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Getting a grip: cats respond negatively to scruffing and clips
Carly M Moody1, Georgia J Mason2, Cate E Dewey1
1Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
The Veterinary Record
|October 7, 2019
Summary
Full-body and clip restraint methods cause significant negative responses in cats, unlike passive restraint. Scruffing also elicits negative reactions, though fewer than full-body or clip methods, suggesting restraint techniques should be carefully considered.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Animal Behavior
- Animal Welfare
Background:
- Cat handling techniques, including scruffing and specialized tools, are debated.
- Existing guidelines for cat handling offer varying recommendations on restraint methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the negative behavioral and physiological responses of cats to different restraint methods.
- To compare scruffing, clip restraint, and full-body restraint against passive restraint in cats.
Main Methods:
- Cats were subjected to scruffing, clip restraint, full-body restraint, and passive restraint (control).
- Behavioral indicators (ear position, vocalizations, lip licking) and physiological indicators (pupil dilation, respiratory rate) were monitored.
Main Results:
- Full-body and clip restraint induced significantly more negative responses than passive restraint.
- Clip restraint showed more negative responses than scruff restraint, with no difference between clip and full-body restraint.
- Scruffing resulted in fewer negative responses compared to full-body and clip restraint, but more than passive restraint.
Conclusions:
- Full-body and clip restraint methods are associated with the highest number of negative feline responses.
- Scruff restraint should be avoided when possible, and full-body and clip restraint should not be used.
- Passive restraint is the least stressful handling method for cats.
