Nearly every cat owner will come to know art of cat handling. Scruffing is a holding of loose skin at the back of a cat’s neck, the resulting effect will see immediate paralysis, almost stone like, without any motion or sign of panic. This motionless may also be known as a cat’s "fate" as it hangs from the loose skin. Handling a cat by the scruff should first be understood as it holds significant meaning to cats, only then can it be applied in an efficient manner.
THE SCRUFF PRINCIPLE
Cats are animated animals, filled to brim with enthusiasm and energy. Yet, when handle by the scruff, they enter a trance like state. Some may perceive the act of holding a cat in this manner as painful for the cat but it’s theorized that skin behind the cat's neck is loose and without feeling. Holding from this position does not inflict any pain and a cat’s mother will often be seen biting this part when needing to mother her children or hold them in actions of reprimand.
EVIDENCE AND LINKS
Tony Buffington, a Professor of Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences in The Ohio State University led his research team to analyze this strange phenomenon. The experiment invited 31 cats, aged 1 to 5 years of different genders to participate. After testing the physiological indicators of the cat, Buffington and his team found that when holding a cat by it’s loose neck skin, it’s pupils showed no enlargement, steady heart rate with unaltered breathing conditions. Such signs point to no discomfort being experienced when being held in this fashion. Hence, cat scruff holding induces this trance state without any feeling of fear or pain.
In 2013, a group of Japanese neurologists studied a series of physiological reactions when “animals were scruffed by their mothers” and found that similar “sedative effects” existed not only in mice, but also in human infants. The three physiological responses that are most typical of the "sedation effect" with similarity between humans and mice resulting in crying, passivity, and decreased heart rate.
ANIMAL INSTINCTS
The scruff reaction occurs not only in cats, but also in other feline animals. Cause of this phenomenon is thought to link back thousands of years ago, when cats had not yet undergone domestication. Living in the wild would present dangerous survival conditions, including harassment from other animals, especially after birthing. If the environment was seen to be potentially dangerous, the cat mother would use its mouth to bite the neck of the little kittens, passing a "warning signal".
In the interest of survival and maternal instinct, migration to safe places was essential. Little kittens would gather the severity of the situation and would remain motionless to avoid any injury during travel, or being discovered by other predatory animals. In the present, this instinctual conditioned reflex has been deeply imprinted in cat genetics, serving as an instinct of survival.
MATERNAL CONNECTION AND HANDLING
While cats are seen to immediately calm when being carried by the scruff, this isn’t always the case. A preexisting maternal relationship between a kitten and its mother would further ingrain the motionless trance state when being carried by the scruff. If a cat is taken away from it’s mother prematurely for whatever reason, it may not observe the same response when being held in this area. Instead of an instant dose of calm, they may turn around in dismay, lashing out. If you’re getting a new cat, this is a potential early sign that they have left the litter too early.
Small kittens are light weight and can be handled by the scruff safely. Doing so allows you to take care of the harder grooming tasks that a cat might not like, cleaning teeth or trimming claws for instance. It’s also possible to reprimand your cat if a situation turns dangerous but it’s worth noting that handling of the scruff should be used in selective situations.
When a cat has grown, they become significantly heavier. Extra care should be taken with alternative handling methods used to support their weight.
Follow us for more pet blogs, news and discounts!
Visit - https://aipaws.com
Follow us - @aipaws
Twitter - https://twitter.com/aipaws
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/aipaws/
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMwuUpYZvAqAihMTrDkNY2A/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/aipaws
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.co.uk/aipawsofficial/
Congratulations @aipaws! You have completed the following achievement on the Steem blockchain and have been rewarded with new badge(s) :
You can view your badges on your Steem Board and compare to others on the Steem Ranking
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word
STOPVote for @Steemitboard as a witness to get one more award and increased upvotes!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Congratulations @aipaws!
You raised your level and are now a Minnow!
Vote for @Steemitboard as a witness to get one more award and increased upvotes!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
I love this! The science behind the kitten instinctively going motionless so mama can transport the fluff baby to safety... "scruffing" is the one trick to get Bobi the Bad to calm down when he goes after daughter's ankles (is it really only in play? He seems out to get the one person in the house who loves him and dotes on him the most - because she's the youngest/weakest?). You know your cats! Thanks for this post.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Nipping at the ankles can happen for a number of reasons but in this case it's possibly a playful reaction your kitty has as it wants to hunt and pounce. If Bobi is young, it should subside after some time if not encouraged to play with hands or feet. Have your daughter keep a toy on hand to direct the cat's attention.
If play gets a little out of hand, a firm "no!" and ignoring them for a while should get the message across. Remember to shower Bobi with lots of love and attention, good luck!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Thank you!
Bobi is age 8. Last year the daughter moved out; we thought he'd forget about the ankle attacks but whenever she comes home, he remembers. She's tried yelling NO, stomping a foot, distracting him, all to no avail. Once in a great while he'll do this to me: if I'm writing, and the moving pencil is just too much for him to resist, e.g., but otherwise, she is the ONLY victim of his shenanigans. He loves to play hide and seek at bedtime, and I'm the only one who'll play it his way. Or play with him at all. Poor Bobi. If he didn't persecute all cats, he'd have a playmate. One summer our daughter's cat was here (she had an internship in Ghana), and the two cats wrestled daily, but not to the point of injury. They both seemed much happier when Beedle the Evil Jungle Prince moved out again. Beedle is a beast... strong, lean, lithe, athletic... and could eat Bobi for breakfast, but somehow respected Bobi having been here first. Same with our Maine Coon. He could have killed Bobi with one crunch of his massive jaws. But Merlin was a butterfly, and Bobi got him evicted for Merlin's own peace of mind. Bobi the Bad - he earned that one!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit