Anything is Paw-sible
Story by Caroline Gillen
Photos taken by Ellie Habel and Katie Limberg
Who says leashes are for dogs alone?
Pictured is Katie Limberg, third-year student at Ohio University and owner of Apollo the cat in Athens, Ohio on Aug. 29, 2022.
Photo by Ellie Habel
Apollo likes to spend his time catching bugs and trying to befriend the squirrels on Ohio University’s campus. Apollo, and other cats, can bring comfort to their owners. Katie Limberg, Apollo’s owner and a junior studying English and creative writing, has been leash training Apollo to introduce him to life outside of the walls.
Limberg takes Apollo on various adventures such as walks around campus and even occasionally they go for a hike in Hocking Hills. Leash training a cat may seem tedious, but with patience and effort, it can be done. Limberg wanted a hiking cat before adopting Apollo and has seen people walk their cats on campus.
“When you adopt a cat, you get a harness that fits them and then you just start putting it on them for playtime and mealtime and let them wear it around the house until they get over themselves,” Limberg says. “But then eventually they get used to it.”
Once the cat gets used to the harness, then the leash can be added, Limberg says. Similar to the harness, she advises to keep the leash on and let the cat drag it around the house so that they can get used to the weight of it.
“And then after that, you can start introducing [your cat] to outdoor environments,” Limberg says.
Some may consider it odd to see a cat walking on a leash like a dog, but it has become more normal since social media introduced the idea to people.
Apollo wears both a harness and leash when he hikes outside. Apollo’s favorite spot on campus is the grassy area located outside of East Green.
Addie King, a junior studying early childhood education and a cat owner, mentions first being introduced to the cat walking phenomenon through TikTok.
“I see a lot of hiking TikTok’s with cats and I have tried once or twice walking my cats,” King says.
TikTok has become a common place for cat owners to share their cat walking and hiking experiences. Some of these cats have hiked into Internet stardom via the platform.
One popular TikTok cat is Uno, @one_eared_uno, whose account has 2.4 million followers. Uno’s owner, Kat Curtis, posts videos showcasing her and Uno’s walks where he happily interacts with other cats, dogs and humans.
Holly Garcia, @travelcatmom, also displays her two cats, Bean and Meister, on various platforms. She even has a specific section on these platforms dedicated to cat leash training tips.
On TikTok, Garcia shares the importance of connecting the leash to a harness rather than the cat’s collar to avoid injury. She also expresses that walking a cat is nothing like walking a dog. According to Blue Cross, cats are naturally cautious and tend to “explore the outside at a pace that feels right and safe for them.”
Garcia also creates full-length training videos on YouTube, where she takes people through all the steps to properly train and prepare their cats for walks and hikes. Garcia’s YouTube is the perfect starting place for those interested in learning how to leash train.
“I would enjoy walking my cats on a leash if they enjoyed the outdoors,” King says. “I have tried a few times and they have primarily just laid down and did not move or it scared them. I do not think it is easy, but it is doable.”
King’s cat struggled to get comfortable on a leash, but some cats yearn for the nature to which they were exposed. According to Four Paws International, an organization dedicated to encouraging humans to treat their animals with respect and empathy, when a cat “develops a taste for walks on a lead, it will start demanding to be taken out.”
Limberg shares her best piece of advice for people who succeed with walking and hiking with their cat. It’s important to find the right “currency” because they may be persuaded to go for a walk, Limberg says. Treats, for example, are effective in motivating cats because they help them become more comfortable on walks ad hikes. Other currency works too, such as toys.
Apollo is an Ohio University local cat that has been leash trained. Apollo enjoys hiking around campus and Hocking Hills State Park.
Photo taken in Athens, Ohio, on Aug. 29, 2022.
“My cat is not food-motivated at all, which is really difficult because a lot of the things online are like, train them with treats” Limberg says. “For [Apollo], I had to find a certain toy that he likes [and] that he’ll follow around on his leash.”
It may take some time and extra determination, but every cat owner should figure out what works best for their individual pet in order for leash walking to be an enjoyable experience for both parties.
“Be really patient. Cats are different than dogs,” Limberg says. “Dogs will kind of do what you want them to with the right amount of training and some cats are just very obstinate. But I think that [cats] are all trainable if you have enough patience with them.”