Monday, March 30, 2009
Cat on a long, thin leash
Photo courtesy of Jean Miller and Steven Jacobson
Monster surveys his territory at his Blacksburg home under the guidance of Jean Miller, who co-wrote the book "Walk Your Cat: The Complete Guide."
Nona Nelson, The Happy Wag
Read Nona's blog, The Happy Wag:
Recent columns
One cold day seven winters ago, a shivering little kitten strolled through the open door of my Nashville apartment and directly into my heart. Thai curled up on my couch that day and began his comfortable life as an indoor cat.
I wouldn't have it any other way. Tiger, my childhood cat, was an outdoor kitty, and although she lived a long life, she collected her share of scars and broken bones.
No matter how nasty litter box duty can be, Thai will always be a house cat.
But he is undeniably happy when he is breathing fresh air from open windows or soaking up the sun on our screened-in porch.
How joyous would he be if he could actually prowl through the grass, feel the wind through his whiskers or stalk bugs in the garden?
Well, according to the book "Walk Your Cat: The Complete Guide," by Blacksburg couple Jean Miller and Steven Jacobson, I can teach Thai to walk with a harness and leash. The step-by-step illustrated guide covers everything from acclimating cats to a harness to how to handle the impromptu tree-climb while out on a walk.
But after I finished it, I remained unconvinced. The of idea trotting my kitty around on a leash seems almost comical.
And what would the neighbors think?
That stigma is exactly what Miller and Jacobson are trying to overcome.
The married couple live with their two cats Minnie and Monster. Miller said they have trained six cats to walk on a leash and said they hope the book will convince people that walking a cat is not unnatural or impossible.
"There's a huge stigma that it can't be done," she said. "People are kind of amazed that you can lead a cat on a leash."
Miller, an instructor and doctoral candidate in philosophy at Virginia Tech, said she and her husband decided to write and publish the book because of the questions they are asked by curious cat lovers who observe their cats on leisurely strolls around places such as the campus Duck Pond.
"We get a lot of second looks, especially from children," she said. "People assume it's a small dog."
The book's thesis is that cats benefit from the mental stimulation and physical exercise involved in leash walking while still being protected from outdoor dangers like traffic and dogs. Detailed instructions explain how to train the cat to the routine.
Critical to success, Miller said, is being consistent and vigilantly watching your cat. There is a chapter in the book dedicated to understanding the feline psyche and body language titled "Learning Catanese."
"You can't walk a cat like a dog," she said. Cats, according to the book, have to be gently encouraged with leash tugs to follow a specific direction, a technique the authors call "tuggling". Kitties will almost always resist being forcibly pulled and will respond with hissing, scratching or simply collapsing.
Cats like to feel in control. Domination techniques tailored to the hierarchal pack instincts of dogs, Miller explained, simply will not work for more independent-minded felines
On that point, Mary Marr, the animal behaviorist for the Roanoke Valley SPCA, agrees.
She said she would hesitate to recommend this type of training considering the high-strung personalities of many cats.
"It's a tricky thing because cats are just not bred for walking on a leash," she said.
Marr said simply wearing a harness may be too much for hyper-sensitive kitties.
"Some cats are more outgoing and may take to it," Marr said. "The majority of cats may not. It could stress the cat, and you have to weigh in the long run. ... Are you doing this more for the owner, or the cat?"
Miller insists it is worth the try to get your indoor cat into the great outdoors.
"We are strong proponents of cats living indoors," she said, but while indoor living creates a safe environment for kitty, she said it's really not a natural one. Leash walking is a way to let your cat safely channel his wild side.
As for Thai, I will just let the sleeping cat lie in his chair on our sunny, screened patio. Call me an overprotective pet parent, but I'd rather keep him safely in the house than engage in a battle of wills outside that I would most likely lose.
