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2023 Author: Alex Livingston | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-26 11:39
It is good to take a adult cat by the scruff? There are various theses on this topic. Surely it is a right way to educate the cat and make him understand certain things. But: is it really correct to do it or could this gesture cause some discomfort or problems to our feline friend? Let's see below some advice.
Taking a cat by the scruff: why is it done?
There is an image common to many cat lovers that sees the mother-cat grab the kittens by the scruff, grabbing them with her teeth. With this gesture, the mother transports her little ones from one place to another, not yet being able to move freely and independently.
Mother-cat knows how to do it without causing pain to her puppy: she feels the grasp of her teeth with which to grasp him, the one that allows her to drag him without hurting him. Why does he do it? It is a way to keep the little one at bay, to make him pay more attention and stay still. He senses that his mother is there to teach him something and so he will relax more.
It generally does so in moments of danger: through a spontaneous reaction, which is defined Portage reflex, the kitten relaxes and understands that he has to stay good and still and obey his mother.
It is the same principle that adult cats use during coupling: the male grasps the female's scruff with his teeth, to warn her of what is happening and to make her relax and be more predisposed, without fidgeting or struggling. It is a way that cats use to make it clear who, at that precise moment, must have the control of the situation.
What about us instead? Are we sure we can do the same with our friend? No! Indeed, we have absolutely not the same tactile perception felines. Especially when a cat is just born, we should NEVER do such a thing: it is a very delicate and docile creature, we risk hurting it! What to do then? How to pick up a kitten? And how to deal with an adult cat?
How to pick up a cat?
The problem with taking a cat, even an adult, by the scruff is that sometimes the way is wrong: as mentioned above, cats know how to perceive how much grit with your teeth, they know how to manage their body and understand how strong or not to be strong. We owners, on the other hand, do not realize it and risk doing damage.
A puppy kitten can only be taken by the scruff of the mother: she knows how to educate him and how to get him the right message from this gesture. What if we were to pick him up? We could choose a better way not to hurt him.
For a little kitten the thing is very delicate. It must be taken in two strategic places to avoid hurting him: under the stomach and under the hind legs. By doing this we can control his whole body and prevent him from becoming unbalanced. And then: what is missing? It is always advisable for a puppy cat, as we would for a child, to hold it close to you so that it feels safe, warm and protected.
So we could send him both a kind of maternal love and calm him down and make sure that he doesn't struggle to escape from our arms.
It's a adult cat do you take it by the scruff? Also in this case, it is preferable not to do it: first of all let's remember to approach the cat correctly! Getting close to a feline is always very difficult, because you risk making it run away and scare it: let's do it therefore delicately, trying not to intimidate it with quick gestures or movements.
So, instead of by the scruff, where to pick him up? It would be better, on the one hand, to take him from the front paws, on the other hand to put a hand on the back, trying to figure out which is the least uncomfortable position for him to assume in our arms.
Is it useful to berate a cat when it has done something it shouldn't have? Surely. There are various ways to do this! These are some of the cases in which picking an adult cat by the scruff is justified. Situations of extreme danger, when we have to force him to do something for health problems or when we have to teach him to behave: on these occasions, we could try, always with due delicacy.
Let us remember one very important thing: the cat is an animal that needs its own privacy, which demands it far more eagerly than any other pet. If we find him busy playing, eating, doing his business, in short, careful to carry out any other activity, we NEVER pretend to pick him up!
If we distract him, that would be a great reason to make him angry! The cat would then immediately run away and hear threatened: it's the right time that he won't trust us anymore! It is therefore important to approach with the due calm and try to reassure him, making him feel like our friend.
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Taking a cat by the scruff: when and how to do it
Let's make one thing clear immediately: it must be done only when strictly necessary and respecting the psychophysical well-being of our four-legged friend. This gesture is implemented by the mother cat when she wants to protect her puppy.