost her cat several times off the balcony, and the last time she didn´t come back. One of my younger sisters had a feral cat who, once let outside, of course never came back. Then they got two cats for indoors (San Diego, not countryside), and you can leave the door open and they just go to the invisible barrier and sit there looking with big eyes. Most of the time. Noite, the one who is physically handicapped and blind in one eye (and sooo cute and loving) likes to sneak outside, but she comes back when you tell her to. Should have seen my sister when Noite did that -- she was seriously traumatized by the first one never coming back (can I handle my cat being sick or dying? Am I obsessing?)

I just was raised to believe that cats should go outside (my mom has a cat door and food and water dispensers and leaves her roaming cats alone for a week or two at a time sometimes, and they seem to be fine -- except for Billy who seems to have gotten in a fight with a raccoon and was never the same again...). Oh, and Cedric who drank some spilled anti-freeze from the gutter. Oh, and Charly who got eaten by the Pitbull kept on a short leash in the front yard of the drug-dealers next door. Hmmmm, maybe outside IS bad.

Alright, keep the input coming, the mind is slowly digesting...

@ don riina -- if I could meander around town like that, I´d do it in a heartbeat

Less exposure to illness? C'mon, do me a favour. Animals are animals man. Even with real human babies, with fingernails and stuff, you wanna expose them to illness to make them strong warriors.

vision of kitty in chainmail, plate armor, helm, shield and spear flashes before my eyes

but then you can´t pet them!

We baby-sat a dog, too. Sweetest natured boxer-German Shephard mix you've ever seen, and bigger than a yearling calf. Went sliding on the frozen lake and had a ball. Now lives on the outskirts of town with a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge meadow and forest to roam through.

Cat on a leash? NOOOOOOOO!

Cats are wonderful creatures. They are independent (leash??), they like to roam (keep confined to a flat??), they like to socialize when they feel like it (keep single cat without access to other cats??)

In a nutshell: If your idea of fun is to keep another creature from all that's natural and enjoyable to them - just get a squirrel, chop off its tail, chain it to the radiator and feed it donuts. Watch it degenerate and enjoy.

BTW, squirrels are easy to catch, PM me for details. And they are quite evil since they rob birds' nests and stuff. But please do not create an unhappy home for a cat.

Cat on a leash

Wondered how long it would take!

Okay, that´s an honest opinion. As you can tell, I am carefully weighing what I should do. As I mentioned, I would not keep a cat alone inside -- I would get two -- and I would get them from the pound. Surely I am giving them a better life than if no one adopts them?

But maybe you´re right...still have about five months to decide...or rather, that´s the earliest I could get the cats.

honest and altruistic: I actually don't like cats

If you had a kitten it would be easy to train it to accept a leash. A mature cat is going to be hard work. We had a thread recently on declawing cats. I told about a cat I had who got declawed by his previous owner. I got him when he was about 12 years old and it took a few years for him to get rid of his fear of humans. When he finally learned to trust me, I took him on the leash for walks in the neighbourhood. After he got rid of his fear, he was suddenly very adventurous. He accepted the leash immediately, but I had to be the patient one. When he decided to sit around and just watch the cars, I had to wait with him. Remember that, they don't go when you go "here kitty, come come!". This was in Berlin-Kreuzberg where I used to live. Anyway, it only got dodgy when the local Turkish gangs came around the corner with their pitbulls and I was walking my declawed, 12 year old cat.

Are you going to be living in an apartment in the city long term?

Well, I just bought the apartment, so it seems fairly permanent.

Of course, when I get married and have kids, I want a house in the country -- but that is probably DECADES away.

Did anyone see Dittsche yesterday? The big cats (like tigers), then there are the medium ones (housecats) and then there are the little ones "Kätzchen" (pussywillow, I think) -- Dittsche says they get scared when the branches are cut and hide inside the branches. So he rescued them, plucked them, and put them into a bowl of milk so they can grow into real cats. This is why later, if a house burns, cats run into trees, to the ends of branches, because they feel safe there.

I have to say, I always thought the show was stupid, but if you listen to what they are saying, it´s quite hilarious (like keeping Knut cute looking by making his surroundings larger as he grows so he looks small in the pictures, or convincing him to stay small by putting yummy food low down...)

http://www.rathergood.com/gaybar/

A laugh but moderately unsafe for work.

If I was you, I'd get 2 cats and raise them to be indoor cats only, if they never go outside for them it is going to be the natural thing and if there's two of them they will keep each other company therefore they'd be entertained even if they are alone most of the day.
I have 2 indoor cats, brother and sister and they are happy and never bored as they are always playing/chasing each other and have a tall climbing tree and plenty of toys.

like others have said, i think cats are perfectly happy being "indoors only." i personally have had many wonderful "house" kitties!

having said that, i have seen leash-trained cats...but you have to do it early...when i moved into a large city a few years ago i bought a leash for my 9 year old cat and tried to acclimate him to it...NO CHANCE! but maybe if you start very early you'll be more successful!

at any rate, cats are the best, so get two!

