Scruffing a cat is a common practice that has been used for centuries to calm a frightened, anxious or aggressive cat. Cats don’t seem to dislike it as much as some people think and some cats even enjoy the attention. So, What Does Scruffing a Cat Do? This question will be answered in this article.
Scruffing is a way to pick up a cat and it can be done by grabbing the loose skin on the back of their neck. This process immobilizes the animal by lifting the skin and putting pressure on their lower jaw. When scruffing you should support the lower body of the cat with your other hand to avoid any injury.
When a cat resists a person’s touch, this people might grab the cat by its scruff, pulling them tight and holding them firmly for a few seconds until they give in. This can be one of the best ways to show your pet that you’re the boss and discourage unwanted behavior.
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What Is Cat Scruffing For?
Mother cats use a scruffing technique to transport their kittens. The mother cat will pick up her kitten by its scruff and hold it in her mouth by its neck. The kitten will instinctively hang from the mother cat’s mouth while being carried so they don’t fall off.
As the kittens get older, they may be too big for their mother to carry around. If she feels that her kitten needs to be disciplined, she may scruff them by biting them on the neck to make sure they don’t be to naughty. Kittens have a good memory, so they’ll stop their bad behavior again.
Scruffing, also known as “redirecting,” it’s a common behavior for cats to even when they get older and stop them from moving. This can be helpful for humans when we need to calm or comfort them.
You should use scruffing carefully and use it only for specific situations when other methods do not work.
- Trimming their nails
- To give medications
- Stopping naughty behavior of your cat
- Administering and giving their first aid
How to scruff a Cat
There are a few techniques need to use for scruffing a cat:
- You should grasp their neck loose skin on the back. Grasp it firmly and gently. For more control of the cat you may scruff closer to the cat ear.
- If your cat is difficult or uncooperative when it comes time to give her medication or examination , you could start by gently pushing on the back of the cat’s head while attempting to get her down on her stomach. Use your other hand to hold on one of the rear legs.
- Cats are sensitive creatures, and they don’t like to be scruffed or yelled at. It just makes them scared and more likely to act out in the future. When you scruff your kitty, you should say “no” firmly while holding her down until she calms down.
- When picking up a cat, it is easy to accidentally hurt her. If you are going to pick up your kitty, make sure to use your free hand under the back legs to support the weight.
Does grabbing a cat by the scruff hurt them?
This is a matter that is controversial when it comes to our pets.
Researchers have found that grabbing a cat by the scruff of the neck does not cause any damage to their internal organs. On the other hand, it can can cause discomfort, pain, or even injury to our cats.
Lifting your cat in a way that is unkind or disrespectful is unnecessary and potentially painful. Cat scruffing isn’t the most appropriate way to pick up or handle your cat, either.
The FAQS you need to know when scruffing a cat
- Not all cats are comfortable with scruffing and some feel pain when being scruffed.
- Use scruffing if other methods aren’t working for your cat.
- The more your cat was scruffed, the less effective this method would be.
- When scruffing and lifting your cat, you need to support their body weight with your other hand.
- Reward your cat after scruffing by giving treats or foods. Reward them to make sure they understand why you scruff them and not mad at you.
We use scruffing to control our cat and sometimes our cat or kitten they become aggressive and hyper. We suggest your read this article: Why Is My Kitten So Aggressive and Hyper for more guide how to face this.