Many experts cannot agree on whether walking on a leash is desirable for cats as well as whether it should be introduced as a daily activity, or how another group of experts thinks it is unnecessary animal torture and a completely unnecessary act.
In Serbia, it is really rare to see a cat on a leash, while abroad, especially in the United States, it is quite common. In the USA, it is not at all unusual to see a cat walking calmly next to its owner on a leash in a park. If you are a cat owner, you must have once wondered if you should walk your pet this way. There are numerous videos on social networks where owners walk their cats, but the main question here is whether it is fashion, copying trends or something completely different.
As Dunja Kovač, a doctor of veterinary medicine and an expert in animal behavior, stated: “There are two currents, one of which claims that it is desirable and that walking should be introduced as a daily activity for domestic cats, and the other believes that it is animal torture. , that it is not natural for them and that we stress them. The official position of the profession is somewhere in between. The recommendations are such that, if we decide on this type of activity with a cat, there are still a lot of things we have to do beforehand – to prepare the cat and gradually get it used to this walk. Nothing sudden or by force, because her well-being must be taken into account. “
Dr. Kovač also pointed out that the most important thing is not to force the cat and that the animal always shows us what we can do with it and what it likes and what not with the help of body language. According to previous research, cats do not need a walk and can live perfectly in four walls, without endangering their well-being. What is also very important to her is that if you decide to take your cat outside, you should never let her out unattended. Letting a cat out on the street for a “walk” is considered irresponsible ownership because in that way there is a risk that the cat will be hit by a car, that it will be injured by a dog and the like.
Cats are much harder to teach on a leash than a dog, mostly because of the stubbornness that cats have. If the cat is not in the mood to walk, she will simply lie down and there will be no chance to give up and continue walking as a dog would. Dogs, however, are pets that are more inclined to please humans, while cats like to be pampered. If you want to teach your cat to walk on a leash, you need a huge amount of will, consistency and patience, and nerves of steel, as Dr. Kovac stated. She also cited experience from her practice which showed that the cats of the owners who walked them on a leash were happy and enjoyed it, as well as that they were much calmer during their stay in the apartment if they had regular walks on a leash.
The British Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has conducted a study according to which cats on a leash are under stress because they have no control over their movement. In this way, they are limited in their careful exploration of the environment because it is their owner who decides on their movements. Svetlana Lalović from the felinological society Le Petit, our only international felinological judge, agrees with this position.
She stated the following: “Walking a cat on a leash seems to have become a trend, especially since fun videos from” YouTube “and social networks have entered our everyday lives. People saw a few minutes of a cat walking on a leash, completely out of context, and wished their cat was like that YouTube star. Cats are not dogs. Dogs need, in addition to tenderness and love, extreme discipline and a firm hand. A dog without a pack leader is confused and frustrated, while a cat is frustrated! Insisting on a leash is disrespecting the cat’s natural being. “
Judge Svetlana Lalović also pointed out that in her practice so far, most owners have misinterpreted the body language of their pets during walks. Some of them interpreted disbelief and insecurity as curiosity, and one cat owner misinterpreted biting furniture and hiding in the corners of her tomcat as boredom, and the tomcat’s desire to go outside, when in fact the behavior of her pet showed the opposite. He showed destructive behavior because he was afraid of imposed walks and tried to hide in the corners to stay indoors safe. Judge Lalović advised this cat owner to stop walking her tomcat and to place a safe place for him on a high place in the apartment, from where he will be able to regain security as well as control over his territory or apartment. She also recommended a lot of joint play and attention to the cat. According to the judge, as soon as they stopped going for walks on a leash and dedicated themselves to their cat, he stopped with destructive behavior, that is, hiding in the corners and destroying things in the apartment.
According to Judge Lalović, there are mostly young cats who understand walking on a leash as a game and enjoy it. Although she believes that these are exceptions to the rule, just as there are cats that love water, while most of the cats can’t stand a drop of water on their fur. According to her, the most important thing is that the cat is fulfilled and satisfied and that she spends her waking moments with the family in play and socializing, because cats are complex beings who are very attached to their home and family.
Milica Ranković from the Association for the Protection of Animals and the Development of Civic Consciousness „Feniks“ also thinks that it is better to think about giving the cat more daily play as well as mental stimulation instead of walking the cat on a leash. Also, according to her, it is very important to allow the cat to move through the apartment in a way that is typical of cats “to climb, jump, hide in hiding places, walk around the apartment and” hunt “, crawl and drag…” She supports the view that cats should not walk on a leash and in her opinion the best proof that cats do not like walking on a leash and that it scares them and causes them stress is that they would run away if they were released from the leash.
You have read the opinions for and against walking a cat on a leash, but if you really want to teach your pet to walk on a leash, the American Veterinary Association and the Behavior Association have given official recommendations with instructions on how best to achieve it. What is dr Dunja Kovač emphasized that the most important thing is getting used to the necklace as well as the belt around the body of the cat.
The Association’s instructions are as follows:
- The cat should carry it in the apartment for a few minutes or hours, and then take it off. In order to divert the cat’s thoughts from what is on her body, it is always good to play with her during that time, swing her with toys or then give her a meal – this is how we create a positive association with the equipment.
- The next stage is to put the cat on a leash in the apartment – to put the flexi leash briefly so that we have more control and for the cat to feel that someone else has control over its movement, all with the goal of desensitizing it – not to resist pulling the leash. . not to get hysterical and start fighting. This is achieved again by giving her toys while she is on a short leash – to chase and hunt them, but this time to make her feel that she has limited movements, that you still pull her and teach her to tolerate it.
- The next thing you can do is let the cat spend time on the terrace, under your supervision and on a leash. To sniff the terrace, to climb… and for you to control it and pull it on a leash. These are all necessary exercises to avoid any stress when going out, and it is very important to do all this gradually.
- Then comes out of the apartment (or house). You should know that different smells are present there now, and that is a great challenge and excitement for a cat. It can happen that when you first leave the apartment, the walk is only at the entrance and then you return to the apartment.
- The most important thing to remember is that, just like when walking with a dog, you never go with empty pockets with a cat. A cat is rewarded in the same way as a dog during a walk. Bring something tastier – pieces of liver, for example, and give her a reward every few steps.
- Keep the first walk short, there is no need to run a marathon right away. Around the building a few minutes and back.
- Observe your cat, her reactions, body language, tail, ears, eyes (pupils). All this clearly tells us whether we are doing the right thing or we have gone too far and it is time to return home.
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