Here is why I found the inspiration for writing on the topic do Siamese cats like walks today.
I just can’t get enough of them.
In a little while I will share different posts on Siamese cats that I have written already and you would think I must have shared everything I could.
But nope, apparently, it turns out, the more you learn about them, the more you realize how little I know about them.
And whenever, I find something I didn’t know before, I make it a point to share it straightaway with my readers.
So, the topics we are going to discuss today is do Siamese cats like walks, do Siamese cats like to go outside and if they do, can you train them to walk on a leash?
Therefore, without any ado let’s dive straight into it.
Do Siamese cats like walks? They do, actually. Owing to their bubbly, playful, energetic and most importantly inquisitive nature, they have a natural passion towards engagement and exploration. Therefore, Siamese cats tend to embrace the outside world much readily than other breeds. However, caution must be maintained to ensure they take their walks in a residential or relatively safe environment.
That should in a nutshell quench your query, but let me maintain there are a lot of insights that you need to know about a Siamese cat’s nature and their response to the outside environment if you have a query like that.
Other Articles That Are As Engaging As Siamese Cats
- Do Siamese Cats Like To Cuddle?
- Why Are Siamese Cats So Clingy?
- Why Are Siamese cats So Vocal?
- Do Siamese Cats Like To Climb?
- Pros And Cons Of Getting Two Siamese Kittens?
In the upcoming sections, let me briefly touch upon every query that follows do Siamese cats like to walk which I am pretty sure you must have, starting with,
Do Siamese Cats Like To Go Outside?
It depends from cat to cat. However, what is true is the fact that Siamese cats are very curious cat breeds. Even when they are inside you will find them exploring every corner of your house. And as such outside environment can tempt their inquisitive nature. Take them for a walk outside only if you have a secure space.
Okay so I think a little more attention needs to be given to Siamese cat’s nature and how should you manage their outside time if they crave for it.
Siamese cats are a very intelligent cat breed who need a lot of activity and engagement.
Wanting to explore their surrounding is one such activity with which they keep themselves busy.
For example, you would think your cupboard is safe and secure from their reach.
Only one day you will arrive home finding them curled up in your favorite dress with a look on their face that makes you question your own assumptions.
If they can find reasons to be so actively engaged in your borders, the outside environment is just a giant room waiting to be explored as far as they are concerned.
However, this doesn’t mean that you give them a free license to go outside whenever they wish to.
The reasoning is pretty simple, our domesticated cats are accustomed to secure and safe environment within our walls and don’t know how to respond and react to the outside world.
Of course, there are things like fresh air, sunshine and occasional playing around on snow but it is important that you establish a secure environment where they can experience outside without getting in any kind of risk.
As many as there are reasons for exploration outside, so are the inherent risks.
Depending upon where it is you live, your cat can be a subject of thievery, accident, disease or getting into territorial fights with stray cats or dogs.
And because they are raised in a domesticated ecosystem in most of these cases they wouldn’t know how to respond.
So, if your cat likes to go outside,
- You must always accompany them.
- You must always choose a secure, safe and bordered area so that they don’t run of or their tendency to explore doesn’t lead them astray.
- Try and train them to walk on a leash.
- Ensure that they don’t develop a habit to find ways to run outside. Doesn’t matter how secure you think your neighbourhood is their curious nature shouldn’t be given a free roaming license as far as areas beyond your doors are concerned.
So, in essence, Siamese may show signs of wanting to explore outside environments more than other cat breeds owing to their inquisitive and intelligent nature.
You should not suppress their exploratory instincts, but you definitely need to ensure that they are doing it in a secure environment in a controlled sense.
Can Siamese Cats Be Trained To Walk On A Leash?
As I said, if your cat demands to go outside and you find that she enjoys it, you can take her outside for a bit of sun, fresh air or chasing some random birds and squirrels.
So yes, Siamese cats being as intelligent as they are coupled with their inherent desire to explore can be easily trained to walk on a leash. And I highly recommend training them to walk on a leash if you want to take them for walk to ensure they are secure and don’t wander off too far while experiencing the outside environment.
But it is going to be your responsibility to ensure that her outing is happening in a secure space.
Places like a residential neighbourhood or a fenced backyard garden are probably your best bet.
Training your cat to walk on a leash can be an incredible way to ensure your cat is secure during her outing and doesn’t wonder off where she shouldn’t.
Of course, not all cats enjoy being on a leash, however, Siamese cats are a bit different in this regard.
You must have listened to many owners comparing them to a dog in terms of her behavior and demeanour.
They do share a lot of traits with the dogs but at the end they will always be cats and must be treated as such.
They are intelligent creatures who are well known to enjoy the outside environment and the fact that they have had experience of roaming free beyond domesticated walls in Thailand where they originated, gives us a solid ground to work with them in order to train them to walk on a leash.
