EDMONDS, WA :: We love our cats. Unfortunately, this means they are fated to a life indoors. It’s just too dangerous in our area to let them roam outside. There are coyotes, raccoons, opossums, cars and feral cats to worry about. However, I also don’t think it’s right to deprive the cats of the outdoors. But how to let them enjoy it safely? Our best options are: 1) build them a huge, unattractive cage in the backyard, or 2) leash train them so that we can take them on supervised walks outside the house.
We decided to try the leashes first. Kristie was doubtful it would work, but I was more optimistic. The first day, I simply placed their harnesses on them (of course, it was a green harness for Sage, and “the black” for Mance). At first they ran through the house and tried their best to pull them off, but that only lasted about ten minutes. I played with them for about an hour until they completely forgot they were wearing them. A couple days later, we put the harnesses on them again with the leashes this time, just walking them through the house. Then we opened the screen door…
At first they were terrified of the new environment, even though they had been studying it through the windows for the past year. They desperately wanted to run back into the house. We gave them a few days and tried again. This time, they cautiously explored the entire perimeter of the backyard, running back to the screen door every now and then to their safe spot and to get their bearings. After about twenty minutes, they were chasing bugs and each other. They love it! And in case you don’t believe it, these photos are proof!
We decided to try the leashes first. Kristie was doubtful it would work, but I was more optimistic. The first day, I simply placed their harnesses on them (of course, it was a green harness for Sage, and “the black” for Mance). At first they ran through the house and tried their best to pull them off, but that only lasted about ten minutes. I played with them for about an hour until they completely forgot they were wearing them. A couple days later, we put the harnesses on them again with the leashes this time, just walking them through the house. Then we opened the screen door…
At first they were terrified of the new environment, even though they had been studying it through the windows for the past year. They desperately wanted to run back into the house. We gave them a few days and tried again. This time, they cautiously explored the entire perimeter of the backyard, running back to the screen door every now and then to their safe spot and to get their bearings. After about twenty minutes, they were chasing bugs and each other. They love it! And in case you don’t believe it, these photos are proof!
So are you planning on taking them out in the neighborhood on a leash. It always seemed to me being a snack on a leash. What is to prevent an unleashed dog from barreling down and mauling the cat, or worse when you pick up the cat…
Just curious.
No, we’re just “walking” them in the backyard. Walking a cat is not the same as walking a dog.
While I’ve read it’s possible to train a cat to heel (usually just the wild hybrids), for the most part, the cat is walking *you*. I think it’s best to keep them in a confined and familiar environment – just someplace where they can chew on the grass, play in the shrubs and enjoy the sunshine.
Besides, I don’t think I could bring myself to being seen in public “walking” a cat, despite the other dogs I see being walked that are tinier than most cats! Those are your “snacks on a leash.”
John
Snacks?! Never! I know it looks kind of silly, but it’s a fun way to give them more adventure. They love chasing the bugs.
Kristie
Once they are happy/familiar with their surroundings they won’t stray much further.
They sure look happy to be playing out. Great shots and lovely lush colours, John.
Love the shots John. What was your setup to capture those shots?
Thanks Keith and Michael. I used the 50mm and had it set to f/2.0 the entire time.
John
Dog envy.
To be fair, Dog owners that train their small dogs to go on a pee pad inside the house have cat envy. And dog owners who walk their dogs in carriages have baby envy.
Funny. Dogs are good animals, but you of all people should know that I would never own one! And when it comes to dogs, Kristie isn’t as kind.
If we had a dog, we might as well be locked down with a kid that was forever three years old. Nothing against kids, but we’re not envious of owning them either. =)
John
Cute Pictures. I’ve taken our cats out on the leash and they had similar reactions. 🙂 The cats definitely do walk you though!