Grabbing Cats by Scruffs- Helpful or Harmful?

[AnimalAvenger]

What do you guys think of grabbing cats by the scruffs of their necks?

I've read quite a bit of what people have said about it today, and almost all of them promote it. They do not believe it's harmful or painful for the animal, but I don't think I agree.

First off, you are actually pulling on the skin of the cat, and the skin, along with its nerve tissue, is pulled down by the cat's weight. I'm definitely not proud of it, but, I've scruffed my own cat without knowing that it'd actually cause her pain, and she cried every time. My cat is ten pounds, which isn't that heavy for a cat, and she sounded like she was in pretty bad pain when I did this.

Many people will defend grabbing a cat by its scruff by saying, "But that reminds the cat of its mother!" However, from what I've read it's more of a domination technique than anything.

A. In many shelters, where practicality is paramount, shelter handling is often based on more forceful methods than I believe are necessary. In my opinion, using force on cats-pulling them out of cages head first and handling by the scruff of the neck, brings out the worst in cats, causes resistance, and can invite aggression. This makes it hard to truly evaluate temperament. Practices such as dangling cats without letting their feet touch a surface, looking a cat straight in the eyes, opening up a cats' mouth, without a gradual process to allow the cat to adapt will guarantee defensiveness from almost all cats and interfere with accurate temperament assessment.

They may be expedient, but domination techniques do not enhance cat behavior and instead usually cause cats to revert to their basic nature and go into survival mode. Natural feline reactions, such as cautious behavior, become intensified whenever a cat feels coerced, and this can mean hiding or defensive aggression.

Opinions?

[Black Dove]

I agree with it. Angela, no offense or anything, but maybe you weren't holding the scruff correctly. There is a correct point I believe, that the mother cats use to pick them up with. And, to prove your dominance over your animals is a neccesary tactic at some points. Now, I don't go biting my dog or cats' ears or hit them, but I do (if they're naughty) hover over them and yell, and sometimes grab their scruffs or tap them on the nose (if one of my german shepherds dare to bite). Yes, some people may find it unethical, but dominance is key. If, for whatever reason, i one day must sell my pets, and I hadn't imposed dominance and taught them right from wrong, they'd be euthanized (for aggression, food-possesion, play-biting, etc.).

This may sound like I am anti-AR, but I'm definetly pro. I just believe that we are the alphas of our homes, and, like any other animal group out there, if another animal tries to overcome me as alpha, I will do what it takes and teach them without inflicting harm, of course.

So, yes. I find it completely okay to grab a cat's scruff, unless there are harmful intentions, of course.

[dynastygal]

I don't like doing it, but it has to be done some times to look closer at ailments or rush them to the vets.

As for mothers doing it to kittens...if the kitten has cried, the mother hasn't done it right, because scruffing is meant to make the the kitten in a docile state where it won't fight back and will be willingly carried by the mother. The same occurs when a human scruffs a cat or kitten.

[Black Dove]

Here is a good article I found about scruffing. It talks about how scruffing may be harmful to an adult animal if you pick up the animal by the scruff itself. It also says how scruffing is a good training technique, and it even teaches you how to do it properly. It also mentions how it is used in the wild.


www.pets.ca/articles/article_scruffing.htm


Hopefully this is useful for anyone in question of picking up animals by their scruffs.

[AnimalAvenger]

That article is quite interesting.

[dynastygal]

Well yeah, you gotta always support the bottom if you scruff, or even just holding an animal generally...support is key.

[Black Dove]

I agree, dynastygal.

[GYARADOS.]

when i was a kid someone told me if i held a cat that way that they would be stuck in that position (like how if you made an ugly face they'd tell you that it would get stuck that way) so i've done it only a few times.

[dynastygal]

Lol, they won't be stuck in that position at all.

[aurora]

if you properly scruff a cat, making sure that you're grasping the skin and not pulling on the fur, and that you support the cat's weight, he/she shouldn't cry or be in any sort of pain. sometimes, scruffing a cat is absolutely necessary and i suspect that anyone who claims that scruffing is using more force than necessary has never had to deal with an uncontrollable cat.

i've had to scruff cats and even small dogs several times and none of them ever showed any sign of discomfort or pain. doing it properly is key.

[deja]

I've done it to cats and small dogs a few times and I noticed that it has bothered some adult cats. I recently "scruffed" my 6lb Maltese. He chased a neighbor's cat through the horse pasture and one of the horses trotted after them, his intent to either bite or stomp my dog. I yelled, my dog got out of the way (thankfully), I spanked him, then carried him into the house by his scruff and stuck him in his kennel. He knows better than to go into the horse pasture, for that reason.

[Teddi]

Scruffing may be helpful in situations where the cat's wellbeing is at stake (i.e. the need of medication or they need medical attention and they do not like being picked up), but, in my opinion, it is an aggressive act. I guarantee you that if you use this technique on a regular basis you will invoke fear in that cat.

There are ways of working with cats to train that do not train with using fear....try behaviourism instead!!