For those who walk with leashes? Cat scared of cars?

[alicia griffin]

Does anyone's' cat get used to cars? Henry flips out when they go by and hides and won't walk anymore. And by walk I mean climbing in my hedges and yard. Do cats get used to it eventually? I want to be able to take him out places without scaring the poor guy to death.

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

I would try "walking" in a quieter area without cars for a bit to build confidence and see if that helps. I don't really know as I haven't had that reaction in my cats although the streets around here have fairly infrequent traffic when we've taken them out..

 

[WitchyWoman]

Two of mine don't mind traffic noises; two hate it and go ballistic. I stopped walking them on leash, opting instead for the safer cat stroller. All the benefits of fresh air without the potential for them to freak out and perhaps get loose. The two who are afraid of traffic understand that they are safe in the stroller and are more relaxed when cars go by.

 

[Hina]

We walk Sasha early morning or late night, when there's less traffic. It took him a while to get adjusted to cars and people. I found that it helped to 'prepare' him - I would keep talking to him and even sit next to him until the car passed. It's silly but I think he felt safer and reassured when I did that.

Now he's a dare-devil and doesn't care about the cars anymore !!!

 

[Theo & Shady's Mommy]

We walk Sasha early morning or late night, when there's less traffic. It took him a while to get adjusted to cars and people. I found that it helped to 'prepare' him - I would keep talking to him and even sit next to him until the car passed. It's silly but I think he felt safer and reassured when I did that.

Now he's a dare-devil and doesn't care about the cars anymore !!!

My experience with Theo is the same as Hina's. I live in a beach city in Los Angeles county, and there is a lot of car traffic. At first Theo was terrified, but he's gradually become more comfortable. But it's taken months and lot of patience. The key is repetition. We walk him every evening for 30-60 min, and he LOVES it. Theo is still not totally comfortable with day time walks, but he is getting better.