The Flexi New Classic Cord Retractable Cat Lead is a 3 metre cord lead in flexi's smallest size, rated for cats up to 8 kg, for supervised outdoor time on a harness.

Key Features

• 3 m of thin cord, rated for cats up to 8 kg
• One-handed brake with a permanent stop, so the cat can be held close when something startles it
• The XS casing is the lightest flexi makes, which matters when the animal on the other end weighs four kilos
• Four colours: black, blue, red and pink
• Made in Germany by flexi, part of Bogdahn International in Bargteheide, which invented the retractable dog lead and has been building them since 1973

Walking A Cat

• Use a properly fitted cat harness, never a collar. A cat can back out of a collar in a second, and a cord attached to a cat's neck is dangerous
• Let the cat wear the harness indoors for a week or two before going anywhere. Most cats freeze or flatten the first few times
• Go out into a quiet, enclosed space first — a garden or a courtyard, not a street
• Keep it locked short. Three metres of slack cord and a startled cat is how cats get tangled or bolt into a road
• Pick the cat up rather than pulling it if something frightens it. A cord round a cat's legs is a real injury risk
• Do not tie the lead to anything, ever, and never leave the cat unattended on it

Using A Retractable Lead Safely

• flexi's own instructions say never to grasp the cord, and never to wind it around any part of your body. Nylon under load gives friction burns, and this is the injury most often associated with retractable leads
• Hold it in your hand and nothing else. flexi states the lead should never be used to tie an animal up, and never used other than by hand
• Keep it locked short near roads, car parks and blind corners, and bring the cat in close whenever people or dogs approach. flexi says the permanent stop is for exactly that
• Do not let go of the handle. A dropped handle retracts noisily and chases the animal, and a frightened cat then bolts
• flexi states children should not be allowed to use these leads
• Never open the casing. There is a recoil spring under tension inside
• A retractable lead gives a cat a little freedom. It does not make the cat come back to you — that still has to be built up slowly

Looking After It

• Check it over before every outing. flexi is explicit that even good materials wear out
• If it gets wet, pull the cord all the way out, lock the brake and leave it to dry overnight rather than winding it back damp
• Wipe grit off the cord before letting it retract. Dirt drawn into the casing is what wears the mechanism
• Stop using it if the cord is frayed, abraded or chewed. flexi says a damaged lead should be taken out of service, not nursed along
• Do not open the casing to clean inside it

Good To Know

• Walking on a lead does not suit every cat. A confident young cat introduced slowly may take to it; an older or nervous cat usually will not, and forcing it does harm
• The Multi Box and LED Lighting System do not fit the XS size
• Make sure the cat is up to date on parasite treatment and vaccinations before it goes outside, and that it is microchipped
• This listing is tagged for puppies and dogs as well as cats. It is a cat lead — the 8 kg XS rating is not enough for most dogs