Cats on Leashes: Trend or Welfare?

0:00On April 5th, cats on leashes are blowing up on TikTok and Instagram, with adventure felines paddle boarding, hiking mountains and strolling beaches. Urban dwellers, especially young folks and apartments, use harnesses to give their indoor cats safe outdoor fun without traffic risks or fights. Over 4,500 members strong, the UK Catwalkers Facebook group shows this trend is real. Owners like 22-year-old vet student Alana from Cardiff started after seeing videos, turning her kitten Rue from house-bound to zoomies on a lead. It took months of patient training, but now Rue chirps and dashes happily outside. Experts are split cat pros like Emily Blackwell say, it can work if the cat digs it, but it's not for everyone. Vets in groups like cats protection, worn against forcing it, pick a confident, curious kitty and watch for stress like ears down or lagging behind. Clicker training with treats helps build good habits at the cat's pace. Other owners embrace it for city safety, training extras like recall or safe spots and

1:04backpacks while skipping it for older or shy cats. Social media pushes some too hard for likes, but responsible folks read body language and stop when needed. Bottom line, if your cats tails up and they're exploring willingly, harness walks boost moods for both of you. Just keep welfare first over viral. Fame