LouLou:

I saw your new website, and while I am a cat, I have a question that only a dog can answer, so I hope you will help me out.

My human recently bought me a leash–A LEASH–because she thought it would be fun to take me for a walk outside.  I won’t go into how ridiculous this is or how against my nature it is to be tied up to something.  But I understand dogs love to go out on a leash with their humans and actually enjoy it!  I would NEVER insult you by saying that cats are smarter than dogs–some dogs can even be civilized–but I just don’t get why it is fun to be roped up.  I have sent you a photo of me in my best pose, and a couple of photos showing my initial reactions to a leash.   I just want to lay in the grass, not walk around.  My question is, what can I do to either get used to the leash, or convince my human to throw the leash away.  Thanks for any advice you can give me.

George

Dear George

Well you ask a good question. But you raise an even bigger question. Should we- the community of dogs- entertain a question from a cat? Honestly, I did not think we should. It is hard enough to build a community of likeminded creatures without letting in outsiders. But I have actually also gotten a letter from a dog about cats.

Konrad Lorentz – the great biologist said that dogs and cats have overlapping personalities and that dog owners who do not understand the cat side of their pet and cat owners who do not understand the dog side of their pet are missing import part of their animal- and a lot of fun.

So. OK. Lets go for it. First off dogs do NOT, at first, like being on a leash and often tug in all directions. Dogs have even been known to chew through their leash! People often get us to walk on a leash by holding treats in front of noses and, by golly, we will follow those treats. But my observation is that cats are not as fixated on treats as we are. Still, you might suggest it to your person.

Getting used to the leash is not the hard part: it is an identity issue. It means thinking of yourself as part of a team with your human as the alpha. And cats, George, just are not team animals. Can you imagine a team of cats pulling a sled? Heck, you can’t even herd cats.

My advice. Drag the darn leash into some smelly part of the trash and leave it there.

But I gotta say, it was fun chatting with you. Feel free to write again. And when I post the dog’s question about cats, I would love to get your opinion on it.