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Adopted stray kitten..

wilddoggie
June 20th, 2012, 08:26 AM
Hello Guys! I am new to the boards! My name is Fran! Well I adopted a new little stray kitten, and ever sience I have gotten into dog training. I thought training cats might be pretty similar, but of course harder! When I first got my dog I socialised him alot... all types of people, places, animals, objects, sounds, noise, pavements and ect. Does the same thing goes for cats? Months ago I have seen a women taking her cat to the vet on a leash, this cat walked calmly with her on a street where there where plenty of noise. Is it possible to train my new kitten to go around with me on leash, in diffrent enviroments (of course allways safe ones) without her getting scared? How can I do it? Thanks guys!

=)

Marty11
June 20th, 2012, 09:05 AM
It is harder but I've seen it done! :thumbs up

sugarcatmom
June 20th, 2012, 11:23 AM
Hello Guys! I am new to the boards! My name is Fran!

Hi Fran!

I thought training cats might be pretty similar, but of course harder!

Some cats (especially treat motivated ones) actually take quite well to clicker training. Not sure if you do that with your dog at all, but it might be worth giving it a try with your kitty.
http://aspcabehavior.org/articles/117/Training-Your-Cat.aspx

When I first got my dog I socialised him alot... all types of people, places, animals, objects, sounds, noise, pavements and ect. Does the same thing goes for cats?

Absolutely! In fact, there is a growing trend called Kitty Kindergarten, where people take their youngsters to group "classes" for socialization, basic training, and to get them used to a variety of situations.
http://www.winnfelinehealth.org/Pages/Kitty_Kindergarten_2007.pdf
http://www.thedailycat.com/behavior/training/kitten_kindergarten/index.html#axzz1yLlX2GOa

If you don't have access to one of these classes, you can certainly do your own socializing by inviting friends over to play with your girl, taking her on car rides (in a carrier), getting her comfortable being on a harness (I prefer "walking jackets" which tend to be more secure), etc. How old is she?

How can I do it?

Some info on leash-training cats:
http://www.aspcabehavior.org/articles/116/Teaching-Your-Cat-to-Walk-on-a-Leash-.aspx
http://www.hdw-inc.com/leashtraining.htm

And here is one last comprehensive article on general cat care that you might be interested in: http://www.americanhumane.org/assets/pdfs/animals/pa-aacm-categoricalcarepdf.pdf (the only part I don't agree with is the section on food - I think balanced raw diets provide the ultimate in species-appropriate nutrition: www.catinfo.org).

Barkingdog
June 20th, 2012, 11:35 AM
Hello Guys! I am new to the boards! My name is Fran! Well I adopted a new little stray kitten, and ever sience I have gotten into dog training. I thought training cats might be pretty similar, but of course harder! When I first got my dog I socialised him alot... all types of people, places, animals, objects, sounds, noise, pavements and ect. Does the same thing goes for cats? Months ago I have seen a women taking her cat to the vet on a leash, this cat walked calmly with her on a street where there where plenty of noise. Is it possible to train my new kitten to go around with me on leash, in diffrent enviroments (of course allways safe ones) without her getting scared? How can I do it? Thanks guys!

=)

A member just lost her cat that was on a leash . I would not walk a cat on a leash where I live , we have too many hawks flying around hunting for small animals. And it could get attack by a dog . I think cats are a lot more unpredictable than cats and just do not feel safe about walking one a leash.
I have a neighbor that has a outside cat and she was walking her cat on a leash one day and the cat hated it. The cat looked very nervous as he was not able to run if he needed to. I am glad you adopted the cat and Hi !

Koteburo
June 20th, 2012, 09:29 PM
A member just lost her cat that was on a leash . I would not walk a cat on a leash where I live , we have too many hawks flying around hunting for small animals. And it could get attack by a dog . I think cats are a lot more unpredictable than cats and just do not feel safe about walking one a leash.
I have a neighbor that has a outside cat and she was walking her cat on a leash one day and the cat hated it. The cat looked very nervous as he was not able to run if he needed to. I am glad you adopted the cat and Hi !

That's a very important point actually. :thumbs up
Sometimes I walk one of mine but I only do it in the backyard and/or areas you know they're safe (or relatively safe) from predators and dogs. I'm surrounded by parks in front and to the left, the one to the left has almost no dogs and we don't have to cross the street so we go there. Also you have to be VERY aware of your surroundings in case someone's coming walking their dog to move away or pick up your cat and get out of their sight because you never know if it's a cat friendly doggy or not or how your cat will react.

Thank you for adopting this cutie.
I'll leave you 2 links to videos I found of cats trained with clickers and treats :cloud9:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P_XgJpUTis
And ♥
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHYrW65m788

ownedbycats
June 21st, 2012, 08:49 AM
As someone with a leash trained cat, here's my :2cents:
Cats can become very comfortable with a harness if it's introduced early and slowly. In other words, don't just wrestle the cat into the harness, clip on a leash and expect the cat to be leash trained.
It is very difficult to get a cat to actually walk with you on a leash (as opposed to wandering wherever they feel like).
Strange surroundings/noises will almost always make even a cat who is very used to his harness nervous and want to fight the leash. If you are taking the cat somewhere new a carrier is best for everyone's peace of mind (your's and the cat's)

WARNING: cats on a leash should never be left unwatched. Due to their love of climbing, unlike dogs they are prone to getting up high, jumping off, and then strangling themselves when their leash doesn't reach the ground.
You do not necessarily need to be holding the leash (Mom hooks our cat to a bolt in the wall so she can garden/water and he can watch, dig, and drink puddles)
but you do need to watch the cat.


What are leashes good for?
-In familiar, safe quiet areas where the cat can wander without being startled by strange noises.
-Giving your cat outside exercize and change of scene in familiar areas
-If you don't mind following the cat around at the cat's pace instead of the human's pace.
-If you are willing to supervise on-leash time

Barkingdog
June 21st, 2012, 04:57 PM
As someone with a leash trained cat, here's my :2cents:
Cats can become very comfortable with a harness if it's introduced early and slowly. In other words, don't just wrestle the cat into the harness, clip on a leash and expect the cat to be leash trained.
It is very difficult to get a cat to actually walk with you on a leash (as opposed to wandering wherever they feel like).
Strange surroundings/noises will almost always make even a cat who is very used to his harness nervous and want to fight the leash. If you are taking the cat somewhere new a carrier is best for everyone's peace of mind (your's and the cat's)

WARNING: cats on a leash should never be left unwatched. Due to their love of climbing, unlike dogs they are prone to getting up high, jumping off, and then strangling themselves when their leash doesn't reach the ground.
You do not necessarily need to be holding the leash (Mom hooks our cat to a bolt in the wall so she can garden/water and he can watch, dig, and drink puddles)
but you do need to watch the cat.


What are leashes good for?
-In familiar, safe quiet areas where the cat can wander without being startled by strange noises.
-Giving your cat outside exercize and change of scene in familiar areas
-If you don't mind following the cat around at the cat's pace instead of the human's pace.
-If you are willing to supervise on-leash time

I would worried about the cat being to slip out of the harness , you'll have to made sure it is fitted to the cat so it can't get lose.