Lesson 15 - Low Stress Handling Techniques

• Low Stress Handling
• Primary Education

Lesson Outline

Theory

Low Stress Handling Techniques

Practical

Full Groom (Clipper + Scissoring)

Models

Meowdels

Lesson 15

Low Stress Handling Techniques

Presented by:

Cats are Considered Unpredictable

Some cats are amiable and will tolerate being groomed on an isolated surface in an unfamiliar, open environment. 

However, the remaining percentage will come to us skittish or fearful. Cats hide fear and pain well, and must be thought to be unpredictable as a precaution, with the potential to cause physical harm, until handling them proves otherwise. 

Many people may think that groomers just cut hair, but in reality we deal with animals that feel fear, pain, stress and anxiety, and they learn from every interaction we present to them. It is our job to ensure that we work within their stress levels and determine what they are able to handle while out of their comfort zone.

Nekomori’s Grooming Practices

Our top priority is to create a culture of care, compassion to ensure that our feline clients entrusted to us receive the best care possible while employing safe handling methods to avoid any injury to ourselves.  

Why Low-Stress Handling?

A less stressful workplace environment is best for everyone.

Using behaviour-centered handling techniques will enhance efficiency, increase client perception of compassion, increase client retention, and vastly improve the quality of pet care.

Why is this Important for us?

Reduces Injury

By understanding the animal’s behaviour and body language of fear, we will be able to avoid handling that can escalate fear and aggression.

Knowing the specific techniques in approach and handling decreases the brewing aggression while keeping yourself safe.

You will be able to avoid personnel/owner injury and associated costs and liability. 

Why is this Important for us?

Reduce Staff Stress

Fewer injuries and animals who are happy to come in for grooming creates a less stressful workplace.

Clients appreciate the staff’s knowledge of their cat's behaviour and how to decrease stress in the pet.

Increase job satisfaction

Why is this Important for us?

Increased Client Compliance

Clients expect their pets to be handled in a low stress manner, not forced into treatment. They are more willing to bring their cats in for care since they are less stressed for care. 

Clients can also learn how to provide home care in a less stressful way, improving patient health and compliance for care.

When the client sees you handling their cat with care, they will be more inclined to come back for regular visits. 

Why is this Important for us?

Expand Your Behaviour Knowledge

Through low-stress handling, you will be educated in how animals learn, animal behaviour and understand how fear creates aggression. 

From the knowledge you can offer services to prevent behaviour problems and determining the right course of action for the grooming session.

Why is this Important for us?

Increased Revenue

By making it easier for clients to bring their cats in for grooming, you will have more client visits. 

Less staff turnover with fewer injuries will also result in less staff expense, improving the bottom line.

Scruffing

There is a lot to say on the topic of scruffing and restraint. Our groomers use this method in circumstances in which there is a real and imminent risk of injury to the groomer or the cat where very brief heavy restraint, such as scruffing may be necessary. 

This should never ever be routine or as a reprimand, and we only proceed with the owner's permission. 

Before coming in for that appointment

• For cats to have low stress visits to the groomers, prep work needs to start at home with the owner
  
• Owner can serve the cat’s meals or treats in the carrier for a start
  
• Next step will be to take the cat in the carrier to the car and then give treats while in the car
  
• Start taking very short trips (like around the block) that end at home
  
• Length of the trips can be increased if the cat is remaining comfortable on short trips.
  

Cats need to learn to associate good things happening with their carriers. To start, the owner can serve the cat’s meals in the carrier. If the cat has already learned to associate the carrier with bad things happening, the door or the top can be left off the carrier until the cat is comfortable going in to eat. Then the top can be put on and when comfortable with that, the gate can be added. When the cat is comfortable going into a fully assembled carrier to eat, the owner can shut the door and give treats, without locking, for very short periods of time, gradually increasing the amount of time the door is closed. Once the cat has a positive association being confined in the carrier, the owner can take the cat in the carrier to the car and then give treats while in the car. The owner will need to enlist the some help from a friend so that the cat can continually be offered treats during the next step which is to start taking very short trips (like around the block) that end at home. The length of the trips can be increased if the cat is remaining comfortable on short trips.

