If you pick up your cat from behind without letting it know you’re coming, it’s likely to get scared and to feel panicked and unsafe. Some experts say it’s best to approach your cat from the left or right side because coming at your cat head-on may seem like too much of a threat. [1] X Research source Never attempt to pick up cats you find on the street without carefully assessing the cat and its behavior. It can be feral and potentially dangerous. It is best to only try to pick a cat up if you have experience with it.
This gentle petting can help your cat feel safe and loved and ready to be picked up. If your cat is feeling a little bit wound up, this can also help calm him or her down. It may take a bit of time to make your cat feel at ease.
It is especially important to teach children who want to pick up a cat these warning signs. You want them to only pick up a cat who is feeling calm and relaxed and who trusts them. You don’t want a child to end up getting scratched by a cat who doesn’t want to be held.
It doesn’t really matter whether you use your dominant hand to support the cat below its front legs or under its hindquarters; it depends on whatever makes you feel more comfortable. Some people actually tuck the front legs together and place the hand under the two legs instead of below them.
In general, the cat’s posture should be fairly straight instead of having the cat sag against your chest, with its head and neck craned downward. This is uncomfortable for the cat and may cause it to struggle and scratch you. You should always pick up a cat with its head above its body. Never pick up a cat upside down! Of course, some cats like to be held differently, especially if it’s your cat and it’s more comfortable around you. Some are perfectly fine being cradled like babies while others even like placing their hind legs on your shoulders.
Some cats don’t like to be held for all that long, so if you sense that the cat may be less than pleased in your arms, it’s time to let it go.
Of course, some cats will just jump right out of your grasp, so you can be prepared for that, too.
Though you or a vet may need to scruff the cat to get it to take medication or trim its nails they never hold the cat off the examination table by the scruff.
Once the child picks up the cat, make sure to keep an eye on them so you can tell the child when the cat wants to be let go. This will help to keep both the child and the cat from being injured.
