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Should You Walk Your Cat On A Leash?

5/19/2020

Walking your dog is not just a mere physical activity for them. It gives an opportunity to explore the outside world using all their sense like they used to before humans started to domesticate them. But, have you ever wondered considering walking your cat on a leash just like people walk their dogs?

The short answer is yes. You can encourage leash walking in your cat and that is not harmful at all. But it is important to keep in mind that if your cat does not want to walk outside, you should not force any behavior. Read on to know whether you should walk your cat or not, how to train them for leash walking, and other important things related to it.
You Want To Walk Your Cat, But Is She Ready?I definitely am in favor of walking a cat. Outdoor cats get opportunities to face challenges, develop problem-solving abilities, and feel more confident when they’re out. Your cat never can explore the outside world and experience their true self while being indoors. But then again, you should walk your cat only when she is ready.

You might think walking a cat will contradict the idea of strictly keeping cats indoor. Well, the main concern of doing so is to keep your cat safe, the food chain balanced, and to avoid overpopulation. So when you walk your cat, you’re actually taking care of everything.

If you have a cat that keeps roaming around the door and when it slips out when getting a chance but do not go on roaming by itself, that’s the right candidate. A cat that seems amazed to explore in short. But please keep in mind that not all cats want to go on a walk and never generalize this behavior. If your cat sits at the windows and looking out often, that doesn’t necessarily mean she wants to go on a walk. In a nutshell, all cats should be given the opportunity but if a cat protests against going on a walk, you should not force to encourage the behavior.
How To Train Your Cat For On-leash WalkingYou need to remember that cat walking and dog walking are different. And you cannot expect your cat to walk like a dog and does all the things that a dog would do. When you’re walking a cat, you’re just in charge of the leash and harness so that she doesn’t escape and stays safe from running into vehicles. So whenever motivation takes and your cat wants to go you will have to follow her.

For leash walking, you will need a leash and harness for cats. It is important to note that, cat collars aren’t safe for walking. So when you will introduce leash and harness to your cat, she will likely to act weird and won’t get used to it. That said, your target is to make them feel they haven’t put on anything while walking on-leash.

Some cats might tip over or get rigid when you put a harness on them. This is because they don’t know what are these for and how to feel normal. I always prefer to use clicker training to train your feline furballs.

Put on a harness and attach a leash to it, once you do it, click using a clicker and a treat. Well, you should use your cat’s favorite treat and reserve it only for clicker training for some time. Repeat this procedure for five to six times with the gap of 1-2 minutes.

This will help your cat to associate with the leash and harness in a happy way. Once your cat is ok with putting on a harness and can walk with it like she hasn’t put on one, you are ready to go outside for a walk.
Things To Take Care OfFirst, when you’re encouraging this behavior in your cat, make sure you practice clicker training in specific spots except near the door. If you put on a harness and click n’ treat near the door, that may indicate to your cat that it’s time to go on a walk every time you open the door. And trust me, this will be so problematic for you as a cat parent.

So, choose a fixed or two where you will call your cat and put on a harness. Second, follow a routine. If you walk your cat at a specific time of the day, you have to be consistent. Your cats need to adjust the time for walking. An easy way to remember this is you don’t take your cat out for a walk but your cat does, and your cat is very punctual.

Third, only use harnesses and leashes specially designed for cats. Ill-fitting equipment or accessories of dogs can be the reason behind your cat’s escape and increases the risk of losing your cat.

Fourth, when you out for a walk, don’t guide or pull your cat to guide them to your desired location. Remember, your dog is not a cat. There is no alpha member kind of concept here. Your cat just explores and you go with her. In a nutshell, you walk with your cat and make sure she is not leading towards any danger.
ConclusionYou can definitely walk your cat on a leash with some considerations. One, you need to train them using clicker training so that they get used to the leash and the harness. Second, if your cat doesn’t want to be walked, don’t push your cat over the edge. Third, take care of all the things I’ve mentioned in this article to avoid any accidents. All in all, your cat also deserves to enjoy the outside world and explore and one of the good ways is leash walking.

Article submitted bu our friend Clara Lou @ Pet Loves Best
Photo by rakhmat suwandi on Unsplash

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Who’s The Better Pet Parent?

5/5/2020

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Whether or not you’re an animal person, it’s hard to deny that most people consider their pets as part of the family. In fact, some owners treat their pets more like children than a furry extension of the immediate family.

