by Missy of Pampered Pets Pet Sitting in Columbia Maryland

How To Train A Cat To Walk With A Harness
How do you train a cat to walk on a leash? It’s easier than you may think!  These six tips tell you how.

1. You’ll need a harness that’s comfortable, sturdy and easy to put on. Cats tend to resist harnesses that slip over their heads. You’ll have better luck with one that has straps that buckle around the cat’s neck and middle. Harnesses with straps are also more secure.
2. Your cat will be more comfortable with his new harness if you leave it out for a few days so he can get used to it and it absorbs familiar scents before trying to put it on.
3. If your cat is eager to go out, sit next to the door with him and put the harness and leash on. Open the door, and tell him the two of you are going outdoors for a walk. 
4. If your cat is timid and anxious, give him some wet food or treats to distract him while you’re putting the harness on. Let him walk around with the harness on. If he seems unhappy, take it off and try again another day. Don’t give up! He’ll get used to it.
5. Attach the leash to the harness and let the cat walk around the house, dragging the leash behind him. Make sure it doesn’t get caught on anything! 
6. When your cat’s comfortable in his harness and leash, walk behind him holding the leash. Keep it slack, and don’t restrict his movement. Just let him get used to having you follow him.

When your cat is used to his harness and leash, you’re ready to  venture outdoors. Remember, this is a whole new world to him, and he might want to stay close to the door at first. But he’ll soon be ready to start exploring, taking you right along with him.
Walking On The Wild Side With Kitty
Ilmari Karonen (Own work) 
via Wikimedia CommonsI’ve been told that you can train a cat to go where you want to go by talking in a friendly voice and encouraging her to follow you. But I’ve never had much luck with this. Usually, the cat walks me — under bushes, through mud puddles, into neighbor’s yards… If we’re going in the direction of a place where we won’t be welcome or the cat will be in danger, I pick her up, and we go another way. She usually finds something just as interesting, and we’re off and running again. 

Never tug the leash to keep to her on the route you’ve chosen. The harness can come undone If you pull on the leash too hard. And one unpleasant experience could make her hate walking on a leash forever.

When you train a cat to walk on a leash, your cat will discover a whole new world that the two of you will enjoy together.
http://www.howtolivewithcats.com/how-to-train-a-cat-to-walk-with-a-harness-and-leash.html

Here is another great article on walking cats from the New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/29/garden/training-a-cat-to-walk-on-a-leash.html?pagewanted=all  

Yesterday I posted a video of a cat walking on a leash on my facebook page. www.facebook.com/pampurredpetcare
Missy and I know each other from pet sitting conventions. >^. .^<