The put up The Truth About Scruffing Cats appeared first on Katzenworld – Welcome to the world of cats!.
An article by cat behaviour professional Anita Kelsey
I’m not a giant advocate on scruffing cats and through my cat behaviour consultations I typically hear purchasers inform me that, as a option to get their cats to obey them after they have been ‘naughty’, they scruff them ‘ as a result of that’s what their mummies would have executed after they had been kittens”. The reality about scruffing cats begins now!
These are a few of the information under to focus on why scruffing is rarely a good suggestion in most circumstances.
- Many cats react adversely to scruffing leading to aggressive behaviour
- A kitten’s relationship with its mom relies on a special set of rules. A mom cat is aware of the exact stress to put on the pores and skin behind the neck. She scruffs her kittens to not reprimand them (as many individuals over quote) however to hold them or transfer them from hazard. For an grownup cat the motion of a human scruffing it’s scary and places the cat into an un-relaxed and guarded state.
- Lifting a cat or suspending its physique weight by its scruff (the pores and skin on the again of its neck) is pointless and could possibly be probably painful. It’s definitely not probably the most respectful or applicable option to choose up or deal with your cat.
- The principle was that since kittens go limp when their moms carry them by the scruff, a good grip on the free pores and skin over a cat’s shoulders would set off the identical response. But this “flexor reflex” happens solely in very younger kittens. It is now thought that gripping the pores and skin in “mom cat vogue” causes stress and may make a cat extra fearful.
- Scruffing ought to solely ever be utilized in a state of affairs whereby it is advisable restrain a cat shortly due to adversarial circumstances. Apart from this scruffing ought to by no means be used as a coaching motion or reprimand.
Treat your cat with respect and prepare in a correct method. Forceful actions resembling scruffing ought to by no means be anybody’s alternative of motion.
We hope you’ve gotten loved this text on the reality about scruffing cats.
References:
Dr Marty Becker, Karen L Overall, G Landsberg, W Hunthausen, L Ackerman
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Anita Kelsey holds a first-class honours diploma in Feline Behaviour and Psychology (work primarily based BA Hons) and runs a vet referral service devoted strictly to the analysis and remedy of behaviour issues in cats. Middlesex University additionally awarded Anita the Gerry Fowler Prize for achievement in recognition of her work and closing end result.
Anita can be a specialist cellular cat groomer who works intently with vets on aggressive or phobic cats. She writes for Your Cat journal and is on their specialists panel for cat grooming. Visit http://www.catbehaviourist.com.
The put up The Truth About Scruffing Cats appeared first on Katzenworld.
