When a cat needs to be confined, a lot of people—including veterinary technicians—have been trained to grasp them by the scruff. Scrunching is not a secure method of restraint; it is harsh and causes fear and discomfort in most cats, despite the fact that it has long been thought to be a harmless technique to offer restraint and resemble how a cat's mother picks up her kittens.
What Does It Mean to Scruff a Cat?
What Does It Mean to Scruff a Cat?
A term used to describe a range of holds on a cat's neck skin is "scratching." Grasping the scruff on the neck can include raising the cat up or severely confining it in various ways. It can involve a small pinch of skin or a wider fold of skin, using varying amounts of pressure.
This restriction is based on the notion that a tight grip of the loose skin across a cat's shoulders will cause the same reaction as when kittens fall limp when their moms carry them by the scruff. During the first few days of life, mothers only pick up their kittens, using their scruff to carry them. Because cats have pressure gauges on their teeth and mothers are skilled at applying just the right amount of pressure to the skin behind their necks, it is possible for them to hold mice in their mouths while the mice are scratched.
What Is the Problem of Scruffing a Cat?
Only in certain situations—during the initial weeks of life, during mating, during fights, and if they are being threatened by predators—will a cat grab the scruff of their neck. It is not beneficial to replicate any of these stressful scenarios in a veterinary, home, or shelter setting. It makes no sense to lift a cat or hang its weight by its scruff; it could even cause harm. That is not a considerate way to handle your pet. The cat loses all sense of control and its ability to retreat when it is scratched, which may result in aggressive behavior.
How to Hold a Cat Down Without Scruffing
How to Hold a Cat Down Without Scruffing
Scruffing or excessive restraint are not necessary in the multitude of methods available for handling and restraining cats. These feline-friendly techniques employ a less-is-more philosophy, observe the cat's body language, and use techniques of constraint that let the cat hide. Read This: Why do cats like to be scruffed?
1 - Being mindful of the cat: Refrain from staring and make a frontal approach. Before the exam, keep the carrier raised on a high platform, wrapped with a towel loaded with pheromones, and move carefully and speak in a quiet tone. Remove the top of the carrier to free the cat if it won't come out on its own. Don't tip the carrier or try to drag the cat out by straining.
2 - Techniques for handling towels: A variety of towel restraining methods, such as burrito and half-burrito sheet wraps, can be applied to cats. Different parts of the cat can be accessed for different treatments because of the variety of approaches. Every towel-restraint technique calls for patience and repetition.
Providing good support for the cat means positioning the hands, arms, and torso such that the cat doesn't feel unstable or like they are going to fall.
3 - Adapting your handling techniques according to the cat's reaction to being restrained Establishing a setting that takes the cat's perspective into account: This encompasses the senses of sight, touch, sound, taste, and pheromones. Rewards and diversion, such as eating, grooming, and playing with the cat in their favorite spot—the owner's lap or the cat carrier. Because every cat is different, we must read their body language and adjust our handling methods to suit their preferences. Let the cat stay where it is and adjust your level of contact based on how it reacts.
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