But once again every cat is different, your cat may and probably will respond to leash in a different way than some other cat and you need to act as per that.
Never force it on her if it isn’t happening without resistance. Or it can lead to her developing bad behavioral patterns.
You will need some time, some patience and some understanding if you find her posing some resistance.
But with the steps I am going to relay below you should be able to train her to walk on a leash.
How To Train A Siamese Cat To Walk On A Leash?
So, you if want to take your cat outside for walks, its imperative that you do so by ensuring her security and safety.
One great way to ensure that your cat is close to you and doesn’t accidently wanders off to places she shouldn’t, is by putting her on a leash.
We now know that Siamese cats can be trained to walk on a leash. But the question that now needs to be resolved is how exactly can you train your Siamese cat to walk on a leash.
Let me show you some steps that you can in order to train your cat to walk on a leash.
One important thing to note here is that every cat is different and your acts need to change depending on your cat’s personality, but the basic idea is going to remain the same.
Take your time, make her see that the harness isn’t something she needs to be scared of, and eventually put the harness and the leash on her followed by some love and affection from your side.
1. Develop A Bond With Her.
Yup, you read that right. In order for her to be comfortable outside she needs to be comfortable with your presence and way of being. In a previous article on this blog, I explained what cats think of when they see you in details. The short version is they in a way start seeing you as an extension of themselves once they have accepted their coexistence with you. That’s to say they start seeing you as their family who nurtures and protects them.
Getting close to a Siamese cat is one of the easiest things you will ever have to do given they do most of the job.
They are an eager, loyal, affectionate and playful cat breed that love attention and engagement.
So, it’s very important that before you take her outside, she has started looking at you as a safe haven she can run of too if she feels threatened.
If you have just adopted a Siamese cat or if she is still a little kitten don’t take her outside.
Familiarize her with her new domesticated ecosystem and let her become used to her new indoor surroundings first, before exposing her to the outside world.
2. Ensure She Has Been Vaccinated
Once again, a very important preliminary step that you need to ensure you have taken. As safe as you think your neighbourhood is it isn’t averse to pests, insects and infections.
So, if your cat hasn’t had her flea, tick, heartworm vaccinations, don’t risk taking her outside.
One issue is she becoming a carrier of pests, insects or infections that she can bring into your home and a bigger problem would be her developing infections that could potentially be fatal for her.
Therefore, check with the nearest vet for vaccinations and necessary treatments before you expose her to the world outside.
3. Getting her Used To Being In And Around The Leash
The first most obvious thing that you will need to do is making her accustomed to the leash. You have to make her see that leash isn’t something to be scared about.
She shouldn’t have any negative experiences around her or she will never assent to having a leash around her.
One good way to do this is making her used to a leash from when she is a little kitten because as they grow older and develop strong sense of likes and dislikes it becomes harder training them.
Feed them their favorite treats before heading out or putting the leash on them so that they associate the whole going out event with a pleasant experience.
Some people also keep the leash close to their food for positive reinforcement.
The whole idea behind this act is to make them understand that the leash isn’t something they should be scared of or resist.
4. Securing The Leash On Your Siamese Cat
After it is clear that your cat isn’t posing any resistance to the presence of a leash, its time to see if she will put it on.
Engage her with her favorite treat and put the harness over her loosely, don’t latch it up yet.
We want to see how she reacts. Even if she doesn’t resist, I would recommend not securing it straight away.
Depending on what kind of harness you have, having an external entity on their body can cause them to feel discomfort in the initial days.
So be patient, take a few days to study their reaction and for their resistance if any, to dull down.
What you can also try to do is put the harness just before her mealtime, the little change of experience they will feel can be mitigated by the distraction offered by her getting busy with her food.
This will also in a subtle way stop her from associating the harness as something negative or from trying to take it off.
So, its all about being a little patient and trusting the process of getting her used to her harness. Once you get her used to putting on the harness you are going to feel really good when you take her outside knowing that she is secure.
5. Selecting The Right Harness
Goes without saying, you can’t just pick any harness and attach it to your cat’s collar.
Cats are much more agile than dogs and they can take off at surprisingly fast rates once they find something that interests them outside.
Their reflexes are known to reach speeds of 30mph and are considered to be roughly 1.5 times to that of dogs.
And you can bet they will find things to explore and chase after in the outdoor environments.
And as such you need to choose the right harness and leash for your cats if you want to take them outdoors.
Reading reviews on any harness that you have your eyes on is a good way to go. Let me quickly lay out some of my favorite ones.
Once you have taken your pick and ensured that they are comfortable with it, put it on.
