‘Cat on a lead’ trend is causing pets distress, RSPCA warns
PET owners should stop walking their cats on leads, because they become stressed and agitated when they “lose control”, the RSPCA has warned.
A growing number of pet owners are walking their cats on leads in an attempt to give them more “enrichment”, the charity says – but doing so is likely to do more harm than good.
With many cats cooped up indoors for prolonged periods, particularly in urban towns and cities, there has been a drive in recent years to provide them with more freedom.
Marleen Maathuis, an actress, and Tim Van Cromvoirt, an interior designer, from south London, took their Maine coon cat, Ash, on a three-day walking holiday to Snowdonia.
Ms Maathuis said that because the cat was unable to roam freely at home, they had trained it on a lead and regularly take it on walks across the capital. “Just because we live in a flat and haven’t got a garden, we didn’t want him to miss out on the beauty of life,” she said.
“Cats are curious animals, they like exploring. It would be a shame if he just stayed indoors because of the busy roads. In London, we see it often, people walking ferrets, rabbits – we even saw a guinea pig on a leash in the park recently.”
However, the RSPCA warns that this trend could have the opposite of the desired effect, because forcing cats to walk with a collar or harness removes their “sense of control”. Unlike dogs, which eagerly await their daily walk, cats are more territorial and are likely to become agitated when forced into new environments.
An RSPCA spokeswoman said: “It may be more difficult for cats to move away or hide from anything which might scare or worry them. Therefore the RSPCA wouldn’t recommend that cats are walked outside in this way.
“For most cats, taking steps to provide an indoor environment which has plenty of opportunities to be active and mentally stimulated is likely to be more beneficial for the cat’s welfare than walking them on a lead.”
Some animal behaviourists disagree. Laura Moss, the founder of the website Adventure Cats, said: “Taking a cat outside can be great for a cat’s mental and physical health.
“Many indoor cats simply don’t receive enough stimulation and they may suffer from obesity or boredom-related behavioural problems.”