It's also important to never pick up a kitten by the nape of his neck. “We never grab or scruff. The kitten's mom might, but we don't need to,” says Monteith. “Making it a good experience for your kitten and keeping his needs and well-being in mind are key.”
Mother cats only carry kittens by the scruff for the first few weeks of life. They can do that because kittens have a reflex in which their bodies go totally limp when picked up by the scruff—a reflex that is lost by adolescence. What is often seen as “relaxation” in a scruffed cat is actually behavioral shutdown.
It is a common myth to use scruffing to discourage bad behavior in your cats. As stated above, mother cats do not scruff kittens to punish them, and it causes fear and stress. When training your cat, using fear and punishment is not recommended for a variety of reasons.
Scruffing a cat is a method used to pick up cats by the skin on the back of the neck to hold and restrain them. While this is a natural behavior that mother cats do with their kittens, experts warn against humans doing it because it causes fear and stress in our feline friends.
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.
This is because, with scruffing, you are supporting their whole body weight using the loose skin of their neck. This is an improper way to handle a full grown cat. Prolonged handling or dangling can be very painful and can potentially even rip their skin if they're heavy enough.
Lifting your cat by the scruff is never recommended. Females only carry kittens by their scruff in the first few weeks of life. Although some cats don't mind being scruffed, many find it stressful even if they do not struggle. Heavier cats might even find being lifted by the scruff painful.
You're supporting their whole body weight on a piece of neck skin. So yes, by two years old they are full adult size and you should definitely not be doing this! You pick up a cat properly by scooping a hand under its belly and bring the other hand around under its rear feet.
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.
It seems to be common knowledge that scruffing a kitten will temporarily calm them as it is the way their mothers pick them up to move them around, HOWEVER... scruffing a cat past 8 months of age isn't a good idea.
At 2 weeks of age, pick up and hold the kittens in different positions for brief periods every day. As they get older, it is okay to handle them more frequently and for longer periods of time.
A: My rule of thumb is handling should be minimum during the first three days of life to allow the kitten to survive. After that, then handling the kitten on a daily basis is a good idea. Having the kittens bonding to human scent and human handling is very important, especially during weeks 3 through 7.
Place your forefinger and middle finger on top of the cat's head and your thumb and ring finger under the jaw. This hold is a great alternative to scruffing calm cats, while allowing you access to scruff the cat if absolutely necessary.
It is not uncommon for cats to dislike being picked up, even if they're generally affectionate. There are some aspects of cat behaviour which might help to explain this. And some tips to help if you really need to lift your cat.
According to the ASPCA, both the front and back legs should be supported. Never pick your cat up by the head or front legs only. “To pick up your cat, place one hand behind the front legs and another under the hindquarters. Lift gently.”
Mama cats will scruff their kittens via the mouth as a means of safely carrying them around. Kittens go limp when scruffed due to a flexor reflex—but this reflex is only present during the first few weeks of a kitten's life.
Overview of Feline Neck and Back Pain
This pain may be mild and associated with subtle clinical signs, such as reluctance to jump or climb stairs. For some animals, the pain may be excruciating and associated with crying or moaning, reluctance to move, decreased appetite and malaise.
Hold and comfort your kitten
A frightened kitten will probably resist being picked up by a stranger, so start by picking them up in a gentle, calm and supportive way.
Eight to 12 weeks - bringing your kitten home
Getting them used to being handled - gradually introduce them to their cat carrier, grooming, being picked up, handling and having their ears, eyes and other body parts checked.
They should stay with their mothers until they're around 8-9 weeks (taking them away earlier than this can lead to problems with their behaviour). A kitten should be sociable and alert, with bright eyes and no visible health problems.
Love bites
Some cats may gently nibble or bite their owners as a sign of affection. It is thought to be reminiscent of how a mother cat will groom her kittens with small bites and is more common in cats who have had litters. This is not usually a problem form of biting.