Cat walking - TikTok fad or good pet ownership?

Roo has her harness on and her owner Alana Kestle has her lead in hand - the pair are ready to go out for a walk. Except Roo is a cat and she is far from the only puss heading out for walkies. TikTok and Instagram have seen an explosion of adventure cat content over the past few years - pets perched on paddleboards, scaling mountains or trotting on beaches. With more young people living in flats in cities, supervised outdoor time allows their cats to get outdoor enrichment without the risk of being run over, say owners. Cat expert Emily Blackwell said, while she does not condemn the practice, she also does not recommend it - adding that it depends on the cat and owner to make it a success. Cats Protection urged would-be owners to choose a cat that can "thrive within the environment and lifestyle you can offer rather than attempting to force the cat to adjust". "I would say the majority of cat owners that are putting in the weeks and months of time to harness train, slowly get them used to the backpack and taking them out are good owners who are wanting to keep their cats safe," said Alana. When Roo was first adopted by 22-year-old Alana and her partner, both from Cardiff, the littl

Apr 5, 2026 → Apr 5, 2026