1st May 2006

Read more: Cats Behaviour | Comments (0)

Question:

Will it be possible to train this 2.5 years old cat to accept a lead and walk on it? She is a moggy who hunts all day every day.

Answer:

You can usually train animals to accept new things if you do it slowly and gently enough. However, while she may learn to tolerate it, it is unlikely she will learn to enjoy it! One wonders why this should be necessary. If you plan to keep your cat indoors for some reason and take her out occasionally for exercise, this would not be very fair to a cat that has enjoyed the freedom to go outside and hunt, especially considering how much she likes to be out. If your circumstances have changed, it may be kinder to find her a new home where she can have her freedom. If you plan to try to take your cat for a walk as you may do with a dog, this would not be well tolerated. Cats only really feel safe when they are on home ground (unless they have become used to being taken out frequently from an early age). Taking them off their territory is likely to make them feel very unsafe and they are likely to struggle and become frantic in their efforts to get free.