Pet parents spent an estimated $32.7 billion on food and treats in 2018—with some owners even going so far as to pay for pet day care, pricey tech gadgets, and acupuncture.

People definitely love their pets, but how do our four-legged companions feel about us in return? For a closer look at who’s the better pet parent, we surveyed over 1,000 people. Keep reading to learn whether men or women think their pets are more attached to them, how often couples argue over pet-related responsibilities, and how many people modify their homes for the sake of their furry family.

It’s definitely a competition
It’s true that pets can’t verbally articulate how they feel about us when we say, “I love you,” but they do still have ways of showing us how much they care. When they climb up on the couch to cuddle, look at you for an extended period, follow you to bed, or greet you at the door, those are all signs of affection.

Of course, if you share your pet with the rest of the family, you might at least be curious to know who they love the most. While men and women largely believed they and their partner are equally good as pet parents, men were quick to point out their partner (31 percent) might be a better pet provider than they are (16 percent). Women (33 percent) also saw themselves as more likely to contribute to a pet’s well-being than their partner (nearly 12 percent).
On the matter of the favorite pet parent, women suggested they had the upper hand again. Compared to 44 percent of women who believed they’re more loved than their partner, just 36 percent of men felt the same. Less than 1 in 4 men and women believed their pets love both people in the relationship equally. However, 1 in 5 pet parents also admitted to getting jealous when their pets paid more attention to their partner.

Plenty to go around
Both partners likely love their pets equally. But when it comes to pet-related responsibilities, it might be a different story. Of the more than 1,000 people polled, women were twice as likely as men to say they do more for their pets than their partner.

When asked about their shared responsibilities, playing (71 percent), feeding (59 percent), and cleaning up after the pet (50 percent) were the most likely to be fairly distributed. In contrast, couples were less likely to split grooming and letting the pet in or out in the morning and at night.

More than 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men agreed they would prefer to see their partner take on more pet-related responsibilities. As we found, couples who shared pet duties were more likely to be satisfied with their relationship (95 percent) than those who did not (almost 87 percent).

Trouble in paradise
There are plenty of reasons why life with a pet is so much better than life without one. The unwavering devotion, constant companionship, and even extra physical activity all promote a healthier life. Owning a pet isn’t without its challenges, though, and deciding who should be responsible for what can occasionally cause strife between couples.

According to our poll, 1 in 5 pet parents admitted to arguing about their furry companions at least once in the past year. The biggest cause of these disputes? Daily responsibilities (60 percent), spending on essentials (40 percent), and letting their pet sleep in the bed (31 percent). Couples who had both cats and dogs were more likely to argue about their animals than those with only one type of pet. And another 6 percent of respondents acknowledged ending a relationship over a pet-related argument.

Going the extra mile
When you truly love your pet, you probably want them to enjoy your home as much as you do. Whether for older pets or to make getting around more convenient, more than 2 in 5 pet parents chose their home to accommodate their animals specifically, and nearly 2 in 3 added features for them.

The most commonly added features were climbing opportunities (34 percent), gates (33 percent), fencing (32 percent), and area rugs or carpets (30 percent). On average, these added features cost pet parents $375, although costs were typically higher for people with just dogs ($499) or those owning both cats and dogs ($515).

Accommodating everyone
There’s no denying that people treat their pets as if they were real people. From the ways we pamper them to the ways we travel with them, our four-legged friends have truly become members of the family. Unfortunately, owning a pet isn’t without its responsibilities, and how couples choose to divide those tasks can trigger arguments and even separation.

At Porch, we believe your home improvement projects should be stress-free—and that includes the ones you take on for Fido and friends. If you’re considering making improvements to your home to accommodate your pets, our team of Porch professionals is available to help get the job done quickly and exactly the way you want it. Start your project today, and learn more about our full range of services at Porch now.

Methodology and limitations: For this project, we surveyed 1,007 respondents in a relationship who lived with their partner and had one or multiple pets. Respondents ranged in age from 19 to 76 with an average age of 38 and a standard deviation of 11.3. 554 respondents identified as women, and 452 identified as men. One respondent identified as nonbinary. 316 respondents had cats, 295 had dogs, 248 had both cats and dogs, and 148 had other pets.

Article submitted by pur friends at www.porch.com

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Should You Walk Your Cat On A Leash?

Who’s The Better Pet Parent?

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