Remember, the harness should be moderately tight around your cat. It shouldn’t be too tight that it causes a lot of discomfort to your cat and yet it shouldn’t be too loose that your cat slips out of it.
A good gauge will be using your fingers. The harness should be just tight that you can slip your little finger easily beneath it.
If you can slip three fingers beneath it and it still feels spacious, the harness is probably too loose.
Because Siamese cats love engagement, affection and pets, giving them some attention and love after they have put on the harness will make them drop any resistance or hesitation they might pose while putting it on.
6. Do A Trial Walk In A Protected Space
Once your cat has become comfortable with her harness, its time to allow her to get comfortable walking in it.
So, what I suggest is practicing walking her indoors or backyard first, before you take her outside.
Just try and get used to how it feels walking your cat and how she responds to the leash in action.
You can even try and leave the harness on while she is being her normal self in the house to get her feel more comfortable with it.
The whole idea behind doing a trial run before you take her outside is seeing how your cat handles being on the leash.
As I have mentioned it already, walking cats on a leash is different than walking a dog and you need to be ready and aware for the sudden reactions and scares that may occur during her walks.
The more practice you have had the more at ease you will feel when you take her outside for a walk.
7. Taking Her Outside
Once she starts seeing her harness and leash as a part of herself, I think you are ready to introduce her to the outside world.
Remember you are taking your cat outside to allow her exploratory instincts to find expression.
Therefore, try and find areas where she can find shrubs, trees, grasses to sniff and explore.
Avoid, densely populated areas where there are a lot of noises or sudden scares as there are chances it will do more harm than good.
As open as Siamese cats are to engagement and activity, they aren’t immune to scares caused by noises and strangers.
Many cats in these kinds of situations either run off or find spaces to hide from where they resist coming out of.
Because Siamese cats aren’t opposed to strangers, activity and involvement, there is a good chance she will adapt to the outside walks relatively easily and quickly.
But there are chances that she may want to resort back to their secure indoor environment first few times when they are exposed to the new outdoor environment.
If something like that happens, its fine and completely normal. In such cases, don’t rush taking her outside. Start small, in a quiet environment and in the beginning just expose her to the outside environment for a few minutes.
Once you see she is becoming comfortable, stretch the boundaries and time frame further and with time she will start enjoying her time outside.
FAQs
I hope I was able to provide the necessary comprehension to your queries on do Siamese cats like to climb and how to train Siamese cats to walk on a leash.
However, let me end this article with some frequently asked questions that I often receive in relation to Siamese cats.
I think in context to other queries that I have addressed here like do Siamese cats like walks, do Siamese cats like going outside and how to train Siamese cats to walk on a leash these answers will give you some more insights.
Do Siamese Cats Like To Climb?
Yes, Siamese cats owing to their bubbly, playful, energetic and curious personality enjoy climbing high spaces and vantage points. Therefore, their domesticated environment must essentially contain accessories like high cat trees, perches and shelves placed in strategic locations so that their tendency to climb finds expression.
Taking them outside in an environment where there are a lot of trees, shrubs and high grass is also going to do them a world of good and help develop them as finely adjusted pets.
Can Siamese Cats Be Left Alone?
Siamese cats aren’t the type of cat breeds that you should leave alone for a long stretch of time. They are active cat breeds that enjoy and even crave social engagement and attention. Leaving them alone for long hours can render them developing separation anxiety and boredom. That’s why many owners recommend getting Siamese cats in pairs.
Two Siamese cats form excellent partners where they will engage, involve, play, chase and keep each other busy which is a big requirement for a highly sociable breed like a Siamese cat.
It doesn’t necessarily need to be another Siamese cat of course as they are known to get along really well with dogs, other cats, pets and even kids.
So, as long as you are giving them an environment where they can engage and play around with, you will have a very happy, sweet, affectionate companion in your home.
Do Siamese Cats Wander?
Yes, because Siamese cats are such curious cat breeds, it’s entirely possible that in absence of active supervision their instincts will lead them to wander places they shouldn’t. And because they are known for not being street savvy, they can even get lost. Therefore, it is very important to make them comfortable in their own home before taking them outside.
Plus, a home that houses a Siamese cat must be such that it invites them to engage, play around and express her curious instincts within the household.
This will keep their inquisitive nature in check and it wouldn’t overpower her to find reasons and ways to go outside.
This can be done by actively engaging her with toys, love, attention and pets.
You can also try and setup high trees, perches and shelves in strategic places so that she has spaces to roam around and explore within the house.
And even after all this she craves going outside you can train her to walk on a leash as explained above and take her outside for a walk in secure and protected enviroenments.
Okay so with that we are at the end of this post on do Siamese cats like walks and how you can train them to walk on a leash.
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Take care of yourselves and your Siamese cat and I will see you in the next one!
Tada!
