22 Your Cat November 2017š
practi
cal (^) adv
ice
“...If you feel this would not
be stressful for your cat,
they should be introduced
to this experience in
a slow, gradual, and
positive manner.”
Seeing a dog
being taken
for a walk on
a lead is an
everyday sight,
but a cat doing
the same is slightly
more unusual!
We’ve weighed up
the arguments for
going ‘walkies’
with your cat...
I
t’s recently been in the news that the
RSPCA has expressed its concerns
about a growing trend: cats being taken
out on a lead as a means of getting
some fresh air, if their owners don’t have
gardens. The animal welfare charity has
cautioned that being strapped into
a harness without warning and expected
to go for a walk can be incredibly
stressful for a cat, especially if he has
never been outside before.
The RSPCA’s statement read: “Some
loving owners who have cats that live
indoors-only may feel that walking cats
outside on a harness or collar is beneficial
for their welfare. However, we would
generally suggest that, for most cats, taking
steps to provide an indoor environment,
which has plenty of opportunities for the
cat to be active and mentally stimulated, is
likely to be more beneficial.
“This is because a sense of control is very
important to cats,
and being walked on
a collar or harness
prevents them from
having control.
Therefore, the
RSPCA wouldn’t
recommend that
cats are walked
outside in
this way.
“However,” it
added, “like with
all pets, cats have
very different personalities, so if you
feel this would not be stressful for
your cat, they should be introduced
to this experience in a slow, gradual,
and positive manner. If any signs of
distress are seen, such as the cat trying to
pull away or get away, then this should be
stopped immediately.”
Early introductions
to a harness and
lead are advised.
Harnessing
the truth
22-24 YC Harnesses CS CC.indd 22 29/09/2017 09:51