Birman Cat

    Walking dogs has long become a daily routine, but what would it be like if you took a cat out for a stroll? Taiwan’s chief animal behavior expert Dai Gengji says, according to research results, that if cats are not walked, they will never be happy in their lifetime.

  Taking dogs out for a walk is something all dog owners take for granted. But few cat owners domestically know that cats also need to be walked. However, walking cats and walking dogs are very different. Animal behavior expert Dr. Dai Gengji says that walking a dog means you hold the dog’s leash to stroll, but walking a cat means the cat leads you outside!

  The source of this difference is that cats are solitary hunting animals; they need to explore and patrol their territory. If you don’t understand how to walk a cat, the cat will lack this natural behavior its whole life. Long-term lack can lead to many abnormal behavioral problems, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, excessive grooming, hallucinations, and sensory hypersensitivity.

  Zhang Jier from the Formosa Friendly Animal Education Association also shared that among her two cats, one named Found Treasure loves to walk a lot. Every time she takes it out, she can see it happily exploring and its mood obviously improves. But it depends on the cat’s adaptability. She laughs that the other one often walks a bit then stops beside the road licking its paws, making her sunbathe by the roadside.

  Of course, walking cats is also an art. If you don’t prepare in advance or lack relevant professional knowledge, it is not recommended to take them out rashly. To ensure a safe cat walk and help the cat gradually adapt to the leash and harness, it is advised to consult professionals first and do sufficient homework so walking cats can be enjoyable.

  In the past, cats were often labeled as mysterious, dark, evil… and other words, seriously misunderstood by the general public. Especially those who have never kept cats often associate cat sounds with scary connotations. Dr. Dai Gengji says many cat owners actually don’t understand cat behavior and language very well. He said: cats’ meows can be divided into 12 types. If you understand them, you will find that cats are not mysterious, evil, or nine-lived strange cats but are elegant, independent, and cooperative with humans. (Source：PetsZone)