Fixing a cat: how to make your pet sit still

When keeping pets, there is often a need to perform certain procedures that require their immobility. If this is a cat, then he needs to trim his claws, get a haircut, perform medical procedures, for example, give injections. With all these procedures, it is important to know how to immobilize a cat correctly. After all, they are all stressful for the animal, which means it can behave completely unpredictably, injuring both itself and those around it.

To keep the cat from moving, it is not necessary to use sedatives or other tranquilizers; you can get by with another working method.

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How to clean a cat's face?

It is better to wipe the face with a damp sponge without using shampoo. Use special washing products, these are various shampoos for cats or kittens. Products for people, even children, are under no circumstances suitable, as they have inappropriate acidity (pH) and can irritate the animal’s skin.

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In what cases is sleeping pills used for cats?

Sleeping pills for cats are used in cases where it is necessary to ensure the immobility of animals. Most often, this need arises in the following situations:

• when visiting a veterinary clinic: many tests, hardware examinations, preparation for and the conduct of surgical operations themselves require the cat to remain immobile for a long time;
• grooming – the need to use sleeping pills increases with difficult hair cuttings;
• the postoperative period, during which the cat needs complete rest;
• when moving and transporting a pet on a train or plane;
• suffered stress, during which the animal becomes agitated, hyperactive and even aggressive.

Attention! Sleeping pills have a strong effect on the cat's body, so using it without consulting a veterinarian is dangerous - it can be fatal.

Fixing an animal is holding it in a certain position to ensure the safety of the owner when caring for it, examining it and providing veterinary care. The ability to restrain an animal is necessary, since many representatives of the animal kingdom have sharp teeth, claws and beaks that can cause serious, long-lasting injury to a person. Many people have heard about dog bites; the claws and teeth of cats, despite their small size, can easily deprive one of their eyesight and leave deep wounds on the body; a large parrot can easily bite off a finger...

In addition, when carrying out any manipulations on an animal if it is not properly secured, the animal itself may be harmed. To avoid all these troubles, take a very responsible approach to restraining the animal, especially if you do not know the character of your pet well enough or, on the contrary, know it too well and imagine a real danger. With proper upbringing, the animal completely trusts its owner and allows even painful procedures to be carried out with virtually no forced restraint. For those who do not control their pet’s behavior, it is useful to know and be able to apply the basic methods of restraint.

The dog is usually held by the collar, having first put on a muzzle or tied the jaws.

Rabbits are held by a fold of skin at the withers or on a special table.

The rats are held with their hands by the skin of the back of the head and the root of the tail.

Mice - on a flat horizontal surface by the tip of the tail and the skin of the back of the head.

A large bird is fixed with both hands, pressing the wings tightly (with one hand they grab the wings at the base, with the other they hold the legs).

The small bird is held with one hand, wrapping the fingers tightly around the body.

Cats , due to their anatomical features, are very flexible creatures, and in combination with sharp teeth and claws they pose a particular danger.

SOME TECHNIQUES FOR FIXING CATS

Cats are very active, freedom-loving creatures and do not like it when violence is committed against them, even if it is necessary to save their lives.

A resisting cat can cause serious teeth and claw injuries to people attempting to provide veterinary care. To avoid this, the cat must be securely restrained, which requires certain knowledge and skills.

We offer some techniques that you can easily learn and recommend practicing beforehand. The main thing to remember is that you can squeeze the cat’s scruff and paws quite firmly without fear of breaking them or suffocating her. There will be more trouble if you loosen your grip and the struggling animal causes you serious damage.

Method 1 . Fixation by the scruff of the neck - “senior grip.”

Grab the cat tightly with your hand, collecting the skin on the back of the neck.

Method 2 . Fixation of the front or hind limbs “in a lock”.

Place both paws in your palm, insert your index finger between the front or hind paws in the area between the wrist and elbow joint, and with your thumb and forefingers firmly squeeze both paws into a lock.

Method Z. Fixation by the scruff of the neck and front paws - while holding the cat with a “senior grip”, pull the head back strongly so that the cat cannot reach with its teeth the hand holding the front paws “in the lock”.

