I only ever tried to get a lead on one cat. As we needed to move Fanny 500 miles by overnight sleeper train, we thought a lead would help stop her from bolting ( I had seen Ring of Bright Water!).
Problem was, when you attached the lead, her legs telescoped, and you had a cat with no legs being taken draggies. Take the lead off, and the legs re-grew. Magic!
Nearly lost her under a bench seat in the ladies loo on Bristol Temple Meads station, but she made the journey OK, in the sleeping compartment, swapping between bunks and shouting (she was part Siamese) every time we were pulling into a station. God knows what the occupants of the next compartment thought they were hearing.
Having had this complete nightmare night with no sleep, we got her into a compartment on the Oban train and she sprawled on the seat quite happy for the 3.5 hour journey.