Cat with a collar and on a leash

A cat with a collar and a leash

Is it worth going out with a cat on a leash or on the contrary?? If so, which leash will be the best? What collars can you buy and which are worth investing in?

For and against

Putting on a collar is more obvious than having your cat on a leash. The tag collar helps return your cat to owners if it gets lost, and flea collars also protect against ticks and lice, which can be carriers of various diseases. A bell can also be attached to the collar, which will help in finding our pet at home and outside. On the other hand, the decision to walk with a cat on a leash is only the result of our liking and preference in taking care of the cat. Some people go out with a cat on a leash with the thought of ensuring the cat's safety, others reject this idea, wanting to allow the cat carefree walks. However, there are some aspects to consider. One of the factors is where you live. In the city center, a cat can die much easier under the wheels of a car or attacked by a homeless dog than if we live in a house and its surroundings are calmer and less unpredictable. Even experience in city life gives no guarantee that one day the cat will not come home. The leash clearly restricts his freedom of movement but protects him in some cases. It is also impossible to ignore the fact that a cat - not like a dog - is not used to the owner and to stick to his legs, and it is not easy to teach him to call him by name. Even if the cat learns to respond to them and even seems interested in the source of the call, it may escape us at the last minute and it will not be so easy to lead him home. So if we want to control our cat's trips, we can opt for a leash.

We put on a leash and a collar

You can find various collars - from the simplest to the most sophisticated. Flea collars are a special type and shouldn't be worn on kittens. A well buttoned collar is one that, on the one hand, cannot be removed over the head, and on the other hand, it is not too tight. The ideal is to fasten the collar so that two fingers can fit loosely under it and that it does not cause a pressure around the cat's neck. To get your cat used to the collar, first put it on for a few minutes every day and then for longer and longer until it gets used to the collar.

The cat should never be led on a leash attached to the collar - a stronger pull will simply suffocate it. The cat should wear the harness fastened loosely around the neck and behind the front paws. You should get him used to the harness, which he may try to remove in the first instinct. The permission to walk the cat in the harness around the house is also a test for their fastening - whether they do not fall off, whether they are too tight and the cat in certain positions does not suffocate. Mistakes can be safely repaired without the risk of the cat escaping or being harmed. The lanyard should be approx. 1 meter, the longer one makes it difficult to control it, the shorter one restricts its freedom. To get your cat used to walking on a leash, you should first get your cat used to the harness and then to the leash by attaching it and letting it walk with the leash hanging down.

Walkers

The first walk should be in a quiet area. Cats, despite their natural desire to get to know their surroundings and their innate curiosity, will feel uncomfortable overwhelmed by the excess of impressions. Unaccustomed to city traffic, they can be very stressed and react nervously to every passing car and moving object. Besides, as mentioned before, cats do not stick to their legs, so walking with a cat on a leash requires systematic training and not discouraging when the cat does not want to go with us or on the contrary - it goes all around. You should definitely not jerk the cat or pull it towards us. A cat is not a dog and should not be expected to be completely obedient. Rather, we should let him lead us, noting that he stumbles to a place where he could be hurt.