Training Videos
Below you'll find information and step-by-step demonstrations on proper cat assessment, handling, and socialization techniques.
Use the charts below for assessing feline Fear, Anxiety, and Stress (FAS) levels. These videos are to help guide you in managing and handling cats with challenging behavior. I encourage anyone passionate about cats to try these techniques, however, whether this is feasible for you depends on your comfort level. Handling fearful and aggressive cats takes confidence, skill, and practice.
Handle at your own risk. Remember to take all precautions necessary to keep you and the cat safe- Always have a carrier ready, always have towels or cat gloves, and always secure your room before handling any cat. Again, these videos are for difficult-to-handle cats, assuming you've already tried various low-stress techniques. These techniques are useful for anyone handling cats, including vet clinics!
Basic Rules of Cat Handling:
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ALWAYS SECURE YOUR ROOM BEFORE WORKING WITH ANY CAT
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Work quietly and go slow
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Never reach for a cat before assessing their FAS level
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Always use a towel to remove or pick up a fearful cat from a kennel
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Never attempt to pet a cat inside their kennel if displaying aggressive behaviors
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Never transport cats in your arms; always place them in a secure carrier first
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Let others know when and where you'll be when handling cats
Preparing a Secure Room
When working with any cat, it's important to have a secure room. Whether it's an enrichment room, an office, or even a bathroom. This way, if a cat gets loose, they can't escape. A terrified cat can and will climb walls and cabinets like you wouldn't believe. Keeping them contained is a top priority.
Assessing Fear, Anxiety, & Stress (FAS)
Assessing how scared and stressed a cat is is crucial in determining how to approach and handle them. A cat's fear level can change dramatically in just seconds. Knowing the subtle signs of feline behavior is key when handling them.
How to Approach a Cat
Approaching a fearful cat can be intimidating, but your own body language plays a huge role in how the cat will respond. Watch this video to learn how to effectively approach cats of all temperaments.
The Superman Towel Wrap
This innovative towel wrapping technique allows you to quickly and efficiently restrain a cat of any temperament in a safe and humane way. This technique is great for removing scared cats from kennels and carriers, restraining for exams, medicating, socialization, and even catching a cat that's gotten loose.
With the towel
Without the towel
Bundle and Bond Technique
This unique socialization method utilizes the Superman Towel Wrap to interact one-on-one with fearful, nervous, or even feral cats. When done properly, it dramatically builds a cat's confidence and decreases their stress levels over time. Visit my Handling Techniques page for more info.
Gentling
Gentling is just a fancy way to say petting a cat, but it's important to know how to properly pet a fearful cat in a way that minimizes their stress and gets them used to being handled and interacted with.
Removing a Cat From a Kennel or Feral Box
Feral boxes aren't just for feral cats. They work great as a hiding box for shelter cats and allow for easier handling of fearful and aggressive cats. Here, I demonstrate how I utilize the Superman Towel Wrap to restrain and remove a cat from the back of a kennel or feral box. Below these you'll find real-world examples of how to remove a cat from their kennel based on their FAS level. The key to restraining fearful cats is CONFIDENCE! It doesn't take much force, but remember that you are stronger than a 10-pound cat and they can't kill you, so don't be scared.
Step-By-Step Demonstration:
Removing a Cat From a Kennel Based on FAS
In these next videos, I demonstrate how to safely remove cats from their kennels based on their Fear, Anxiety, and Stress Score (FAS), which ranges from 0-5. The chart pictured here gives a great breakdown of feline stress behaviors to help assess these cats before interacting with them.
FAS Level 0-1
Level 0-1 cats are usually confident, friendly, and don't shy away when you approach them. These cats love pets and attention and are easy to handle.
FAS Level 1-2
Level 1-2 cats are generally friendly, but they may take a second to warm up. They usually don't approach you first, but once you make contact with them, they come out of their shell. These cats are easily handled and don't take much to restrain.
FAS Level 2-3
Level 2-3 cats are more timid and unsure about being handled, but they are not aggressive. While they don't hiss or growl, they tend to be unwilling to come to you. They tolerate pets, but may take a little longer to feel comfortable. Using a towel is best when picking these cats up because, while they don't intend to scratch on purpose, they often resist restraint and will struggle to get away.
FAS Level 4
Level 4 cats are ones with such severe FAS that they are frozen in place. Sometimes they are more challenging to work with than aggressive cats because their behavior can quickly shift from frozen in fear to escape mode, where they will do anything and everything to get away from you. Use extreme caution when handling these cats because they are the most likely to get loose. For this reason, the Bundle & Bond technique is necessary for initial socialization. I prefer to use a secondary container to remove them from their kennel for transport, as shown below. Always keep at least one hand on them at all times to prevent escape and be absolutely sure your room is secure.
FAS Level 5
Level 5 cats are extremely scared and can be very aggressive. In their minds, they are fighting for their life. When removing them from kennels, it's best to use a secondary container like a carrier or feral cat box to remove them so that you don't have to reach in and grab them. This makes it much safer for you and the cat. This also allows you to let them calm down in a quiet room safely and securely before handling them.
This cat, although it says Level 4, is more like a 4.5-5, but remember this is a spectrum of fear so levels may overlap. In this video the cat is hissing and growling, but is not as severely aggressive as the ones below and I felt confident I could restrain her without issues. But when in doubt, use a secondary container.
Defensively Aggressive
Level 5 Defensive cats are exhibiting aggressive behaviors, but are still trying to avoid you. Usually, they're hissing, growling, and swatting at you while backing up into a corner. Be aware that defensive behavior can quickly shift to offensive behavior
Offensively Aggressive
Level 5 Offensive cats are exhibiting aggressive behaviors while trying to come at you. This usually involves swatting, spitting, hissing, and growling. Extreme caution should be used when handling these cats. Again, these cats are fearing for their life, this does not mean they're feral. Most of these cats act completely different once out of their kennel environment and handled with compassion.
Removing a Cat From a Feral Box
This video has multiple examples of how I remove cats from a feral box. Those that come out on their own are owner-surrendered cats, while those I remove with a towel are feral cats. For a better view of my techniques, watch my previous video "The Superman Towel Wrap- Without the Towel."
Catching a Loose Cat
When a cat gets loose, you must act with urgency. This video helps guide you through the steps of what to do when a cat gets loose. All the more reason to secure the cat and your room before handling them.
Socializing Feral Kittens
In this video, I briefly go over some general guidelines for fostering and socializing feral kittens. For additional resources on feral kittens, visit my Kittens page.
Socializing Feral Cats
In this video, I discuss how and why you might socialize a feral cat. For more information, visit my Feral Cats page
Additional Videos
This video shows how I use my Superman Towel Wrap to restrain a fearful cat to administer a liquid medication. I made sure to transport him in a secure carrier to a secure and quiet room. I also made sure to tell others where I was so no one disrupted us.
Here, I demonstrate how simply moving aggressive cats from their primary kennel and into a quiet room is all it takes to transform their behavior, allowing you to provide them with some positive enrichment, even if only for a short time. This greatly improves their welfare and quality of life while at the shelter and can dramatically decrease their stress and aggressive behaviors when done routinely. For both cats, I placed a feral box inside their kennel and used cat gloves and a towel to get them to enter the box, though some will go in on their own if you give them some time. Even after the heightened stress of forcing them into a feral box and transporting them to an enrichment room, their behavior immediately changes once being shown compassion in a calm and quiet environment.
Here, I demonstrate how I use my Superman Towel Wrap technique to remove an aggressive cat from a kennel to socialize with them. Always make sure your room is secured before doing this.