Hello

We have a 10 month old Bengal girl. She's primarily a 'house' cat. When she was smaller she had free run of our small garden, but since she's been big enough to jump the fence (we have roads on 3 sides) we only let her out there on harness and lead.

To keep her stimulated we'd love to take her for longer walks. We live on a terrace so not much interest on the streets outside. We have seaside and mountains close by (10-15 mins), but she doesn't like to go in the cat carrier / car (though admittedly, the last time she had to was a few months ago).

We're wondering two things:

1. As she's now older and braver, might she be less stressed by the cat carrier / car?

2. Where would be good to take her, would a wide open space (where we could foresee any 'hazards') be too much to take in after only knowing our house and small garden?

Many thanks in advance.

M

Welcome to our forum! I will offer my opinion on this. First of all, most cats NEVER get used to a carrier. There are some new soft carriers and smaller ones that envelop the cat that may work better. The one thing you NEVER do is to allow your cat to have freedom in your car. The # of cats that I've seen go missing because they jump out and run the second the door is open.

As to where to walk your cat. My strong suggestion is to attempt to walk in your neighborhood. I'm fortunate that I live on a dead-end street and the side street is dead-end as well, so very little traffic. The other reason for doing this is that if your kitty ever escapes from your home, she will know where to return.

The other thing is ... you drive 10 to 15 minutes with her. She somehow gets spooked and escapes from you (pulls the leash out of your hand, escapes the harness), then she is 10 to 15 minutes from home and lost! There are many bengal owners who take their cats for long walks away from home, I could not do that with mine. He is completely familiar with our area here and he still can get spooked from the UPS/FedEx trucks, the garbage trucks, the street sweeper.

You could also cat proof your garden with the Purrfect Fence to prevent her from climbing out. They also have things like rollers, etc. that can be added. First and foremost, you want to make sure your girl is safe and sound at all times. She is still a very young kitty. Even short walks outside the fence would help her get used to sounds and things like that.

Ultimately, where you decide to take her to walk is up to you. But, definitely make sure she is comfortable walking on the harness and leash and find a quiet open area where you can scout any problems that may crop up.

Hi Sherry
Apologies for not responding sooner. Thanks so much for your message. It really made a lot of sense!! We've since taken our girl for a few short walks up and down the street, 10pm at night when no cars or people around. She really seemed to enjoy it, taking it slow and sniffing everything! Infact, I have to pick her up to bring her back into the house.
Thanks again for your helpful input.
All the best
M