Method 4 . Fixation by the scruff and hind legs - put the cat on its side or on its stomach and, holding the scruff and hind legs with a “grand grip” in a “lock”, stretch it on the surface with sufficient force, preventing it from breaking out.

Using the last two methods, it is almost impossible to help a cat alone, and in life this is often what happens when at a critical moment there is no assistant nearby, so below we additionally offer two methods in which you can independently give the cat pills or carry out various manipulation in the head and neck area or an intramuscular injection into the hind paw.

• Swaddle the cat tightly in a thick cloth or blanket, with its front paws down along its body.
• Place the cat in a restraint bag.

The difference between a sleeping pill and a sedative

The sedative does not put the cat to sleep, but simply makes it calm, one might even say lethargic.

If the cat has a long journey ahead, a visit to the veterinarian for a consultation with a doctor or a change of environment can be completely sedated.

This group of drugs is also recommended for use when adding another animal to a cat or during participation in an exhibition.

During periods of sexual arousal, it is better to resort to herbal-based sedatives.

Types of tranquilizers and their effects

In the previous section, we already said that sleeping pills are divided into three groups based on the duration of their effect. Let us describe these groups in more detail.

Short term

After taking them, the cat will sleep for 2-3 hours, most often used for transportation, with increased excitability, stress or sleep disorders.

The most effective drugs in this group:

• Xylanite . Available in the form of a solution for injection. Externally it appears as a colorless or light yellow liquid. Has a calming effect on small pets for 1.5 – 2 hours. It also acts as a pain reliever - in this case it acts for 15-30 minutes. The effect occurs on average after half an hour. Xlanit is administered intramuscularly to cats. The dosage is calculated at 0.15 ml per kg of animal weight.
• Intraval . Puts the cat to sleep for no longer than a quarter of an hour. In case of sleep disturbances, it increases its duration. Also used for convulsive seizures. It is introduced into the body intravenously.
• Barbamil . The drug is indicated for surgical interventions or severe stress. It is given to the cat orally. It is advisable to mix the medicine with a treat for the animal. Before use, consultation with a veterinarian is necessary, since the medicine has a number of contraindications.

Medium term

The animal goes to sleep for 4-5 hours. Prescribed for the treatment of serious mental disorders, severe seizures, and also for preparing a cat for sleep.

• Etaminal sodium . The drug is considered harmless to cats, non-toxic. Copes with nervous excitement and stress. The product is addictive, so it should be used with caution.
• Barbital sodium . The animal falls asleep 1.5 hours after administration. The drug is completely eliminated from the body after 10 hours.
• Chloral hydrate . The drug should not be taken by pregnant or lactating cats, as well as pets under six months of age. The drug has an even larger list of contraindications, so its use should begin after consultation with a veterinarian and under his constant supervision.

Long-term

The drugs induce the cat to sleep for 10 hours and are used only during surgical interventions. The drugs are available only by prescription and are used under the supervision of a veterinarian. When using, the dosage must be strictly observed, otherwise the animal may not wake up after sleeping pills.

• Ketamine . In addition to the main effect - a sleeping pill - the drug has an effect on the cardiovascular system: it stimulates the heart, increasing the heart rate and increasing blood pressure. It is administered intramuscularly and intravenously. The medicine should not be used for animals prone to seizures, as well as for procedures that can provoke seizures.
• Ftorotan . It is introduced into the animal's body by inhalation. It must be used with extreme caution, since the wrong dosage can lead to complete cardiac arrest. Anesthesia occurs quickly, without a phase of motor excitation. At the same time, the animal recovers from anesthesia just as quickly.
• Methoxyflurane. The drug is also administered by inhalation. The effect of the drug takes quite a long time, since its components are easily dissolved in lipids. It is used most often when not only a hypnotic effect is needed, but also an analgesic effect.

Important! Medium- and long-term groups of drugs can only be used for a short period, as they are highly addictive.

Sleeping pills are available in tablet form, but are extremely rare. Most often, the medicine is produced in the form of drops or liquid for the preparation of a solution for injection.

