Walking the cats...

[dtbmnec]

For the first time ever I walked my cats It was sooo cool! Right now I only have one leash/harness and I'm going to get a second one because it seems that they want to be walked together! Leo wouldn't step foot outside the door without Pawz out there and all I had to do with Pawz was tempt him with treats (giving him one or two of course ). I'm sooo happy! I had a friend help me and we only went into the hallway area (its closed at both ends and with my friend and I watching them both it was easy to keep track) but it was an all around success! I have pictures that I'll upload later too

I bought Pawz the leash/harness to be used by both earlier today before the evil V-E-T visit and then put it on him during the vets He did great at the vet and she prescribed some more interceptor and some diarrhea meds for him too. Since his last vet visit he's been stinky so I figured it was just the meds/1/2 a bag of cat treats that did it but just in case so more meds for Pawz. Hopefully it isn't the food since when he was on it the first time he wasn't stinky but after changing it alot because I couldn't get to the store/carry home enough to make it worthwhile I had to change it. Probably shouldn't have though....bah.

I am sooo happy and proud of them!! They're gonna get lots of hugs and cuddles from me

Megan

[Lissa]

That's great! It's always nice to know that other cat people are walking their cats too! I am glad that it is going well and I can't wait to see pictures! Cats IMO should not be treated much differently than dogs (well of course they need to know that they rule) but other than that I think they can do many of the activities that dogs do!

Minnow has always been walked on-leash (she thinks she's a dog) and she's even been to the agility field with my dog - yes she goes on the obstacles! I can't imagine having a "normal" cat that sleeps 15+ hours a day!

Now let's see some pics!:love:

[dtbmnec]

Old thread I know but I might as well update

Well I've been super lazy and not walking the kitties...

But they're getting big enough that carrying them to the vet just isn't working anymore. Sooooo when Pawz had to go in and get his Rabies shot today I decided to walk him...AND HE DID!!!!!! He actually walked!!!!! Woooo hooooo!

Now I just have to get Leo to do it and then get both of them to go at the same time! yay! I still need to work on it a bit more before they'll really walk...and I gotta get them to stop hating cars...oh poor Pawz...every time a car went by he wanted to find the shadiest spot on the street to hide in...and he kept slinking along instead of really walking...*sigH* but we're getting there

Sorry just felt like sharing

Megan

[technodoll]

yayyy! walking kitties! photos, please?...

[dtbmnec]

Originally Posted by technodoll

yayyy! walking kitties! photos, please?...

I didn't have my camera with me...but the next time I go out with them I will definately take piccies

Anyone know of any way to stop having the cats flee in total and abject terror anytime a car or person comes by? lol While its so fun having scratch marks up and down my chest I'd rather be unscathed! lol

Oh and as for the people...they only run in terror when someone approaches us on a walk...if they're home they're fine!

Megan

[jiorji]

well they're not used to the sounds. THe more you take them out the more they;ll get used to it. But with winter coming i'm sure they won't go outside so be prepared to go through it again in the spring. I only walk my kitties on the balcony and odd noises freak them out.

[dtbmnec]

Hmmm yeah but walks kill so much of their energy its awesome! lol Pawz and Dart went out today and they've been passed out since they got home (at like 5:30 or so) lol

In fact I should take Leo out now because he's being all annoying like to Pawz and Dart! lol

Is it safe to walk them at night? I mean they are on a leash and can't get too far from me...

jiorji: I don't have a balcony so I haven't got the option lol...it rather sucks! But I take them to the park and they seem to enjoy stalking leaves

I want to take them out during the winter a few times...I really want to see their reaction to snow to be honest! lol It was funny to watch Prince's reaction so long ago...I just wonder if it would be funny too... I wouldn't take them out for long (if only for the fact that *I* ABHOR winter!) so they wouldn't really get cold per se. Or would that be too dangerous? I mean I wouldn't take them out in really really cold weather but in some of the milder days...burn off some energy!

Megan

[Lissa]

WOW that's great - walking to the vets is a HUGE step!! I hope to see pics of your walks!
Minnow doesn't like seeing people either. We have a bike trailer for her majesty, a pack and a carrier - I found that giving her the opportunity to conceal herself at first has slowly made her confident. Eventually she only felt the need to hide behind bushes so I didn't need to lug around extra gear.
Exposing your kitties to people/cars should help desensitize them but Minnow didn't respond to it (just to be difficult I'm sure) - knowing that she could hide if she felt that threatened did the trick . Now she will just crouch and "blend" into the concrete when she's threatened.

