Have a stubborn cat who won't go on walks with you?

I have one cat that would not go for this, but another one that maybe would! That's exactly how we got her. We were out for a walk and she walked with us for several blocks! I had no idea what to do because I could tell she was hungry and had been neglected so I let her come into my garage and then spent the next several weeks trying everything to locate the owners, but nothing. I think she may have been abandoned. We quickly learned She had a bladder infection natures miracle is a LIFESAVER. She is the most affectionate cat I have ever had. We love her to death and despite spending over a grand to get her health up to par, we would do it again she is our fat and happy and now healthy baby. She thinks she's a dog, comes when called, curls up under covers, pets you back, she awesome. I bet she would take to going for walks.

That sounds just like our old cat. Last time I saw her, she was in our front yard but then never came home. Anyhow, we had her on a restricted diet as part of her treatment for a bladder infection. Never did figure out what happened to her. Who knows?

I'm getting a cat stroller in two weeks and they're coming along with me, finally!





I've tried to leash train them, but they will lay sideways on the floor and make you feel like you're choking them to death. The stroller I'm ordering is about $45 but they go as expensive as (gulp) $200. Just thought I would throw out that suggestion for those of you with indoor cats (or doggies who you want to keep safe).

I don't even care about the looks I'm going to get ^_^

The fact you wish to do this to a cat, I'd say you're not fit to have one. Cats are independent, and do not need leash training, they are either indoor cats, or outdoor cats. You have to decide, and the cat has to live with it, words fail me.

um.....

why can't you leave the cats at home and go for a walk without them?

just asking.

Dog owners get to enjoy taking their dogs for walks. Cat owners often lament their lack of being able to do this. Seeing how my cats stare out the window, yearning for an adventure, I figure this will kill two birds with one stone. I get my exercise, and the cats get to see the outdoors.

Seriously, you ought to see the way they try to run outside as soon as the door is opened. Only regret is not getting one for them sooner.

why dont you let them out in general? My kitty was an inside cat for 2 years until I built up the courage to let her out... she's moved house 5 times since then and is now out in my back yard with our doberman x ridgeback enjoying a roll around in the sun. She's much happier now I let her out

this being said, when she was finally allowed out during the day, she used to follow me whenever I'd leave the house I used to get to work late cause I'd miss my bus from needing to walk her back home... it was insanely cute... I'd have to put her in the back yard and then run out of the street so she wouldn't see where I went

I have leashes for my cats and take them to the park, they wont cooperate very well though and I end up picking them up and carrying them around mostly.. but they love being outside. I need a stroller, that sounds perfect for my cats

hahaha I love this!! I feel so bad for leaving my cats in the apartment all the time, I might have to buy a cat stroller..

My cat Thomas also did the 'dead cat impersonation' when I tried to use a leash. He was even more funny when I tried to use a harness. He let me put it on him just fine, but then he tried to back out of it and spent several minutes walking around the house backwards. When he decided he couldn't back out of it he decided to try and jump out of it, so he spent some time jumping like a leap frog! I was laughing so hard I was crying before I finally took pity on him and took the harness off.

Dogs have owners - cats have staff!

Hahaha! Cute! Would love to see a video of your cat trying to jump out of the harness....

Okay, veterinarian mode <on>

If your cat, dog, or ferret goes outdoors, you need to know about heartworm disease. Heartworms are carried by mosquitoes. When a mosquito bites your pet, little bitty baby heartworms are injected under the skin. They make their way to the heart, and they grow into adult worms that are six to twelve inches long. Yup, inside your pet's heart. As you can imagine, the heart doesn't work very well that way. If an adult heartworm dies, its remains come loose and travel downstream into the lungs and block the blood vessels there, causing bits of the lung to die. This is a *very* serious disease.

The way you keep your pet safe from heartworm is to give them a preventative once a month. Heartguard is the most common one for dogs. For cats, I usually recommend Revolution, which also kills fleas. The preventative kills the little bitty baby heartworms; it doesn't work once they're older than about a month. So, if you give this medicine once a month, it kills off all the baby heartworms your pet has picked up the past month, and your pet is protected.

Cats are a little bit different than dogs. A cat is less likely to catch heartworm disease from a given bite, but if they do get it, along with all the problems above, one of the more common signs is sudden death. No warning, just boom. There's also some evidence that their own immune system killing off young worms may lead to tiny scars in the lungs and eventually lead to an asthma-like illness. Ferrets can get heartworms too, but since they're so small they're even less likely to survive it than cats are.

So, if your pet goes outdoors, you need to give heartworm preventative to cover the entire time they're exposed. If you're only outside with them in the summer, then start within a month of their first trip out, and give it once a month until after their last trip out. If you live in an area that freezes solid during the winter, then you can probably get away with not giving it for a few months. Where I live, we see the first mosquitoes in March and they stick around off and on into November, so heartworm medication needs to be given at least April through December. A lot of people go ahead and give it year-round, 'cos it's easier for them to remember and 'cos it kills some of the most common intestinal parasites, too.

If you let your cat out unsupervised, then you need to make sure they keep up to date on vaccines for Rabies, FVRCP ("feline distemper combo"), and FeLV ("feline leukemia virus"). And keep them protected from fleas and ticks. And take them to the vet to treat any bite wounds they come home with. And get them dewormed regularly from parasites they pick up eating mice, birds, etc.

Okay, veterinarian mode <off>

I've known a lot of cats who loved the leash and harness, and a lot who've hated it. It really depends on the cat's personality. If you put a harness on for the first time, pairing it with a favorite treat may help. Let them check out the harness first, and reward them. Touch them with it, and reward them. Drape it over their shoulders, and reward them. And so forth until you've got the harness on completely and fitted properly. Let them walk around inside with the harness first, so they're more comfortable wearing it, before you try going outside. This should all be spread out over many sessions, of course, not all in one afternoon. You can introduce a stroller in a similar way. Let the cat jump in and out, and discover it's a comfortable box to climb inside of first, don't start out forcing them into it or there'll be bad associations.

Personally, I'd rather see a cat getting some exercise and exploring with a human on a leash, but a ride in the stroller is at least mental stimulation so if they enjoy it, go ahead! :-)

Necromancy Bump! :laugh:

MFP will now need to add a new activity:

Walking, 0.2 mph, meandering pace, walking cat

LOL! I actually logged a walk this way once. Used the add feature. But my cats actually do walk with me on my walks... they WALK, they don't get pushed in strollers.

I love that somebody bumped this thread...made me laugh a month ago, making me laugh now. Thanks