Stop Scruffing Cats!

A reader recently wrote me, “When my cat misbehaves, I just scruff him. He knows who’s boss.”

No. He does not!

Scruffing a cat — grabbing the loose skin at the back of the neck and then lifting the cat — is never an appropriate way to discipline a cat, and it should not be used as a routine method of restraint either by cat parents or veterinary professionals.

It’s true, cats freeze when they are scruffed, but that doesn’t mean they feel safe or secure. In fact, likely quite the opposite. What looks like compliance is physiological, forced immobility. A frightened cat may stop struggling when scruffed the cat has no other choice.

That distinction is important: a cat that is still isn’t necessarily a cat that is content.

The 2022 Cat Friendly Veterinary Interaction Guidelines, published by what was then called the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) and International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM), specifically address this issue. The organizations are now the Feline Veterinary Medical Association (FelineVMA) and the iCatCare Veterinary Society. The Guidelines, also published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery recommend minimizing restraint and state that scruffing is not recommended.

Studies comparing different restraint techniques found that cats subjected to scruff restraint showed objective indicators of fear and aversion compared with cats handled with minimal restraint. The authors also caution that heavy restraint and scruffing can increase negative emotional responses and undesirable behaviors.

Isn’t Scruffing Natural?

The argument may be: What about mother cats? They scruff their kittens to move them from one place to another, so isn’t scruffing what cats do?

This is one of the most persistent arguments in defense in support of scruffing.

It is true that mother cats may carry very young kittens by the scruff. But she’s transporting them; she’s not disciplining them. And there’s an important distinction between a very young, dependent kitten and an older kitten or adult cat.

Imagine what happens from the cat’s perspective. A person reaches toward the cat, grabs the loose skin on its neck and takes away any choice or its ability to move.

If your intent is to teach the cat a lesson, the cat has no clue what that lesson is supposed to be. Instead, the only lesson is that the experience can create fear and negative associations with being handled.

So what should you do instead? And use treats and/or toys to entice the cat rather than using force. Because you are bigger and stronger doesn’t mean it’s right for the cat.

For example, if the cat has jumped on a counter, a behavior you may not like, simply call the cat to you and offer a reward. Never admonish a cat for coming when you call. And provide other appropriate places to climb

Veterinary Visits

Cats have good long-term memory and do recall a single negative experience, including an unpleasant veterinary visit. The guidelines explain that those experiences can influence a cat’s emotional responses and behavior during subsequent veterinary visits.

In an emergency, a veterinary professional may need to use whatever safe technique is necessary. That’s very different from routinely scruffing a cat during an examination simply because it makes the cat easier to handle.

And the negative association can extend beyond the examination room. A cat can develop an emotional association with the veterinary experience, meaning the carrier, the trip to the clinic and the clinic itself can become part of what triggers fear or anxiety.

During veterinary examinations, a towel or blanket, in which the cat can be loosely wrapped, can provide security while allowing the veterinarian to accomplish what needs to be done without heavy hands-on restraint or scruffing.)

If your cat becomes extremely aggressive at the veterinary clinic, which is a response akin to terror, talk with your veterinarian before the appointment. The guidelines recognize that some cats may benefit from anxiolytic medication given before a visit, particularly cats with previous negative veterinary experiences or those that are very anxious or fearful. In some situations, if the procedure isn’t urgent, postponing it and returning with an appropriate pre-visit plan may be the best option.

The goal is never to “win” against the cat.