Picking up a cat may seem pretty straightforward right?
But to anyone who has been on the receiving end of a scratch or bite, it can be a little daunting.
Picking up a cat requires understanding how to properly introduce yourself to cats,
reading the cat’s body language,
and using the right techniques for both lifting and placing the cats back down.
I am the Cat Butler and today my two ragdoll cats Teemo and Arya are going to demonstrate
how to properly pick up and hold a cat.
The first thing you need to ask yourself is whether a cat is okay with being picked up by looking at its body language.
Introduce yourself, let them sniff your hand. If a cat is hostile you will experience hissing
or growling and you may want to pick up the cat another time, but if they appear
relaxed and don’t mind you petting them then it's a sign they are comfortable.
When you pick up the cat you want to approach them gently.
Don’t make sudden moves or they may reject your advances.
After there is some trust built between you and the cat, you may lift the cat by
placing one hand under their chest and have the second hand under their hindlimbs.
Don’t let your cat’s feet dangle like this as this will make them anxious,
uncomfortable, and can hurt the cat.
Now that we have picked up the cat there are a few types of holds that we can transition to.
The basic hold is the go to method for most cats. It's for cats that trust you and cats
that don’t trust you. First you place one hand
under your cat’s chest and then support their hindlimbs with your other hand.
For extra support bring the cat close to your chest for additional support.
There are a few variations of the basic hold,
but it is important to keep the chest and the back area supported at all times.
I find this hold the easiest for larger cats like Ragdolls.
This is also Teemo and Arya’s favorite hold, and the one they are most comfortable with.
The baby hold is when you flip the cat on their back into the crook of your arm,
just like holding a baby. You have one hand supporting their back
and the other hand acting like a seat belt, while keeping the cat close to your chest.
This is a safe and comfortable hold if the cat trusts you, but it is not recommended
if the cat does not completely trust you. The cat’s claws will have easy access to your
face and if it gets scared or upset it may cause a lot of scratching damage to your beautiful face.
So use your best judgment. Lastly, this hold may not be comfortable to
a cat that has back pain or has a sore back.
The Football Hold.
This resembles the hold of a football by a running back as he runs down the field.
Pull the front of the cat toward your body while holding its hind legs.
Keep the cat close to your chest. This hold reduces the cat’s range of movement,
the cat has a hard time kicking you with its hind legs and reducing its ability to scratch you.
You typically use this hold when you need to quickly pick
up the cat without getting harmed. Finally, there is the shoulder hold.
This is another hold that is going to require a trusting relationship with the cat.
Unfortunately Teemo and Arya are not a fan of this hold.
They like to be held in the basic or baby hold. To get your cat on to your shoulder,
get your cat at waist level then lean toward it to allow it to climb onto you.
Then support the cat’s butt with your hand while using the other hand to squish the cat into your
shoulder for a more firm hold. Now that you are comfortable
holding your cat, how do you let them down? Even though cats can land safely from high places,
you still want to bring them close to a comfortable spot for them to hop off.
You can rearrange the cat to have one hand under their chest and the other hand on their hind legs
to safely place them on the ground. I hope you can now safely
pick up and hold a cat. If you enjoyed this video please consider
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