Spring rain and cats on leashes

What I wouldn’t give for some warm spring showers! Stomping through the puddles, holding my bright umbrella, or listening to the rain while I sip some tea and read a book. Instead, we get more snow. Western New York at its most ornery. Indeed, the more sandals I order, the more it snows. Perhaps I should stop buying sandals and open-toed shoes for the time being.

 

SO. I have decided to leash-train my cat. I actually was quite jazzed about this idea a few months ago, but then I forgot, as I am wont to do sometimes. 

 

Then, a few weeks ago, the urge to JUST DO THIS hit me hard, and before I knew it, I had spent $40 on the necessary supplies, including shipping. After the minor hiccup of the stuff not showing up with UPS saying that it was delivered (why does this keep happening to me?), I finally got the harness and the leash and the new collar and the new "Floyd" tag last week. In hindsight, it should have read, "FLOYD!"

 

I read a few informational websites about training cats on leashes, and I chuckled every time I came across the line that basically said, "Dude, no matter how much training you do, your cat might thwart your walking attempts for forever!" Because, yeah, I'm sure it's true. 

 

But I'm also sure that Floyd will do this. 

 

I thought it was pretty great that as soon as I got all of the stuff, I saw a guy walking a Siamese cat on Elmwood Ave. In hindsight, I should have asked the guy for some leash-training tips, but at the time, it just seemed like a total sign from the universe that Floyd needed to walk on a leash.

 

I have been starting slowly, getting Floyd used to the harness, which he has worn twice now. The first time he tried to moonwalk out of it, which was very amusing. A little later, he jumped into my lap to cuddle, so he obviously bears me no ill will. The second time, I showed him the harness, and he came running right over to it. And then he wore it for a few hours with no weirdness. Success! 

 

I know that getting him used to the harness is the easy part - Floyd is a cat who enjoys a collar, and maybe he thinks that the harness is a fancier, more involved collar. But I also think that his absurdly strong devotion to me will help with the leash part. Why, just yesterday I was sitting on my bed, filing my nails, and Floyd climbed up onto my back - WITHOUT USING HIS CLAWS ONCE!! - and then stretched out across my shoulders. He purred in my ear, even. Yup, that cat sure does love me.

And where love fails, I bet the judicious use of ham will succeed.