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Sitting in a room all day can be very boring for your cat so why not do something to help them kill some of that boredom? Going to the park is a great way to do this. Though you need to know some things before you do this and you do need a harness and a leash its pretty easy and fun to do.
Should I Walk My Indoor Cat Outside?
Though it seems like a bad idea to put your cat in a harness walking your cat can be a fun experience for not only you but your cat as well. You cat however might not like the idea at first and may get scared to be in a harness but they will grow to enjoy it over time. Some cats might act stubborn and never get used to it. If you want to know how to walk a cat you can read my guide on that here “How To Leash Train A Kitten: A Complete Guide“.
Do Parks Allow Cats?
Some parks don’t really allow pets (particularly national parks) so you might want to look up if your park allows your pet or not.
Getting A Cat Harness
If you are going to take your cat to the park a cat harness and leash are highly recommended when doing this. If you get a cat harness the vest types are the best way to go as they are the most secure and way they are way less likely to break out of them. If you don’t have a harness or leash yet you could go with “Kitty Holster Cat Harness (click here for the chewy.com link)” and “Blueberry Pet Classic Solid Nylon Dog Leash (Click here for the chewy.com link)“.
I also have an article on harnesses you can read here “Best Cat Harnesses You Can Buy“.
If you want to walk your cat without a harness I would only do this in very quiet parks where there isn’t anything that will spook them so you don’t have to go looking for your cat afterwards.
Cat Backpacks
If your cat is one of those types of cats that despises leashes but you still want to take them outside you could try getting a cat backpack. Its a type of backpack you can slip your cat into and you can carry them around. because they are so enclosed cats tend to like these things. You can read my article on that here “Best Cat Backpacks That I Recommend“.
Before Going In The Park
Before you walk in the park its probably a good idea to walk around your house first to let them get used to being outside. Once you get the hang of it indoors try doing it around your house/apartment. Once some time goes by your cat should get the hang of it and that’s when I would try this at the park.
Walking In The Park
When you are at the park here are some things I would consider when you are there:
1: Watch out for dogs or other predators
Cats are natural prey for dogs so you want to make sure you don’t see any around so you cat end up getting hurt or even killed. Other animals that could be a problem is hawks or coyotes so be careful about animals like this as well.
2: Go to quiet spots or non busy parks
When you are walking your cat its probably best to go to a quieter area or even a park that doesn’t have a lot of people around. This will make your cat cat feel more comfortable especially if they never have done this before
3: Let them explore the area
Don’t try to control where they walk by tugging the leash around but more of the lines follow them if they want to do a specific thing. Let them smell things, climb trees etc. You aren’t walking your cat your cat is walking you.
4: Don’t let them attack animals
When you are at the park with your cat don’t let them kill animals like bird, mice, rabbits etc. They can do that on their own time
5: Food and water
If you are going to be there for very long period of time it would be a good idea to bring food and water with you.
6: Give them treats
When you are walking them at the park giving them treats periodically would be a good idea as walking around for long periods of time burns energy so it doesn’t hurt to give them some food. It will also associate the walk with something positive so they will want to do it more.
Conclusion
Walking might be hard to do in the beginning as cats are very sensitive to changes in their environment but if you give it time them will enjoy the experience over time.
