Reply #73: Scruffing is effective because it evokes an -

[Mike K]

-instinctual response of total submission. While it might be uncomfortable for an adult cat I have never seen an indication that it is painful. Of course I'm not recommending that you pick up a cat by the scruff and swing it around.

I have a fourteen pound tuxedo cat (he used to weigh sixteen pounds but he's on a diet). He tends to misbehave now and then by harrassing his companion Maine Coon who is a sedate older fellow. At such times I pick him up by the scruff and he goes totally limp. I scold him and when I put him down he always runs to the cellar and hides for hours, apparently in shame.

While I'm quite sure that cats would rather not be scruffed I disagree that it's cruel. If the cat is particularly heavy it's not necessary to lift its full weight off the floor. Just lift its forelegs until its rear legs are nearly off the floor. Raise it until it goes limp, then scold it. You'll achieve the same effect.