Attention! Drugs intended for humans are not suitable for animals, since the concentration of active substances in them is increased by 10-15 times.

Where does the “fading effect” come from?

When the kitten is still very small, the mother cat takes it by the neck with her mouth and carries it to a safe place if something threatens it.

At this moment, the kitten must be motionless because its life is at a critical stage. This has been fixed genetically over hundreds of years. Even after the kitten grows up, this reaction will accompany him throughout his life.

Don't be surprised if your pet immediately becomes quiet as soon as you pick him up by the scruff of the neck. It is believed that the animal has many nerve endings on its neck, and this gesture causes him severe pain. Like, that's why he becomes motionless. This is not entirely true. Although grabbing a pet by the scruff of the neck is really unpleasant, so it is better not to do this unless absolutely necessary.

Safety precautions

You should not make the mistake of thinking that if a cat is very calm and docile in its normal state, then it will be just as calm when it is sick or in severe pain. The same can be said about taking especially nasty-tasting pills that can unbalance even a very calm animal. You should never put yourself at unnecessary risk by giving your pet medication without trying to hold it back. It's even worse when the cat is approached face-first without any restraint. We should not forget that cat bites and scratches are quite painful and can cause serious illness. Because of this, being safe is much better than being careless. If a cat scratches or bites its owner, then he should definitely consult a doctor.

This terrible word "narcosis"

In fact, another term has long been used in medical practice - “anesthesia”. General anesthesia (anesthesia itself) is a state of deep sleep of an animal with complete loss of all sensitivity. Such anesthesia is necessary for serious painful operations; it saves the animal not only from suffering, but also from death due to painful shock.

There is also local anesthesia - this is a loss of sensitivity in certain areas of the body. Local anesthesia is divided into 8 types depending on where exactly the intervention should be performed.

Horrible stories about anesthesia will be passed on from mouth to mouth by more than one generation of pet owners. Let’s say right away (have the courage to bear this “news”) - there are no completely harmless anesthesia drugs. Nowhere.

However (here you can exhale) the harm of anesthesia is sometimes greatly exaggerated. Indeed, some drugs have a toxic effect on the liver and disrupt the functioning of the heart muscle. First of all, these are chloroform and phlorotane. The first one was banned for use a long time ago due to its high toxicity. The second is not used in veterinary medicine. All other drugs currently used do not have significant harmful effects on the liver and heart.

But still, the concept of anesthetic risk is not a myth. Under the influence of anesthesia, the heart rate accelerates or slows down, blood pressure decreases or increases (depending on the drugs used), body temperature decreases, metabolic processes slow down, and breathing becomes less frequent. All these changes can provoke the manifestation of various pathologies. For example, compensated heart failure, unnoticeable in an animal while awake, under anesthesia can complicate the functioning of the heart. In addition, an allergic reaction may occur to anesthetic drugs (like any other).

The older or, conversely, younger the animal, the higher the risk. Naturally, it also increases in sick, weakened animals. Therefore, as always and everywhere, everything depends on the qualifications of the doctor. Only he can assess the degree of risk, choose the appropriate drug, and carry out resuscitation measures, if necessary.

To finally reassure you, let's say that now the risk is, according to statistics, one death per more than a thousand operations.

Interesting experiment

Neuroscientists from universities in the USA and Japan conducted an experiment. They selected 31 cats of different sexes, ranging in age from 1 to 5 years, and clamped clamps on their necks. It was discovered that no matter what the cats did, they immediately stopped moving and arched their backs. They then placed the tail between the legs.

During this time, the cats did not have dilated pupils, their heart rate did not increase, and they did not breathe too quickly. Obviously, this situation refers to the normal physiological state of the cat, and not to its fear or painful shock. Scientists have given this condition a name: the phenomenon of behavioral inhibition caused by entrapment.

Besides cats, there are many other creatures that react this way to scruff grabbing, including rabbits, mice, dogs, pandas, and even lions and tigers. This is a natural reflex that comes from early childhood, when the mother carries her cubs to save their lives.

Now you know how to quickly calm your cat down for a while or hold him if necessary, but do not overuse this technique.

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