Not just for dogs: Cat leashes are a growing trend

Taking a cat out for a walk isn’t just a fad. In fact, the kitty harness has become the number one selling product for a Vancouver pet company.

Findus the Savannah cat hikes, paddleboards, and even goes for walks in the snow with his owner.

He’s an “adventure cat” whose outdoor escapades have captured the attention of hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.

“He is an amazing adventurer,” said Findus’ owner, Victor Okunev. He first put a harness on Findus when he was three months old, and now at four years old, the kitty is a pro.

More and more felines are getting exercise and stimulation outdoors, safely, thanks to leashes made specifically for cats. Now, it’s no longer an oddity to see a kitty going for a walk around the neighbourhood.

In fact, the phenomenon is so popular that cat harnesses outsell the dog version of the product at one Vancouver-based pet company.

“It is our top selling product right now in North America,” owner Jill Connolly told CTV News. “A lot of people live in less space now. Being in an apartment is not a lot of space for a cat to roam and to live its true nature. So, giving it a harness allows you to bring it just on a picnic that you go with them.”

RC Pets has sold nearly 500,000 Adventure Kitty Harnesses.

“Normally everyone just smiles and says how cute it is and how great it is, that my cat will never do that. To which I reply, well, you have to try,” Okunev told CTV News.

It’s best to introduce your pet to on-leash walks when it’s a kitten, but with a lot of patience, even an older cat can learn new tricks.

More information on how to leash-train your cat and keep it safe can be found on the B.C. SPCA website.

With files from CTV News Vancouver’s St. John Alexander