The right way to Safely Restrain a Cat: Dr. Karyn Shares Her Suggestions (with Video)

The data is present and up-to-date in accordance with the most recent veterinarian analysis.

Study extra »

Hello, I’m Dr. Karyn! Learn my introduction to study extra about me and meet my 5 hilarious cats: Clutch, Cyril, Alex, Zelda, and Zazzles.

Over the subsequent few weeks, with the reluctant assist from my clan of cats, I can be bringing you a collection of “How To” articles. Trimming claws, cleansing ears, medicating, and bathing your cat are all issues it’s possible you’ll have to do at varied occasions, and a few cats appear to make it more difficult than others. Though there are cats who won’t ever be cooperative with these types of actions, many, and I might even say most, will reply properly to assured dealing with.

Working as a vet, I do know that I’m responsible of sending a affected person dwelling with a listing of directions for his or her overwhelmed proprietor, not realizing that not everyone seems to be assured with all facets of feline dealing with and husbandry. And many individuals are too embarrassed to ask for an indication (however you shouldn’t be!).

Clutch, Cyril, Alex, Zazzles, and Zelda are going to help me in demonstrating some methods for some widespread cat upkeep actions, beginning with find out how to accurately and safely restrain your cat. These directions are meant solely for use by yourself cat, and solely whether it is vital and protected to take action.

You’ll be able to comply with together with the motion on our YouTube channel right here.

Pleasant and Agency

Cats know after we’re nervous. They’ll choose up on nervousness and spot your insecurity from a mile off. One thing I at all times inform individuals is don’t ‘attempt’ to do one thing together with your pet; Do It! I’m certain Grasp Yoda as soon as mentioned one thing very comparable.

There are two ideas I would like everybody trying to safely restrain their cat to recollect:

Be Pleasant and Agency. By no means use Drive or Concern.

From simply selecting them up, to holding them for a remedy or process, in the event you aren’t assured in your actions, your cat is not going to belief you to deal with them. To grasp the fundamentals of this, let’s begin with selecting up your cat.

Though I don’t encourage you to pressure your cat to have cuddles or be carried round if that’s not their fashion, you need to have the ability to carry and maintain your cat with out both of you turning into injured or distressed. We must always at all times respect the consolation and security of our pets, but when you have to do one thing for his or her well being and wellbeing, it’s possible you’ll end up preventing towards an unwilling participant, and the one strategy to win that battle is by being agency and pleasant. Hold calm, be assured about what you might be about to do, however be ready in case all of it goes pear-shaped.

Selecting Up A Cat

That is undoubtedly getting again to fundamentals, but when you have to choose up and restrain your cat for one thing aside from a cuddle, it’s value realizing the quickest strategy to collect them right into a safe maintain.

Step 1: Strategy and Assess

Determine in the event you’re coping with a cooperative cat or cranky kitty, and method them accordingly, ideally giving them a pat or scritch to interrupt the ice. The extra relaxed your cat is, the extra relaxed and pleasant your approach could be. If they’re pressured and more likely to flee, you’ll have to act extra shortly. The goal is to assemble them into your arms, pull them shut into your physique, and arise in a single motion, so get your self right into a place to do that.

Step 2: The Attain Round

For those who’re right-handed like me, method your cat side-on, with their head dealing with in direction of the left. Attain your proper hand over their physique in a diagonal, coming over the haunches, then round and beneath the chest, spreading your hand so you possibly can place your thumb on the surface of the chest, and grip their left elbow (the one closest to your physique) in your different fingers. Use your left hand to regulate or stroke their head and pull their physique firmly towards yours as you arise.

Clearly, in the event you’re left-handed, your method is the other.

Step 3: Be Pleasant and Agency

You will need to preserve agency strain in your cat’s physique after getting them on this maintain in order that they really feel safe, and never frightened that they’ll be dropped. In the event that they wrestle at this level, preserve calm and journey it out. For those who don’t launch the strain, generally, your cat will quiet down shortly. From right here, you possibly can place them on a desk, right into a provider; wherever they must be subsequent.

Know When To Cease

In case your cat is getting actually pressured, panicking, or making an attempt to chunk and scratch, it’s possible you’ll have to cease. Though most cats will submit as soon as they notice that you just’re holding them firmly, some simply is not going to tolerate restraint, and it’s possible you’ll want to speak to your vet about an alternate plan.

The Query of Scruffing

I can be trustworthy and let you know that, from time to time, I’ll use a scruff maintain to restrain a cat. I do that when it’s vital to make sure the security of the cat and my workforce members. I by no means use it to choose up a cat, however there are occasions when it’s the solely protected strategy to maintain a cat to offer an injection, examine a painful wound, or forestall them from injuring themselves or others. It ought to by no means be used for punishment or comfort, and if a cat must be restrained on this manner for greater than a minute to 2, no matter process is being tried needs to be deserted in favor of sedation.

In case your cat is preventing towards restraint and you are feeling you have to allow them to go, it’s possible you’ll discover that the most secure manner to take action is to use a scruff maintain as you decrease them, nonetheless supporting them with the opposite arm, and releasing them solely as soon as their ft are on the bottom.

Protected Positioning

Upon getting your cat on the desk or countertop the place you’ll be clipping claws, cleansing ears and so forth., you have to proceed to maintain them held firmly towards your physique, or firmly towards the desk floor. Don’t pressure them towards the desk, however apply sufficient strain for them to really feel safe there. Relying on what you might be doing, use your physique and palms to immobilize your cat, and apply a agency maintain to control the world in query.

For instance,

• if you’re trimming claws, a safe maintain of the elbow can cease them pulling their paw away.
• use your elbow to tuck their again finish towards your physique, leaving your palms free.
• use agency, flat-handed strain over the shoulders or over the neck to maintain them from turning their head.

What About A Kitty Burrito?

Personally, I don’t use the towel wrap except I actually must. I discover that the extra you attempt to wrap up a cat, the extra they’re more likely to wrestle and panic, which is why I desire restraint strategies that enable them to really feel that they’ve some freedom of motion. Nevertheless, if you have to restrain your cat with all 4 limbs safely ensconced throughout the confines of a towel, the important thing to creating this work is to make use of a big sufficient towel that permits you to fold it up and over the entrance legs, then firmly gripping each side behind the pinnacle. From right here, you wrap both sides of the physique tightly, by no means releasing the grip in the back of the neck.

For a cat like Clutch or Cyril, who’re ridiculously relaxed and amenable to most issues, this methodology of restraint is absolutely resented, and so they actually battle towards it.

Set Your self As much as Win

If it’s important to do one thing your cat isn’t going to love, ensure you are fully ready earlier than you get began.

• Select a smaller room, and ensure doorways and home windows are closed.
• Have every little thing you’re going to want inside your attain.
• Attempt to anticipate how your cat could react, and put together for the worst.
• Don’t choose your cat up with out realizing how and the place you have to have them positioned.
• Be pleasant and agency, don’t use pressure or worry.

Test in with us every week to see Clutch, Zelda, Zazzles, Alex, and Cyril as they present you ways assured dealing with could make even probably the most unpopular of duties much less annoying.