So long as its isn't too slushy, Minnow needs her winter walks (her chub-chubs in this pic are evidence of that )

[Lissa]

I'd think walking a night is okay, although I'd be more apt to hang onto the leash...Do you live in the city or country? You may have to watch out for strays and the bossy tomcats since they will be out prowling too. Maybe even get a blinking collar or tag? Bring a flashlight too since it will catch their eyes right away if they do get ahead of you!

Winter walks are fine IMO - I don't take Minnow out in extreme weather but she's been fine on milder days -15 degrees celcius is probably the worst weather she's been in. Over the winter, I almost always bring her pack with me - I wear it under my jacket for the windy moments, when she's had enough or when she is walking too slow She usually takes that time to clean her paws...Also, I don't walk Minnow on sidewalks in the winter. She is restricted to the park or fields because the salt is really hard on her pads since she's not exposed to it that often.

[dtbmnec]

Well I took Leo out for about fifteen minutes today...I have NEVER seen a cat so scared in my entire life! OMG....HE just went allllll over the place he HATED it and we didn't even get him to walk! lol It was crazy I thought he was going to slip out of his harness at one point!

So we're gonna have to try again...possibly in the day time and when there aren't many cars...it could be cuz it was the night that scared him...dunno...well we'll find out Poor Leo... lol

As to the walk to the vet....well we picked him up for part of it but he really started getting the hang of it on the way back....

We live in the city so the walk to the vet is like a super busy street for part of it...we went down the side road so it wasn't too too bad...We went down West 1st

Here's the route - From Fennell Avenue to the green dot..

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&hl=en...,0.053902&om=1

Eventually I"ll get the boys used to it and we'll be ok but for now I"m just happy that they want out....unless they have the harness on lol! Leo still just randomly drops when he's got the harness on...lol I"ll get him trained though!

Oh yes and Pawz did the whole "blending" thing....black kitty + gray concrete = super blending! lol it was rather funny to watch!

Megan

P.S. Oh and you can see where my school is too...Mohawk! It's an awesome walk! Ten minutes tops!

[Lissa]

That's an amazing walk for a kitty in a busy area - I doubt Minnow would cooperate!

Perhaps just exposing them to the outdoors as frequently as possible without a walk will help. Just treat/feed/play outside in a quiet place and hopefully they will start to venture further away on their own. Cats tend to have long adjustment periods but curiosity usually wins!!!

[dtbmnec]

Originally Posted by Lissa

That's an amazing walk for a kitty in a busy area - I doubt Minnow would cooperate!

Perhaps just exposing them to the outdoors as frequently as possible without a walk will help. Just treat/feed/play outside in a quiet place and hopefully they will start to venture further away on their own. Cats tend to have long adjustment periods but curiosity usually wins!!!

Oh gosh you should see Dart.......HE is curious....in fact its gonna get him hurt one of these days I"m sure! lol He like cowers in terror and then looks after whatever made him run/cower in terror! lol

Megan

[erykah1310]

It took Fuzzer a while to get used to the idea of walking on a leash, but now she can come out with me offlead and she sticks around, comes in when its time. Mr.Floyd however..... He just bolts if he is offlead, then i dont see him for 3 days. So he is always on lead.

Adorable pic too

[jiorji]

i'd like to contribute with cats in harness pictures

[dtbmnec]

Becky was telling me that on a walk a while ago she saw a cat who followed along beside a lady walking her dog....no lead no nothing the cat was that good

Megan

[LM1313]

That is GREAT! I have a question, though . . . How do you get the kitties to walk beside you? Mine have their own ideas of where they want to go and it's usually not the direction I'm headed! I've only taken both of them out at the same time once and of course both cats wanted to go opposite directions.

Remy turns into a struggling ball of terror when he sees people, too. Booster just crouches in the grass. Anyway, I carry a beach towel over my shoulder so that I can scoop Remy up with minimal scratches (and wrap him in it if necessary) when he gets scared.

[Lissa]

Originally Posted by dtbmnec

Becky was telling me that on a walk a while ago she saw a cat who followed along beside a lady walking her dog....no lead no nothing the cat was that good Megan

My Maine CoonX used to do that no matter how much I discouraged her. It ended in disaster when she freaked at the sound of a car and was hit. She was lucky and only got away with a bloody lip but I cringe when the neighbourhood cats follow Minnow - when they spook they lose any street smarts they had.

