i got me a kitten

Enmos said:
I hold them one hand under the bum and their fore-paws over my shoulder while sometimes lightly supporting their back/shoulder area with my other hand.
I never pick them up by the scruff as I was told that that's only done with small kittens, it is supposedly bad for them once they are a bit bigger.
Click to expand...

Bad for them? In what way?
 
Must be very weak cats. How much do you think a tiger cub weighs?

momtigerwcub.jpg
 
S.A.M. said:
Must be very weak cats. How much do you think a tiger cub weighs?

momtigerwcub.jpg
Click to expand...

Tigers are build to endure that during kitten hood, just like house cat kittens are. I suspect attempting to scruff a full grown tiger wouldn't be a good idea :D
You cannot seriously compare a house cat neck with a tigers neck..

"They should be lifted with two hands to support the weight – i.e. one under the animal’s arms, and the other under the rump. Particularly, as the animal ages and gets larger, it should not be lifted off the ground using only its scruff because the heavy weight of the rest of the body will cause excess strain on the loose skin and may be painful. In adult animals, scruffing should be done gently for training or restraint purposes, and only by those that know what they are doing."
http://www.pets.ca/articles/article_scruffing.htm
 
Hmm is there any evidence for this? I've been doing it for 30 years and never seen any damage. The only time I've had trouble was when it was a tough muscular tom who'd stiffen his neck so I could not grab it.
 
S.A.M. said:
Hmm is there any evidence for this? I've been doing it for 30 years and never seen any damage. The only time I've had trouble was when it was a tough muscular tom who'd stiffen his neck so I could not grab it.
Click to expand...

Do you support them when you pick them up by the scruff ?
 
Only if they are heavy, otherwise they start slipping. And my cats are not fat, they are muscular, because we've always had at least three and they are pretty active. When two are fighting I just jump in and grab one in each hand. They quiet down fastest when you grab them like that.
 
S.A.M. said:
Only if they are heavy, otherwise they start slipping. And my cats are not fat, they are muscular, because we've always had at least three and they are pretty active. When two are fighting I just jump in and grab one in each hand. They quiet down fastest when you grab them like that.
Click to expand...

There's nothing wrong with scruffing perse.. just lifting them up unsupported is not advised as far as I know.
Anyway, I'm not taking any chances. And I don't have the need for it anyway.
 
Ok but fyi, if you have to do it [and you will, at some point] if you do it correctly, the cat will immediately go completely limp, curling up its legs and tail. If it struggles, holding out forelegs straight with nails out and back legs cycling, you're not doing it properly.
 
S.A.M. said:
Ok but fyi, if you have to do it [and you will, at some point] if you do it correctly, the cat will immediately go completely limp, curling up its legs and tail. If it struggles, holding out forelegs straight with nails out and back legs cycling, you're not doing it properly.
Click to expand...

Hey, I'm not judging.. I just wouldn't do it myself.
I never had to with my other cat, and the two I have now don't give me any reason to either.
 
S.A.M. said:
Only if they are heavy, otherwise they start slipping. And my cats are not fat, they are muscular, because we've always had at least three and they are pretty active. When two are fighting I just jump in and grab one in each hand. They quiet down fastest when you grab them like that.
Click to expand...

Just like when women fight! :D
 
S.A.M. said:
Ok but fyi, if you have to do it [and you will, at some point] if you do it correctly, the cat will immediately go completely limp, curling up its legs and tail. If it struggles, holding out forelegs straight with nails out and back legs cycling, you're not doing it properly.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that. I didn't do it because it felt weird. Now I know why.
 
S.A.M. said:
Ok but fyi, if you have to do it [and you will, at some point] if you do it correctly, the cat will immediately go completely limp, curling up its legs and tail. If it struggles, holding out forelegs straight with nails out and back legs cycling, you're not doing it properly.
Click to expand...

I do it all the time. I support their behinds when I do it, but when I bathe them, I utilize this technique in order to stave off being bitten and/or scratched.

~String
 
How do you tell if you've hurt a cat. Things may get out of control when she's hyper.
I think when I grabbed her off my pants leg, I may have done it with too much force, I'll check the legs later.
 
Challenger, why are your cats ears so red? my ex gf bought a cat home and his ears were red but he had fleas too and i think he was scratching them.
 
Last edited:
John99 said:
Challenger, why are your cats ears so red? my ex gf bought a cat home and his ears were red but he had fleas too and i think he was scratching them.
Click to expand...

She had fleas, and still sometimes scratches them.

We're planning to give her a bath again this weekend.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top