Although cats are rarely grabbed by the scruff on their neck, and none of these scenarios are helpful to mimic in a home, veterinarian office, or cat shelter, some people advocate scruffing your cat to stop unwanted behavior. There are more effective and considerate ways to discipline our feline companions because everyone wants the best for their cats. Find out why you shouldn’t scruff your cat to stop misbehavior.
What Does Scruffing Mean?
The term “scruffing” refers to a variety of grips on a cat’s neck skin. It is occasionally accompanied with lifting the cat or severely constraining it in some other way. The act of squeezing the scruff of the neck can range from a small squeeze to a tighter grip on a wider fold of skin.
Cats scratch, but when and why?
As Kittens: Kittens become limp due to a flexor reflex. This response only occurs during the kitten’s first few weeks of life. Mother cats don’t pick up and carry their kittens until the first few weeks of life. The idea that they do this to correct them is a common misperception. Remembering that people are not felines is essential. Cats can carry a mouse in their mouths without creating a scratch because they have pressure sensors on their teeth. Mother cats are adept at applying just the right amount of pressure to the skin on the back of the neck.
Attacked by a Predator: When cats are attacked by predators, such as a large bird of prey, they are frequently grabbed by the scruff of their necks.
During the mating process, the male cat will mount the female from behind and grab her by the scruff of her neck with his fangs. It is believed that the male is responding defensively by immobilizing the female and giving the proper orientation for attachment since female cats frequently attack male cats during mating. Because the male cat’s genitalia are covered in small keratinized spines designed to encourage the ovulation of female cats, female cats frequently assault the male cat during mating.
Only under a few particular circumstances, such as during mating, fighting, and when they are typically being attacked by a predator, are cats ever grabbed by the scruff of their neck. It is not useful to mimic any of these situations in a home, veterinary, or shelter setting.
Scruffing as a Means of Preventing Rude Behavior
It’s a common belief that scratching your cats would improve their behavior. As was already noted, mother cats do not scratch their kittens to discipline them; instead, it causes fear and panic. For a number of reasons, it is not recommended to train your cat through fear and punishment.
can increase tension, worry, and anxiety: Every action is driven by a motive. The majority of the time, cats act inadvertently out of instinct rather than malice. Your cat might feel more stressed, anxious, and insecure if you punish it. Unwanted behavior might be sparked by stress and a sense of unease in your own space.
Can damage your bond with your cat: We occasionally react by startling cats when they behave in ways we don’t want them to. This involves shouting, pushing, throwing things or water, and more. These methods can worsen behavior issues by making your cat feel more fearful and uneasy around you, lose trust in you, associate the punishment with you rather than the behavior, and associate the punishment with you rather than the behavior.
Aggression is influenced by fear: Fear is one of the most common factors in cats’ aggressive behavior toward humans. Many of us, like animals, would react angrily out of instinct if someone grabbed us while we were scared, pushing them away or beating them.
Fails to effectively communicate your wants to your cat and fails to teach the cat the desired behavior: Punishment does not teach your cat what you want, even though it may stop them from continuing with what they are now doing. Cats usually do not comprehend what they are being punished for, learn to engage in the bad behavior when you are not there, or exacerbate the negative behavior that already exists because punishment is so difficult to use effectively. Punishment must be administered immediately after the undesired behaviors, occur each time the behavior occurs, and be harsh enough to prevent the cat from engaging in the undesirable behavior in the future without frightening the cat.
You owe your cat more respect: Your cat can only be taken care of by you. Their behavioral problems should be addressed sensitively and in a helpful manner.
The greatest approaches to discourage your cat’s unwanted behavior are to identify the root of it and then offer a better remedy. As their guardians, we must pay attention since cats usually let us know when anything is wrong by indulging in undesired behaviors like destructive scratching or using the potty outside of its assigned place. This may be brought on by health problems, environmental stressors, a lack of sense of security, a lack of enough resources, and other factors.
If you suspect your pet is sick, call your vet immediately. For health-related questions, always consult your veterinarian, as they have examined your family pet, know the pet’s health history, and may make the best recommendations for your pet.
READ NEXT: How to Stop Cats From Biting and Scratching
