Your cat’s ears should go back slightly when you grasp the skin right behind the ears. This will let you know that you are grasping in the right place. When you tighten your grasp, the skin should still feel relatively loose in your hand. If it feels tight, you may have grasped too much skin; loosen your grip slightly. Your cat will probably let you know if you are holding the skin too tightly. Do not grab too little scruff. This could cause you to pinch your cat’s skin. Re-adjust your grip to pick up more skin. Unless your cat is very aggressive, you should notice that he doesn’t mind the grasping at all; he might even become very still. Sometimes this alone is enough to stop your cat from doing something you don’t want him to do, or to calm him while you clip his nails or give him medication.
If you need to lift your cat after scruffing him, keep in mind that this will be easier with kittens because of their light weight. [6] X Research source
After grasping the scruff of a heavy cat, fully support his back end with your other hand. Depending on the size of your cat, you may need to wrap part of your other arm around his hindquarters. [8] X Research source Pick him up only when you are securely supporting his back end.
It is important to remember that your cat is essentially trusting you in a very vulnerable position. If he senses that you are being too rough or are anxious, he may not want to cooperate with being scruffed. Unless your cat feels like he’s being attacked, he should just hang there and look at you, waiting for you to put him down. Some cats will vocalize softly, as if to say “Hey, I’m not the biggest fan of this, so let’s get this over with soon. "
Provide positive reinforcement afterwards to reward him for having good behavior when being scruffed. Examples of positive reinforcement include petting, talking, and treats. [10] X Research source Do not release your cat’s scruff by dropping him. While a healthy cat won’t get injured in this way, he will learn that you are too rough and he might not be as cooperative the next time you pick him up by the scruff.
When your cat is sleeping−just like how you would not want to be grabbed when you are sleeping, scruffing your cat when he is sleeping would startle him. When your cat is eating–let him finish eating first before doing something that may require him to be scruffed. When he is agitated or excited−he may be particularly difficult to calm down or handle while he is worked up, which could increase the likelihood of you being scratched or bitten. [12] X Research source If your cat has arthritis or is obese–scruffing can strain the neck muscles, which could be especially painful in a cat with arthritis or who is extremely overweight. If your cat does not have much scruff–some cats simply don’t have much of a scruff. You should be able to sense this when you grab the scruff. Don’t attempt to hold your cat if he has a meager scruff. If your cat is old−adult cats may feel humiliated or embarrassed when being scruffed. [13] X Research source
Trim his nails when he is calm and relaxed, rather than he when is stressed or worked up from vigorous play. [15] X Trustworthy Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Leading organization dedicated to the prevention of animal cruelty Go to source Your cat should be laying down on a supportive surface (eg, table, counter top) when you scruff him to trim his nails. This will be more comfortable for both you and the cat. This step may require 2 people (1 person scruffing, 1 person trimming the nails). If you are trimming your cat’s nails or administering medication to him, you will not need to lift him in the air after scruffing him. In these instances, you would gently push his head toward the supportive surface and use your other hand or arm to gently restrain his back end. [16] X Research source
Just like with trimming your cat’s nails, place him on a supportive surface prior to scruffing him to comb out the mats. Use a wide-toothed comb. [18] X Research source With your free hand, hold the mat as close to the skin as possible and comb it out from the bottom to the top–just as you would do if you were combing out a knot in person’s hair. [19] X Research source
Scruff him on a supportive surface. If you are trying to give him a pill, tilt his head up slightly while you are scruffing him to put the pill in his mouth. For injectable medications, it may be safer to have your veterinarian or veterinary technician will scruff the cat and administer the medication, rather than trying to do this at home.
If you must scruff him to discipline him, say the word ‘no’ while you are doing it so that he knows that he has misbehaved. [22] X Research source Also, scruff him gently to discipline him. Scruffing your cat roughly when he is in trouble will likely agitate him.