LM1313 - Minnow responds to a quick 2 second of tension on the leash, then I let it go slack. She HAS to make the decision to walk the right way BUT she needs to quick tug/tension to prompt her! I am lucky that her desire to be with Dodger is strong enough that only the occasional Minnow-detour is required - she is quite content to follow his lead!

[lovemycats]

Hi All,

Well, this is new to me, but I just want to get some ideas on how to get my boys to walk on their leash without freaking out! I used to put them on a leash in the backyard, but there were no animals around. Now I am on a corner house and there is a female cat that lives upstairs. I just don't want them to try to run and hurt their necks on the leash. Is is okay to take them out in the winter?

[Inverness]

Originally Posted by Lissa

My Maine CoonX used to do that no matter how much I discouraged her. It ended in disaster when she freaked at the sound of a car and was hit. She was lucky and only got away with a bloody lip but I cringe when the neighbourhood cats follow Minnow - when they spook they lose any street smarts they had.

That brings back very painful memories... this is how my Sasha died. :sad: I didn't see him follow me one night when I went for a walk with the doggies and he was hit by a car at 90 km/h. I remember every single detail, the sound of craking snow under our boots, the cold temperature, the colour of the sky, the smell of smoke from the wood stoves burning in most houses, even what the dogs were wearing, and the fact that for a reason unknown to me, I felt something was wrong and turned around seconds before the car was there. Sasha was crossing the road, and the car's headlights scared him so he froze, and that was it. I screamed, he looked at me and a second later, I heard a muffled bump. The people never stopped, and I carried my agonizing cat home. He had blood literally pouring from his ears, I remember there was so much blood everywhere, you could follow the trail from the site of the accident to the house. I lost him minutes later. It all went so quickly. I still think about it all the time, and it's been 7 years. :sad:

Sorry to come with such a sad story, but I do hope your harnesses are safe and your cats cannot escape.

[chico2]

I was just going to tell Megan to be careful with kittens on a harness,the first time I took Vinnie outside,he absolutely panicked and squirmed out of the harness,luckily we were in our fenced backyard.

Inverness,what a terrible experience,I bet that's one you will not soon forget:sad: Sasha

My cats only know my backyard,so if there is any loud noises,they run inside like a shot
I go out with them even in the winter,but unlike summer,when we stay out for hours,wintertime is usually about 30 min.
Chico loves to chase snowflakes...here he is,I always make a path for them and my squirrels on the deck.. and Vinnie kind of blending in with the snow..

[chico2]

Megan,you don't live very far from my son,every time we go to his house on the mountain we get lost!!!

[Lissa]

Inverness that is so tragic:sad: I am so sorry you lost your Sasha.

Thankfully, Minnow was "raised" by our previous dog and assumed that she (cats!) should walk on leash. For me, the danger is not taking her for a walk because she gets frustrated with the limited space, slips her harness and roams on her own.

[dtbmnec]

Yeah I almost had Leo get out of his harness...but so long as I'm there to provide shelter where he can curl up beside me he's ok...I don't think I'm gonna take Leo out at night again until he gets used to the cars a bit more (or at least the sounds of the cars)...He'd been rather freaked by the lights and the cars I suppose...

I haven't taken them for a walk recently...mostly because I've had the week from ...I gotta take them out again because they have so much eneregy I couldn't get to sleep last night until really late becaus of it so there definately will be a walk in the next few days...

If I could bring them to a backyard or something instead of on a road or whatever I'd feel much better...unfortunately I don't get a backyard in the apartment and while there is a little greenspace between the two buildings its where people walk their dogs/let their dogs go (and they don't always clean it up ).

I'm not sure I'd be able to handle thirty minutes out on my own with the cats lol I"d have to have the cats cuddled next to me for warmth and they wouldn't get any excersise! So I'm just going to do what I can

Megan

[kit1469]

my mom and i ALWAYS walked our cat and dog together when we lived in BC .. i loved it .. i hope to get my two kittens into walking too but im not quite sure how .. they arent to fond of thier collars nevermind a harness and there are a lot of stray dogs that wander around our small town ,, also cleo is very skittish and im worried he may get too scared .. any suggestions??

[Love4himies]

I got my cats used to a harness by putting it on them inside and leaving it on them for a bit. Then slowly enticed them outside by leaving the door open, allowing them to run back in if they were scared, supervised harness with leash attached. They then progressed to back yard walks, then to front yard walks. Takes a lot of love and patience from the human, but they can be trained.