Train Your Cat to Walk on a Leash: 9-Step Tutorial

If your cat has completed their harness training, it's time to train your cat to walk on a leash!
⚠️ If your cat isn't yet harness trained, watch this video first: • How To Harness Train Y...
🐈 In this video, I've broken down the leash training process into 9 bite-sized steps for you. Each step should be repeated as many times as necessary before moving on to the next one.
🐈 FULL HARNESS & LEASH TRAINING COURSE: bit.ly/HarnessTrainingCourse
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:26 Starting Tips
1:00 Step 1 - Pick out a leash
2:26 Step 2 - Let your cat inspect the leash
2:43 Step 3 - Attach the leash iNSIDE
3:11 Step 4 - Learn how handle the leash
4:06 Step 5 - Encourage your cat to walk around
4:47 Step 6 - Encourage your cat to come to you
5:15 Step 7 - Take it outside
6:23 Step 8 - Practice your cue
7:05 Step 9 - Increase your radius
7:43 Final Advice
Other Resources:
👉Shop my basic handcrafted cat leashes: bit.ly/BasicKyloLeash
👉Backpack Training blog post: bit.ly/CatBackpackTraining
👉Clicker Training Kit (Amazon affiliate link): amzn.to/3MkUWU2
👉My favorite squeezie treats (Amazon affiliate link): amzn.to/3XZ58qH

[@easiersaidwithmeg]

Thank you so much I’m training my baby now! She’s over a year but under 2 years.

[@kittycatgoadventures]

Awesome!! I hope the training goes well!

[@hydieperez5912]

Thank you for making these videos. I'm a first time cat mom and she will be an indoor cat and I have been watching your videos and have been making great progress.

[@kittycatgoadventures]

That’s awesome! I’m glad the videos are helpful 😸

[@Su-jk5ve]

5:32 Bonus tip if their already backpacked trained before you harness/leash train them you can put them inside their backpack when stepping outside and then putting down the backpack and opening the door of their backpack to go out

[@SomeonesMom3]

hi🐈‍⬛

[@vivianmoreland797]

I have my cat follow the treats. I introduced him to the harness and let him wear it all day. (2) in a row. I did the same with the leash.

[@kittycatgoadventures]

That’s awesome! A great start!

[@vivianmoreland797]

@@kittycatgoadventures Good to know. What do you think about outdoor cat cages?

[@kittycatgoadventures]

@@vivianmoreland797 do you mean like a catio? I think they’re great! We built one for our cats a few years ago - one of the best things we’ve ever done!

[@vivianmoreland797]

@@kittycatgoadventures yes, sometimes they are called cat condos too

[@vivianmoreland797]

@@kittycatgoadventures I am interested in either a catco or a cat cage ( 3 levels) on wheels, so I can take him outside for a few hours and him look around more freely.

[@BlackAces-sr9jg]

I love watching these videos! My baby is only 4 months old but shes insanely curious so started harness training her, but I live in an apartment on the 9th floor so I dont feel good about taking her out there to explore. Is the hallway a decent option to use to train her by going out a few steps or should I take the plunge and go down the elevator to the outdoors?

[@kittycatgoadventures]

I think starting in the hallway is a great way to work up to going outside. The hallway will be a new environment for your kitty to get used to, so start there and gradually work towards going outside.

[@and86rea19]

I have completed harness and leash training indoors with my kitten (6 months old), but have found that she is really afraid of the outdoors. When I tried to take her to the garden near my house (a quiet place), she remained "frozen" and scared in the carrier. Is there anything I can do to help her overcome her fear of the outdoors? or better to give up the idea of adventuring with my cat?

[@kittycatgoadventures]

How many times have you tried taking her outside? Just the once? It’s pretty normal for them to be afraid at first. It takes training to acclimate them to the outdoors the same way it does to the leash and harness. I’d recommend starting with just sitting at your back door with her harness and leash on and the door open so she gets to see and smell outside but isn’t actually going outside yet. Give treats and make the experience positive. Continue doing this until she seems interested enough to go out on her own. Then stay right outside your door so you can quickly go back inside if needed. Give treats, make it positive, repeat as necessary. In the meantime, you can backpack/carrier train her. Then when you go further than just outside the door, you can take her out in the backpack or carrier. Open the top and give her the option to come out if she wants, but don’t force it. Always give treats. And again, continue this step until she isn’t scared anymore and wants to come out on her own

[@and86rea19]

@@kittycatgoadventures yep, I only tried once. Thanks for the advice, I've already started with carrier training to take her to the vet (curiosly she seems less scared at the vet than out in the yard). I will try to get her to walk out the door on her own with some treats. have a nice day!

[@vivianmoreland797]

He is shaken by loud noises and other people. I am taking it slow.

[@kittycatgoadventures]

Those things are scary for most cats. It’s just takes time, patience, and practice! Taking it slow is the best way

[@djfreshasfck8226]

My Icarus wasnt loving the harness, chasing a laser pointer around made him forget he was wearing it in a flash 😜Just had him on a leash for first time, got a 15m extendable one, went to a cafe that has a little strip of grass and bushes next to it, let him play and it went ok.Found him under a year ago, right when my business season was starting, I have another boy and girl, almost 20 years old, my female would attack him, so he slept with me in a little box bed and lived in my car for just over a week while I worked, untill he opened his eyes. Then spent almost a month in my jacket pocket during the day, peaking out forr milk bottles and what comes after them. He´s not scared of the world, I need to teach him to come to me quick, just in case, before i take him out further, scrunching one of his favourite food pouches seems to be a summoning spell lol but would rather something else I could substitute this for, and he gets his tasty good boy pouch later. tried clicking my fingernails while dooing the pouch scrunching action but he loses interest fast. Thanks for what you do. Purrs be with you ;P

[@kittycatgoadventures]

Sounds like Icarus is a special boy! I’m in the beginning stages of training my crew to come to a whistle. Might be a good substitute for you too?

[@djfreshasfck8226]

@@kittycatgoadventures lovely, could be an option, I have recently bought some bitrsize catnip bribes, Im dooing a heavy kiss sound and come and get your treat, hopefully eventually just a kiss is enough 🙏🤣