Walking a cat on a leash.

ian87

I was driving out of my estate the other morning to work when I saw a man walking against me with his cat on a leash. Cat seemed perfectly happy to be walked. It even had a little bandana around its neck. Same thing last week, except this time I was outside on the phone and he walked straight past me with out a care in the world. The cat had a little bell, it's bandana and was as happy as larry walking along on its leash. Weirdest thing I've ever seen in a long time.

So after hours do you take your pussy out on a leash?

AnonoBoy

This man is clearly a weirdo.

Report him to the Gardaí immediately please.

WoollyRedHat

Was sitting outside my doorstep in New York and I heard a guy calling after his pet. Completely normal, that is until I saw a cat walk past us, followed by the guy in question.

There's also a guy in New York that would carry a cat on his shoulder, walking around the city. Bizarre to say the least.

unseenfootage

Is this him?

galwayrush

Our cat sits and shakes paws on command. He also runs to the bathroom and starts clawing at a towel when he wants to be dried after being out in the rain. He's a fully intact male.

WIZE

it's odd but good

Siuin

I used to put my cat on a harness when I'd bring him down to my holiday home- he liked getting out and about but I was worried that he'd get lost or wander onto the road. Only ever took him around the carden, but there were a few people walking past who would peer in and exclaim "... is that a cat?!" - the cat in question doesn't seem to mind!

Capt'n Midnight

you need a special harness, a dog one won't do

it must have a break point at the neck so the cat won't choke itself and no strap from front to back underneath

ian87

There was no harness, most definitely a a leash. Surely this can't be normal?

Ice Storm

I've seen a woman walking ferrets in little harnesses... Bizarre!

I suppose it's nice for them to get out and about.

Also, one time I saw a woman pushing a little dog in a buggy. It looked hilarious. Got talking to her and it turned out the dog was injured.

EDDIE WATERS

I saw a pig in a harness once

January

Yeah they have harnesses for pet rets too... was going to get one for mine but then I thought I'd look a bit mad...

Hobbes

unseenfootage wrote: »

Is this him?

I was expecting to see the guy start doing parkour. Worst action video ever (unless you are a cat owner).

Clearly not as clever as the birds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rO2TR_8jXPc

Pumpkinseeds

ian87 wrote: »

There was no harness, most definitely a a leash. Surely this can't be normal?

Its not common although when one of our cats had to have a cone on to protect his stitched face, he wasn't able to go out on his own. He was getting really stressed out being in the house all the time. We got a retractable dog leash and attached it to the collar and took him for short walks around the neighbourhood at about 6am and late evening. It was winter so dark and quiet. It kept him a bit happier. A few neighbours spotted me and gave me the 'Jesus she's a nutter' look. But hell, what did I care.:p

Some people want to be able to let their cats experience the outdoors but would be afraid to let them out alone. It isn't harming anyone.

Lapin

There was a woman a few years ago who spent her days walking up and down The Mall in London with a cat on a leash.

She became a bit of a tourist attraction in her own right with Japenese people taking photos of her as they turned up for the Changing of the Guard.

I reckon she got píssed of with it in the end and left the cat at home.

UCDVet

The idea that cats are meant to be kept inside is ridiculous.
The idea that cats are safe enough to leave outside is also ridiculous.

Walking a cat seems like something a reasonable pet owner would do.

Scruffles

Siuin wrote: »

I used to put my cat on a harness when I'd bring him down to my holiday home- he liked getting out and about but I was worried that he'd get lost or wander onto the road. Only ever took him around the carden, but there were a few people walking past who would peer in and exclaim "... is that a cat?!" - the cat in question doesn't seem to mind!

if the cat doesnt mind then its perfectly ok; a cat will choose whether to like or dislike something and it is near imposible to get a grown cat to accept a harness and the shame of being walked along so if kitty gets to go along to holidays instead of being left home alone or have random neighbours popping in then that is a great comprimise.

an auntie of mine down in cork has a cat called darling [well am not sure if its darling or darline as she says the e and g similar,and when she signs her christmas cards from her -cant tell either] she was harnessed and tethered in the garden when she was a youngster because they live oposite the sea and didnt want anything to happen to her.
now she is grown up,she isnt tethered anymore and doesnt stray far but she likes to piss her mammy off by climbing on the bungalow roof and looking down on her when ever she has to come in at night.

if people think cats on leads are weird,they shoud see cat strollers-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9rmlLvtg-s&feature=share&list=PL1FB3B6775F4B22EC
pets at home over here sell them,or used to.
to be honest,theyd be useful for taking them to the vets as the weight of a kitty trying to be a dead weight in their travel box is ridiculously heavy.
but they woud lose any bit of street cred they have so itd be a difficult decision for them.

Odysseus

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

Some people want to be able to let their cats experience the outdoors but would be afraid to let them out alone. It isn't harming anyone.

On nice days I will often take the dragon out with, she will fit in the large pocket on a hoodie. Once I put her in there she won't move, she has even come on short journeys on my motorbike that way.

Doubt I would get a colloar to fit her though.