OK, I have three cats, all indoors. One cat, my oldest, loves his leash (harness with retractable lead). He has always loved it since the first time I tried it in him when he was about 6 mos. old. The other two won't let it get near them. I have walked him in the small, quiet park that was across form my apartment, our front lawn and now our apartment's large garden. He loves it and purrs and purrs. I have nopticed he likes to go to the end of the lead an sit or lay down facing away from me (I think he likes to pretend he is all alone in the wild). And...if I touch his leash in the drawer hae goes crazy and gets all excited (like a dog!). I just take him out in the summer. Last year, for the first time he picked up a tick (he is almost 10). Also, I would never leave a cat unattended outside on a lead (there was a time where hawks were picking up and carrying off small animals where we lived in the states). I must say, he is very skittish when it comes to loud noises like motorcycles, loud exhausts, loud passers-by, bicycles (ok, I admit, it's a pretty long list) and I have always been afraid that he might slip out of his harness and dissapear so I always try to keep the enviornment as controlled as possible.
Sorry that was so long, but I am all for trying to get a cat on a leash and enjoy the outdoors.

We have two cats. One likes to go for a walk with me - but without the leash - she just walks to heel, but the funny bit is when we move outside her known area - 'cos then she gets more excited/scared! There is no question she seems me as the protective boss cat, and therefore will follow me wherever I take her.

Awww, cats are wonderful and not thick or cold as some people like to think...

In my experience, there is a good term for describing a cat on a leash.

"Boat anchor".

Some cats can be happy just staying indoors. (Our cat literally freaks out when she's outdoors and is very happy to stay in the apartment. Whenever we have taken her to our garden allotment, she just stays in the kitty carrier and won't budge.) Others practically *have* to go outdoors or they go crazy. It partly depends on the breed (e.g. Persians and Birmas tend to like to stay indoors), party on how they are raised (if they were outdoors a lot as kittens, then obviously they like to stay outdoors).

Cheers,

Fairfax71

Here is Nunzio enjoying a fine summer day in the garden.



I recall two cats my Ma used to have. When she wanted them to stay put she would put their leashes on them - they always thought that they were nailed to the floor, they would not budge.

Okay, so I will just see what my kitties are like when I get them, and try the leash out just to see if they like it.

Thanks for all the great advice and anecdotes, and the pics! I definitely will get two cats...from the pound.

We put our two on leads in the garden because of a main road down the end. One of 'em has struggled to figure out how it all work though...

@Boba - that's because they come from the same farm as my kitty (Poopy - dumb as a box of rocks), DDBug's kitties (the one that jumped out of the window) and Kat's cats.
They are not the sharpest tools in the shed - but they are extremely loveable.

I saw a woman with her cat on a leash in the customs line at the Munich airport once and it was hilarious. You should do it if only for the comedic potential for your fellow man.

I think a cat doesn’t need a leash as I read that they are very intelligent animals and they can easily be trained to bark like a dog.
Just pour gasoline over them stand back and throw on a lighted match –
they go WOOF.
Sorry Ruthie not your cat someone else’s.
The problem with putting a leash on a cat is that they may hate it and some will go berserk. My wife did this once to her cat while in the garden– for some reason can’t remember why – and the cat went nuts, run off pulling the leash from my wife’s hand – she had to chase it for miles. Maybe if they start at a very young age like mentioned before.

"Cats are a fairly right-wing group politically. They are lovers of the status quo. They don't like anything that might represent change. They hate marriages, divorces, moving days, graduations, bar mitzvahs, bill collectors, rug shampooners, painters, plumbers, electricians, television repairmen, out-call masseuses, Jehovah's Witnesses, and just about everything else, most of which I agree with them about."

Kinky Friedman

Awww, this thread is making me want a cat. Or two... or three...

I think I once read somewhere that cats have rather small lungs compared to their body size. That means that while they can move very fast over short distances, they don't have the stamina to keep up a steady trot over a longer period. So maybe not a good idea to exercise your kitty by tying the leash to your bike and pedalling off. Unless you can get inline skates for cats...?

Well if you can get ice skates for cats, I assume you can get rollerblades too.

just put them on a skateboard...but toodling down the street stopping to smell the flowers (or mouse cadavers) is just about my speed, so I think I'll be fine being taken for a walk by my cat(s)

Those snobs SOBs!

Awww but they are SO adorable!