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I am a dog lover. Just lost my two dogs. Stolen by my ex, unlikely to ever get them back.
So for now I got a kitten (2-3 months old. Fits in the palm of my hand).
Is it possible to train my cat to go on walks/hikes on my shoulder? She will be on a leash in case she decides to take off, but will travel on my shoulder. I won't walk her on a leash like a dog, I've seen people do that and it's just painful to watch.
Yes you can. But the hard part is not the cat sitting on your shoulder.
First you need your kitten to be perfectly comfy sitting on your shoulder / backpack. You can do this indoors, where it does not matter when / where she jumps off.
The problem probably will be the new surroundings you take your cat into. So socialise your kitten and bring her along as much as you can. Start doing that today if you can. Your cat needs to know, in its bones, that it can trust you and be save on your shoulders. Else it will not work.
May I suggest wearing something where your cat can get a good grip but will not hurt you? Leather vest of a think woollen sweater?
But in the end is it something your cat will enjoy? Some do, some don't. Hopefully you are lucky with this one.
One of my cats likes to sit on my shoulders, well, drape himself, being fully grown and about 6 kg. But he gets really scared going outside. That ends up being no joy for the both of us...
