Lifting a cat or suspending its body weight by its scruff (the skin on the back of its neck) is unnecessary and potentially painful. And it's certainly not the most respectful or appropriate way to pick up or handle your cat.
Abstract. The numbers and sizes of nerve fibres to the dorsal neck muscles, splenius, complexus and biventer cervicis have been examined in the cat. The total number of fibres is unusually high as is the content of sensory fibres (estimated as the loss of fibres after ganglionectomy).
It's an instinctive reaction. When somebody has themby the scruff of their neck, its kind of like us being held up by our throats, only a lot less painful. That's how their caretaker would pick them up as kittens, either to carry them around, or stop them from doing something.
TLDR: Just support a cats butt if they are above 8 months of age, and only do it when it is absolutely necessary. An older cat (Especially the elderly) can easily be injured if scruffing without support.
Scruffing removes the option to retreat and a sense of control for the cat, which commonly results in an escalation of stress, fear, and anxiety. Lifting a cat or suspending their body weight by the scruff is unnecessary and could be painful.
International Cat Care is against the use of scruffing as a method of restraint, because of the stress and distress it can cause to cats.
In adult cats, scruffing triggers fear and stress rather than relaxation. The only time an adult cat is held by the scruff is during mating—if a female in estrus, or “heat”—or when under attack by a predator.
Whether large or small, all cats should be held with two hands, writes Cat Behavior Associates. To pick up your cat safely, behavior expert Marilyn Krieger tells Petcha, "Place one hand under her front legs and position your other hand so that it supports her back legs and hind quarters.
“The more points on a cat's body that are touching your body, the more comfortable and relaxed your cat will be,” says Mikkel Becker, a cat training consultant. Never pick up a cat by the scruff of the neck or by the front legs. Picking up a cat the wrong way can cause the animal discomfort or even injury.
Smell Transfer
Cats recognize each other (and us) by scent. Raising the butt is your cat's way of getting their anal glands closer to your nose so you can get a whiff of their pheromones.
“Cats typically enjoy being touched on the head, chin, and neck,” says Dr. Carling Matejka, DVM and Spokesperson for Solid Gold. Others don't care for physical touch, and most have no-touch zones in vulnerable spots like their belly and extremities.
Some cats may show an obvious change in their facial expression when in pain, while with others it may be more subtle for example: Your cat may squint or close their eyes. Their ears may appear slightly flattened or pressed to the sides. Their mouth, nose and cheeks may appear tenser and more compressed.
Pheromones are special scent molecules that function in animal-to-animal communication. Chin pheromones in cats are thought to be "happy" pheromones. If you regularly scratch your cat's chin you will probably make him or her very happy.
At least that's what we all thought. But as it turns out, science shows us that cats are much more complex and emotionally attuned than we give them credit for. They may not say sorry the same way a human would. But they do apologise, in their own way.
For many cats, minor misdemeanors seem to fall in the short-term memory category so it is likely all will be forgiven within a few hours to days. Kittens have a relatively short memory and can appear to be more forgiving than older cats.
The good news is, despite their reputations for being antisocial, cats love bonding and they do forgive and forget. So, if you're at a loss as to how you're going to rebuild trust and affection with your cat, don't fret.
When cats feel threatened, they usually respond in three ways to the object, person or situation they perceive as a threat: fight, flee or freeze. Some cats become so frightened they lose control of their bladder or bowels and eliminate right where they are.
Cat scruffing takes away their sense of control: This increases their fear and stress, potentially leading to aggression. Scruffing is uncomfortable and may even be painful for the cat. Scruffing could also damage your relationship with your cat.
The act of scruffing entirely removes the option of retreat and sense of control for a cat. Therefore, it serves to escalate their feeling of stress, leading to distress, anxiety and fear.