How to pick up a cat like a pro

[JHan]

... quality content my brain forces me to watch instead of allowing me to sleep.

[Doreen]

1. OK, weird.

I have been working with animals all of my life and I never heard someone refer to holding a cat as squishing. Doing a so called "squishing" makes them feel trapped and that also leads to panic. If I need serious restraint I do a burrito and finish what I need to to quickly and not make an episode out of it for the cat.

I did have a cat who got up on my shoulder and just stretched out and hung there. I could scoop him up and flop him there and he would stay and purr.

[JHan]

2. So the squishing , even if gentle, isn't really necessary - in your experience?

If they're anxious, and just need a little assurance, does the scratch under the chin really work? Curious because I'm thinking of getting a cat - never had a pet cat before.

[Doreen]

11. In my experience squishing make them feel trapped.

Under some circumstances one does need to immobilize them but I have found burritoing them is quicker and less likely for either cat or person to get hurt. Scratching under the chin is usually something they enjoy when relaxed and not in a situation where they need pills or transport that they are not happy about. I will say however there are cats who probably do not mind being squished. Like I said I had a cat who would ride on my shoulder and a freight train could have rumbled a few feet from us and he would still be draped in a relaxed manner bit of I had to give him a pill he still needed to be burritoed. It does matter on each individual cat.

[Laffy Kat]

3. My Zooey is a shoulder cat.

She does scratch sometimes, though. I'll try to squish a little more.

[spin]

4. Another useful technique is called scruffing a cat.

Before I learned this technique putting flea drops on my cat was a two person job with a good chance of at least one person being scratched.

[pansypoo53219]

5. i only scruff my cat when she does not COME for her meds. it did not take long to teach her COME.

[spin]

10. I currently own a Bengal. ...

The Bengal is a domestic cat breed developed to look like exotic wild cats such as leopards, ocelots, margays and clouded leopards. Bengal cats were developed by selective breeding from hybrids of the Asian leopard cat, Prionailurus bengalensis bengalensis, with domestic cat, backcrossed to domestic cats, with the goal of creating a confident, healthy, and friendly cat with a highly contrasted and vividly marked coat.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengal_cat






This particular Bengal seems to have inherited a good bit of the personality of her wild ancestors. Even the vet finds giving her a pill almost impossible. Putting flea drops on her is a challenge as she seems to know the day I plan to apply them and goes into hiding.

She is not a lap cat but she does occasionally like being petted. She has the loudest meow of any cat I have ever seen when she is pissed. She can be quite playful and she will sleep with me but only in the cooler months here in Florida.

I was given this cat for free by a pair of long haul truck drivers. She definitely doesn’t like being in a moving vehicle and loudly expresses her dissatisfaction for quite a period of time.

[JHan]

13. she's beautiful!

Just realised that's from the link.

(Still, gorgeous cat.)

[spin]

14. Actually my cat looks quite similar to the one in the picture. ...

They are beautiful cats and their coat has a unusual “glitter” that other cats lack.

Be aware that Bengals are best for experienced cat owners. While they are not wild they are not like most domesticated cats. Fortunately I have owned cats and dogs throughout my life but even so my Bengal has a unique personality that can become challenging.

This article discusses Bengals and the problems they can have. I consider myself extremely lucky as my Bengal is comparatively well behaved.

FIRST-HAND STORIES FROM HYBRID CAT OWNERS
HYBRID RESCUE STORIES
https://www.wildcatsanctuary.org/first-hand-stories-from-hybrid-owners/

[pansypoo53219]

15. my cat may not be a bengal, but for 8lbs of long ahir, she is full of tude.

even the vet could not open her mouth her 1st vet visit in years. no oral for her EVER.

[spin]

16. My Bengal knows when I plan to take her to the vet and goes into ...

hiding. It usually takes two people to catch her once she is found.

Surprisingly she is well behaved on the vet’s table. She allows poking and probing and takes shots well. She even allows nail trimming without any problem but there is no way she is going to take any oral medication. She draws the line at that.

[JHan]

8. Ty!

[2naSalit]

6. I couldn't finish watching

it just went way far from what I learned and found to work well with every cat I have ever held...

The proper way to pick up a cat, especially if you are going to hold or carry them, is to place one hand under the ribs (directly behind front legs) and with the other hand scoop up their hind legs into your hand and hold them loosely but securely. Most cats will feel secure because their hind feet are supported, they are more likely to relax and enjoy being held no matter how large or small.

Another thing that will sooth a cat or most mammals, is to lightly stroke their foreheads from front to back between the ears. It mimics the mother's soothing gesture and helps them calm down.

[JHan]

7. Thanks , so rather than use the second hand to gently cup the abdomen area..

Support hind legs? Will remember that.

The light stroking of the forehead from front to back works on my dogs too

[2naSalit]

9. Yes...

best to start with the chest and lift then scoop up hind legs from behind with the other hand, they get idea right away and really appreciated that you recognize their shape. From there you can set their front legs on your shoulder while they "stand" on you hand or across your elbow and lay the rest of their body along your forearm-but still keep hind feet comfortably secure in the other hand. Some like to be carried around like that when observing something scary and new. They don't like their hind legs to dangle.

[Leith]

12. Thank You!

This is the first time I have heard of someone who carries a cat (or a dog) the same way I do. The animal is comfortable and sits in a way that is natural for them.

[flibbitygiblets]

17. I do this too, picking her up the the ribs w/one hand and behind legs w/other hand

seems to evenly disperse her weight and makes it easy to lift her to the feeding table (necessary to keep the dog from eating residual cat food).

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

18. I agree, I pick mine up with one hand under the hind legs and one under the arms (theirs, not mine).

That way they're completely supported. I should think they'd be uncomfortable if you used both hands to pick them up around their middle.