Did you know you can deactivate your cat? YUP, most cats can be ” deactivated ” with a simple binder clip AKA PIBI ( Pinch Induced Behavioral Inhibition ) This is a safe method and is generally comfortable with most cats. However don’t do this just for fun, only use the How to deactivate your cat method when it’s necessary.
There have been studies that showed that thirty out of thirty one cats who has been tested with the deactivating technique reacted positively to it and none of them showed any signs of pain or fear, having said that, please note that your cat may not enjoy it and many vets are saying that ” Scruffing ” is an old fashioned and too intense technique for most house cats. Generally speaking this should not be used other than when you need to do a medical procedure on your cat and he is not calm.
Here’s a video showing how to deactivate a cat:
Here are a few simple steps and tips on how to deactivate your cat safely:
1. First, remove the cat’s collar, if you try and “deactivate ” him with a collar on you may choke him and cause injury.
2. Find your cat’s scruff. Most cats have a thick loose layer of skin on the back of their necks called a scruff. If your cat has a thick layer of skin or none at all, be careful to not pinch him to hard.
3. Grab the scruff and look for the cat’s reaction. Firmly grab it, if your cat is now relaxed, you can continue, but if he meows or struggles, you should let go immediately. If your cat doesn’t do any of the above, look for heavy breathing, dilated pupils or rotating ears which are all signs of fear.Â
Try and grab the scruff as close as possible to the cat’s ear, this will give you more control
Now, if your cat is relaxed, you can place a clip to hold the scruff instead of your hand and watch how your cat is being deactivated.
How to know if my cat is deactivated?
Well, after completing the steps above and getting the desired effect, if your cat is relaxed and he seems comfortable with the clip holding his scruff, you can try and gently push the cat onto it’s side, most of the cats will naturally lay down on their side at this situation and some will bring their paws close to their chest. This is a sign of a relaxed cat.
Please note though that if your car is standing and his tail is tucked between his rear legs, this is a clear sign of fear, and you should not proceed.
What to do if i did everything right but my cat is still not deactivated?
If you did everything right and you see the cat is relaxed and not in fear, but still not laying on his side or not completely relaxed, you can use another clip to better grab the scruff. Remember though, if the cat shows any signs of fear or heavy breathing or meowing, you should stop everything and remove the clips.
Don’t deactivate your cat for too long
This method should not be used just for fun, you should only deactivate your cat when it’s necessary and you should not leave him in this situation for more than a few minutes.
