OK, I know I've made a rod for my own back.

Layla the Persian cat lines up with the dogs when they are waiting to have their leads on for a walk. She has to be restrained from coming with us. So I thought it would be a good idea to put her in a harness & take her with us. Either she'd hate it and not mither me anymore or she'd trot along with the dogs.

No. She loves it, but hates being on a lead. Like I'd let her off. The compromise should be a long line but as you can imagine, we come across a LOT of other dogs when we walk. Most of whom are either fascinated by a cat or 'aggressive' towards a cat so she has to stay on a short lead so I can quickly scoop her up.

At random intervals though the walk she decides she wants to play and throws herself on her back chewing the lead. So I have to carry her.

She finds EVERYTHING fascinating. Stopping to let the boys pee is nothing compared to stopping to let Lay sniff, roll or chew.

As she loves her walkies, I'd hate to stop them. But she adds stress to what was a peaceful, pleasant walk.

I know some people walk cats successfully, so any one here got any tips/experience?

Aww, I have no tips lol but she sounds lovely I have never heard of a cat liking to go out for walks, especially with dogs

I do take my cats for walks (& have always done so with the late departed cats as well) but mostly to teach them about the local area, give them a patrol route & show them the way home if they wander. But I've never been brave enough to try to take them walking with the dogs! With the dogs I usually just load them into the car & off we go so the cats have never been interested in joining us.

As I live in a quiet close with a large area of grass outside I just confine their walks to going round the green, visiting a garden with a huge catnip plant (which all the local cats take in turn to use) & generally playing outside with them. I don't bother with a harness & lead as the cats' recalls are pretty good & they can always scoot home quickly & safely if they get spooked by anything. I have had one of the cats & one of the dogs both chasing the same twig across the green ~ the cat always wins!

To make life easier for you could you walk Layla separately from the dogs? I know you said she lines up with the dogs for a walk but perhaps if she gets used to just going for shorter distances for 10 minutes or so on her own, this may be enough to satisfy her?

Sounds like a sight to behold SM... I bet your little family look so cute all going for walkies together

One of my neighbours used to walk her dog in the park across the road every day and her cat would tag along too (lease-less), it was so very sweet.

I tried to harness my little one just the once and she went beserk - so the harness is now one of her "toys" and she loves to attack it... So sorry I have no practical advice!!

Can you maybe take Layla's on her "own" little walk? Or does she like to go witht he dogs? If so maybe walk her every other day witht ham? Or fit in a small extra walk daily where she can tag along?

Yeah, I think walking on her own is the way to go.

I left her behind this morning - she looked so disappointed And was very vocal - almost like saying, "You've forgotten me!!"

There is a field and public footpath behind the house, I usually cut through it on the other path to get to the fields and woods behind but rarely take the path behind the houses. It is too short a walk and the dogs have to stay on lead because of the horses. Probably ideal for Layla.

I'm working from home today, but when I go to the office she comes for a kiss after I kiss son and OH goodbye. She is a weird little cat.

When I walk our 2 dogs, we are generally joined by one of our cats trotting along a few paces behind. She'll hide if a stranger comes along, and then pop out of the bushes and catch up!

I presume your cat is an indoor cat, so I don't really have any advice as to whether you could trust it off the harness or not. Cats get to know their territory very well and will patrol regularly. It's nice to get the whole pack out together!

I have had two cats who have come for walks with me without leads.

One was so clever,he would wait for us to go into park when we were kids as it did not interest him and then rejoin us when we left.

I don't let my Impossible Princess do the same as there are more cars on the road.

We used to have a dog, and one of the cats would always come with me when I took him for a walk round the field in the evenings. The cat would mess around, rushing up trees and sniffing everything, but he always caught up with us and came into the house when we got back. I've currently got a Maine Coon, who's a house cat, and I'd love to take him out on a lead, but he's not having any of it!

Would a papoose work? She might like it if 90% of the thrill of the walk is seeing the sights, and she could be allowed to have a run around when suitable.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lEwBMaGaG4...at+papoose.jpg

My cat would be in my hair within 90 seconds

My two love it, always have done. One is more enthusiastic than the other but they both enjoy it. The only problem is people with dogs. I always carry their carrier with me in case a situation may arise. I stay away from doggy areas though. Your cats may be ok but other dogs may not and people who walk 6 dogs at a time (you know who you are!) end up with a pack of wolves and the poor little cat is easy prey on a leash.

I can imagine.

I've seen cat harnesses on sale, displayed wrapped around a life-size cardboard cut-out bearing a photograph of a ginger-ish cat. The expression on the cat's face is something to behold - a cold and furious stare that conveys the message "as soon as I'm out of this thing, no ornament will be safe, no wallpaper will remain unscratched, and you can expect to step in something very unpleasant when you next get out of bed".

You take your cats out for walks and you take the cat carrier with you?? Surely not every day?

Sounds like more of an ordeal than anything else

I didn't say how often I take them out and the carrier is not a standard carrier. It's actually a lot of fun.

Not an ordeal at all. Don't knock what you haven't tried.

Got no advice. But she sounds adorable.

(I've got a dumb but lovable dog and she would definitely go nuts if she saw a cat on a walk. Doesn't make her bad - she was drawn that way.)

Tried walkies on her own - was actually quite nice.

We walked though the horse paddock behind the house - no dogs, pretty short walk. She enjoyed it. Dogs were disappointed to be left behind. Took the dogs - she comes over to join us. But because she had already had a walk, I didn't feel bad.

Of course today with the bad weather - Layla didn't want to know

my two have a double decker pet stroller koppa would not demean himself to walk on a lead

Glad to hear Layla enjoyed her walkies ~ nothing like your undivided attention.

I usually take my cats for their walks when the dogs are having their bones in the garden in the evenings ~ that way the dogs are distracted (OH watches out that Barney doesn't get more than his fair share of the bones!) so the dogs probably don't even notice I've gone.

On the odd occasion I've taken Barney with me I ended up with both cat & dog chasing the same stick! Cat won.

I was sitting have a coffee one day with a friend in our town centre, overlooking the bottom level. I noticed a family with a 'dog' on a lead, but as they got closer I realised that it wasn't a dog at all but a very large white cat, walking quite happily beside them on a harness. I've never seen that before.