Walking a cat – is it worth it, is it possible? 2 benefits, 6 drawbacks, and 6 tips

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Wielu opiekunów kotów zastanawia się, czy warto wychodzić z nimi na spacery and whether a walk with a cat is a good idea. And we too quite often get this question from the new families of our kittens.

Let us check the pros and cons of going outside with a cat and what to pay attention to if you decide on such a step.

Dodatkowo temat ten pojawił się po naszym występie w Dzień Dobry TVN, gdzie staraliśmy się odpowiedzieć na pytanie Marcina Prokopa „dlaczego koty raczej nie powinny wychodzić z domu” (zadał je w nagraniu od 6:25 i potem 7:15).

Do wpisu zainspirowała nas też dr Weronika Penar, kocia behawiorystka prowadząca stronę i blog Purr Science Naukowo o kotach, która w ostatnich dniach na swoim serwisie w Facebook opublikowała dwa posty o wadach i advantages of going out with a cat. We highly recommend reading them, with us it will be brief whereas Weronika described it in a more thorough way.

Kilka mitów i faktów o wychodzeniu kotów

There are many myths concerning cats going outside and many people are not aware of the dangers lurking there.

💡Koty wychodzące (bez opieki) często ulegają wypadkom, zostają pogryzione lub otrute

💡Koty wychodzące (bez opieki) negatywnie działają na środowisko decimating populations of small animals (it is their natural hunting instinct)

💡Cats are not dogs – they do not need to „run off” their energy or „get to know new places”

💡But yes – cats need stimuli, challenges, stimulation and play (especially Devon Rexes)

Dlatego my zawsze naszym nowym rodzinom bardzo mocno odradzamy wypuszczanie kotów samych (a wręcz nawet na tyle na ile można – zabraniamy tego).

Sugerujemy również raczej nie wychodzić z nimi na smyczy czy w wózku, but here we do give a few tips, if someone really wants to do it and it genuinely gives the cat pleasure (more on that in a moment). However, if you want to know why and what the pros and cons of it are – then read on.

Wady i zagrożenia

❌ Stres – not every cat likes going out; many cats feel uncomfortable outside the home and may experience strong stress or fear of noise, other animals or unfamiliar surroundings. The same applies to getting used to a harness/leash – most cats don't like restricted movement.

❌ Problemy behawioralne – some cats after walks may become overactive, aggressive, start to mark territory in the home…

❌ Ryzyko ucieczki – even with a lead and harness there is a risk that the cat will break free and run away if it gets frightened. Many times we have seen adverts from people searching for cats that broke free from them like that.

❌ Pasożyty i choroby – contact with grass, soil or other animals increases the risk of infection with parasites (fleas, ticks) or viruses carried by wild cats. With an outdoor cat (especially unsupervised) it is definitely worth vaccinating the cat against rabies!

❌ Agresywne zwierzęta i ludzie – on a walk a cat may meet dogs, other cats and other animals, which may not react to it in a friendly way. People also behave in various ways (even children who seemingly like cats can harm them). A cat may also eat things unsuitable for it (rather by accident, but still).

❌ Rutyna – cats need routine; if we go out with it once, it will want to go out regularly. And if we don't do that, its frustration will grow, and it will try to slip out at every opportunity or manifest its dissatisfaction (e.g. by scratching the door or the wall next to the exit).

Pamiętajcie, że taki spacer powinien być przyjemnością przede wszystkim dla kota, so if you go out with it and see symptoms of stress (it breaks free, cowers, hides under a bush, meows throatily) – then zdecydowanie odpuśćcie sobie te spacery, bo mogą się one okazać przyjemnością tylko dla Was (i to pozorną).

Zalety spacerów z kotem

✅ Stymulacja i rozrywka – the cat gets to know new smells (it can exchange them, sniff around), new sounds and surroundings. However, all this is not necessary for the cat to function and you can provide it with similar stimulation and entertainment at home.

✅ Alternatywa dla kotów niewychodzących – if a cat lives in a flat, walks can be a way to give it contact with something new (nature) without exposing it to dangers. Especially for cats that desperately want to get out of the house (and have a tendency to escape). But in this context we also recommend reading the paragraph „What instead of walking your cat?” below.

Jak bezpiecznie wychodzić z kotem?

All right, you have read the disadvantages and advantages. So now the responsibility for the decision rests on you as the carer.

Jeśli nadal mimo wszystko chcecie wychodzić z kotkiem – to przeczytajcie te kilka wskazówek jak robić to bezpiecznie:

• Wybierz odpowiednie szelki – an ordinary collar is not suitable for walks! Cats easily free themselves from it. Choose a well-fitted harness, preferably in a „vest” style.
• Trenuj w domu – before you go outside, let the cat get used to the harness and lead at home.
• Znajdź spokojne miejsce – the first walks should take place in a quiet, safe environment, e.g. on the housing-estate lawn or in the garden.
• Nie zmuszaj kota – if a cat evidently does not want to go out, it is not worth forcing it to do so. Some cats simply prefer to stay at home.
• Zabezpiecz kota przed pasożytami – before going out take care of regular deworming and protection against fleas and ticks, and a rabies vaccination is also advisable.
• Obserwuj zachowanie kota – if on a walk the cat seems stressed or frightened, it is better to go back home and try another time, or give up altogether.

Oh and one more thing – we do not demonise going out with a cat, and we know that niektóre koty bardzo to lubią (here again the individual character of each individual speaks up), we also know a number of examples where both the cat and the owner are very glad of it. But that raczej wyjątki od reguły i wolimy, żebyście znali nasze zdanie w tym temacie.

Co zamiast wychodzenia z kotem?

If we make the decision that we will not go outside with the cat (which we recommend), then we can przybliżyć mu trochę naturalnego otoczenia.

Jest na to kilka sposobów:

• A netted balcony (let us remember not to let the cat out onto the balcony if we do not have netting!)
• Dedykowane miejsce na oknie do obserwacji (uwaga na uchylne okna!)
• Zabudowany taras (jak u nas na zdjęciach niżej)
• A dedicated aviary in the garden (if only you have the space and funds – it is a great thing!)
• A properly prepared whole garden (with netting protecting against getting out)

These situations are ideal in that we have an “outdoor” cat (doing it safely, in accordance with its biological rhythm and additionally benefiting from these advantages of going outside), but we do it in an environment that is controlled and safe for it.