Back on topic, I would perfer if people did this with their cats rather than just letting them roam

ian87

Not saying there is anything wrong with it, it's just an unusual thing to see. Especially at 8.20 in the morning when your brain is only getting going..

MistyCheese

I'm picturing it.

looksee

If one of my cats is outside when I go for a walk she will follow me miowing dismally, I generally end up taking her back as I will be heading towards an area with a lot more traffic. I have thought that if I had a leash I could take her with me.

ameee

When i walk my dog my cat usually comes too. I don't put a lead or anything on him he just walks along side the dog. I didn't train him to do it he just seems to like keeping an eye on me :-) he only does it if he is chilling in the garden when i leave the house with the dog and i do get a few strange looks off people :-P

MadYaker

I don't see anything wrong with it. I've seen it in France a few times but never in Ireland. The last time I was in Paris I saw a woman walking her ferret which was wearing a lovely knitted jumper.

OneArt

looksee wrote: »

If one of my cats is outside when I go for a walk she will follow me miowing dismally, I generally end up taking her back as I will be heading towards an area with a lot more traffic. I have thought that if I had a leash I could take her with me.

Would you not just pick her up and carry her around the traffic-filled place?

When I was in college there was this kitten that kept leaving it's garden and running across a busy road. I saw it regularly so whenever it was on the wrong side across from it's house I'd just pick it up and carry it over. Would usually have to walk for a good few minutes carrying a black kitten. Must've looked really bizarre!

I want a cat now...

Boombastic

Wouldn't walk a cat on a leash, but then I wouldn't have a cat anyway. A friend of mine walks his lamb on a leash, Twice a day.

TeddyTedson

My cat genuinely used to follow me to school and to friends houses.

shruikan2553

If its an indoor cat and you dont want it running off outdoors then it isnt too bad of an idea. People walking ferrets is normal and you are meant to do it, they need a lot of exercise so cant be kept in a cage all day.

It does take a second to realise what you are looking at as they pass though

Chuck Stone

TeddyTedson wrote: »

My cat genuinely used to follow me to school and to friends houses.

Our cat used to follow us towards school as kids too.

He probably thought 'where are the lads going? Wait for me. I want to go on an incredible adventure too'

Alas, we were going to the education camp where the adventure seeking and freedom loving cat has no place.

Smidge

ameee wrote: »

When i walk my dog my cat usually comes too. I don't put a lead or anything on him he just walks along side the dog. I didn't train him to do it he just seems to like keeping an eye on me :-) he only does it if he is chilling in the garden when i leave the house with the dog and i do get a few strange looks off people :-P

Our cat does this!!!!
i think she doesn't know she's a cat:D

On topic, my friend walks her cat on a leash, never thought it was strange tbh

Pugins

I saw a woman once with a cat in a baby harness/baby carrier- that was odd

jill_valentine

http://lolgalore.com/data/en/pic/20120806031224_snake_on_a_leash.jpg

DEFTLEFTHAND

I presume you'd have to introduce the cat to it at a very early age, there's no way an older cat would take to it.

Canis Lupus

Our cat used to follow the mother when she took the dog walking.

Or rather the cat would pounce on the dog at random intervals from the hedge along the way.

seven_eleven

That sounds adorable, op.

MurdyWurdy

We took our cat for a walk on a lead for a while. He got badly attacked by another cat and we didn't want him going off around the neighbourhood and getting into fights as he was recovering from surgery. He's not the kind of cat that can be kept in either, he was desperate to be outside. He loved it. We used to take him to the Botanic Gardens and he'd walk around, explore in bushes, climb up trees (we had an extendable lead) and then we'd all sit in the grass together and have a rest. People thought it was the maddest thing but he also became very popular. Our cat is quite laid back - I can't imagine it working for a lot of cats with different temprements. He was already a year old by the time we did it and it didn't bother him. I should see if I can dig out a photo of him.

Then, a week or two after we started I saw the neighbours walking their cat and I said "oh, you walk your cat too" but it was one of those crappy tiny tiny dogs. They were not impressed and we were never on good terms after that!

Oh and you need a special cat harness, not a normal lead and collar. They can pull at the collars and choke themselves and it's a bit uncomfortable. Cat harnesses have a collar part but also loop around their middle so it's more comfortable.

3qsmavrod5twfe

I was in San Francisco around September and I saw a weirdo walking round the place with a cat on his shoulders - I mean wearing it like a scarf. He then proceeded to get on the bus.

Granted, this was on Mission Street where earlier I had seen a pair of pants lying abandoned on the footpath to be quickly followed with a giant turd beside a tree. No dog was responsible for that particular turd.

Tar.Aldarion

Just bought two categories harnesses and a sled. This gonna be good

Franticfrank

I also saw a guy walking a cat on a leash in France. It seems to be the style there. Haven't seen it in Ireland yet though.

