I once semi-successfully trained my cat to walk around my backyard on a leash- he would walk around okay for a while, and even climb trees here and there while tethered to me below. But you could tell he was holding back, and it only made him want to run away more when the leash was off.
My mission to leash my cat would have been more successful had I watched these videos by Doug Meyers of Berkeley, California, and then I could have taken my cat everywhere just like he does.
Doug's videos reveal how he trained his Ragdoll cat Eduardo to walk on a leash by taking him out of his comfort zone:
Using a knapsack was my key discovery in getting Eduardo to go for long walks. He was reluctant to walk away from his home territory. He was uncomfortable doing that it was a hard direction for him to walk in. The easy direction is toward home. By using the knapsack I carry Eduardo away from his home territory and when I put him down he has a natural goal or purpose for his walk, which is to get home. Once I began using the knapsack to carry him, he started to walk almost like a well-trained dog, moving right along
Man, strolling around Berkeley in the spring with a cat on a leash, life does not get much more chill than that!
-Via Laughing Squid