Frere Jacques

I used to get some pretty strange looks when I used to walk our two cats. The backround was that they were dropped into the vets as 6week old kittens as the owners got bored of them. The were due to be destroyed but my missus was having none of it. However we were living in the middle of a city at the time, in a flat just after a Y junction in a busy road. There was a small back garden and some room in the front to park the cars, the cats were always mad to get out so we went to the pet shop and bought small size dog harnesses and two leads. The cats absolutely loved it. When we left them into the small back garden we would let go of the leads and they would wander around, getting stuck every now and then but in general it worked well.
In the front we held onto the leads.
Two funny stories;
At one stage I was out with the two out the front when our new neighbour came out with their Rothwieler (no leash). The dog came charging out at us and I pulled the cats back to our door. Louis, the male, broke the light harness and charged the dog. The dog yelped and turned tail.
Louis 1, Scaredy Dog 0.
I know if the dog was familiar with his surroundings it might have been a different matter, but watching my small cat trying to flying punch a big dog was quite funny.
On another day I was out enjoying the evening sun with the cats out the front when I heard a lad upstairs at the window of the neighbouring three story house (they were all small flats). He was on the phone, his conversation went " I swear, I'm not fuggin kiddin. No, they're not dogs, they're fuggin cats....Yeah...leads...I swear to God."
Laughing I shouted up to him. "Here mate, they are on leads for your protection, they are vicious." The fact I'm 5'10" and 13 stone used to give our friends a great laugh. There was offers of electric pink jackets and bum bags to complete my "look". Still the cats were very happy, which made my wife happy which meant a happy easy life.
End of the story, both cats are now 9. We own a house with a large back garden and the cats have the full run off the place from dawn till dusk, no leads, free to come and go, and they still sleep on top of our bed in the winter.
Life is good.

MurdyWurdy

Frere Jacques wrote: »

I used to get some pretty strange looks when I used to walk our two cats. The backround was that they were dropped into the vets as 6week old kittens as the owners got bored of them. The were due to be destroyed but my missus was having none of it. However we were living in the middle of a city at the time, in a flat just after a Y junction in a busy road. There was a small back garden and some room in the front to park the cars, the cats were always mad to get out so we went to the pet shop and bought small size dog harnesses and two leads. The cats absolutely loved it. When we left them into the small back garden we would let go of the leads and they would wander around, getting stuck every now and then but in general it worked well.
In the front we held onto the leads.
Two funny stories;
At one stage I was out with the two out the front when our new neighbour came out with their Rothwieler (no leash). The dog came charging out at us and I pulled the cats back to our door. Louis, the male, broke the light harness and charged the dog. The dog yelped and turned tail.
Louis 1, Scaredy Dog 0.
I know if the dog was familiar with his surroundings it might have been a different matter, but watching my small cat trying to flying punch a big dog was quite funny.
On another day I was out enjoying the evening sun with the cats out the front when I heard a lad upstairs at the window of the neighbouring three story house (they were all small flats). He was on the phone, his conversation went " I swear, I'm not fuggin kiddin. No, they're not dogs, they're fuggin cats....Yeah...leads...I swear to God."
Laughing I shouted up to him. "Here mate, they are on leads for your protection, they are vicious." The fact I'm 5'10" and 13 stone used to give our friends a great laugh. There was offers of electric pink jackets and bum bags to complete my "look". Still the cats were very happy, which made my wife happy which meant a happy easy life.
End of the story, both cats are now 9. We own a house with a large back garden and the cats have the full run off the place from dawn till dusk, no leads, free to come and go, and they still sleep on top of our bed in the winter.
Life is good.

What a lovely story - sounds like your cats are very lucky and very loved - it put a big smile on my face Our cat now has full access to a garden etc but after another incident of getting beaten up (seriously, he's tiny and picks fights) he's scared to go far from the house. After reading this thread I may take him out for a walk this weekend.

sfwcork

I saw aguy walking a car in cork city few weeks ago,Nearly crashed my car looking

SEPT 23 1989

There was a strange man who lived in the Dublin suburbs who used to walk a duck on a lead

annascott

When I was a child, my neighbour used to take her rabbit for a walk on a lead. Sometimes I went with her. Whenever we saw a dog, she would lift the rabbit and try to hide it under her coat.

Firefox11

......and the domestication of the cat continued unabated.:)

neilthefunkeone

Sure why not bring them for a cycle too!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTLsAnxUwzQ

elleelle19

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

I presume you'd have to introduce the cat to it at a very early age, there's no way an older cat would take to it.

I was minding my parents cat one year when they went on hols, brought him to my apt and got him a harness so he could get out a bit without getting lost. He was around 6 yo at the time and he loved it, started thinking he had a bondage fetish

silvervixen84

My uncle in New Jersey takes his cat for a walk all the time. I also have a friend in Cobh who used to walk her cats around her estate on leashes.

I put a makeshift leash on my cat before and she just started walking backwards :pac:

rainbowtrout

I had a cat that took a disliking to being fed cat food and moved in with the neighbours who had taken to feeding it ham, rashers, chicken etc without my knowledge until I spotted them doing it one day. But the damage was done at that stage. She moved into the neighbours kennel with their two dogs and gets on like a house on fire with them apparently.

I see the neighbours bringing the two dogs for walks regularly on our estate and the cat is always in tow. She's not on a lead, but she always goes for the walk with them. Funny sight to see.