Learn to read cat body language

Cats are more challenging to read as their fear response is often subtle.

Behaviour of a fearful cat:

• Cowering (head and body low, ears flat or out to the side, furrowed brow)
  
• Tense muscles, trembling, open-mouth breathing
  
• Shut-down, trying to hide, or in freeze mode
  
• Looking sleepy, or moving in slow motion
  
• Leaving sweaty paw prints on the table
  
• Hypervigilant - scanning for danger/looking for escape routes
  
• Tail held low and flicking in a swift manner
  
• Hissing, yowling, or vocalising
  

Every cat is different, and learning to read a cat’s body language will help you decide what course of action to take to ensure that you are working within their stress levels. 

In instances where the cat is stressed but is in poor condition, the cat's welfare is priority and sometimes that priority will be to complete the groom because leaving the coat in the state it is in will contribute to other medical issues or affect the quality of life for the cat. 

Learn to read cat body language

Cats are more challenging to read as their fear response is often subtle.

Behaviour of an agitated cat:

• Tails start to twitch
  
• Pupils dilate
  
• Ears pinned down and facing backwards 
  
• Crouch like they are ready to run
  

If the cat is hissing, growling or striking from the carrier, these are obvious telltale signs of stress and aggression. Update the owners about the cat’s reaction and inform them and determine a course of treatment that will allow us to complete the requested services in the quickest, most effective and efficient manner possible.

Making the problem worse

Avoid:

• Looming over
  
• Staring at the cat
  
• Reaching for the cat with frontal approach
  
• Squatting close to the cat and directly facing it
  
• Petting them
  

Squatting close to the cat while directly facing it can cause a fearful reaction as can making the cat feel trapped or cornered. It is a good idea to avoid petting cats when their body language indicates they don’t find it comforting, to do otherwise is to risk making the problem worse.

Cats who enjoy being petted will approach their human family members in a relaxed manner. When petted, these cats stay relaxed. They may even lean into the person to solicit petting or raise their heads to meet the person’s hand.

Making them comfortable

• Prepare towels to cover carriers of cats who are uncomfortable around other cats
  
• Separate them as quickly as possible
  
• Recommend owners to use feline calming pheromone (sprays) in the carrier
  
• Have owner provide a blanket/towel the cat is familiar with (has the cat’s own scent)
  
• For food motivated cats, can ask owners to pack some treats with them
  

In a salon setting where there can be multiple cats at once, some cats may not be comfortable with it so we need to know how not to overwhelm them unnecessarily.

Taking a cat out from the carrier

Cats that hide at the back of the carrier:

• Do not reach in to grab the cat
• Unscrew the top of the carrier and cover the cat with a towel

Do not reach in to grab the cat, that can scare them and they may bite out of defence or fear. Always open up the carrier from the top if possible, speak in a gentle and soft voice to let them know you are near. Stroke their head to see how they react. If they are calm and allow you to do so, gently carry them out from the carrier.

If the cat is skittish, be sure the cat’s head and body is completely covered and tuck the towel in around the sides of the cat. With the towel in place, lift the cat from the carrier and onto the grooming table.

Using Towels

Toweling is to try and keep the cat snug and prevent it from trying to struggle or escape

• Cats with repeated bad visits are more difficult to handle than feral cats
  
• Some cats feel better when they are held securely

Some cats feel better when they are held securely. A towel can help to achieve that.

If a cat is adverse to grooming and subject to stress on every occasion, it will likely be worse with each visit and may not be able to be groomed in the near future.

Burrito Wrap

Can be used in these situations: 

• Shaving of sanitary areas
  
• Nail clipping
  
• Paw pad shave5
  
• Administration of medication
  
• Application of Revolution
  

Burrito Wrap

Step 1

Start by placing your cat several inches from the front edge of the towel, about a foot in from one side.

Burrito Wrap

Step 2

Wrap the short side of the towel snugly around your cat’s neck, like a scarf.

Burrito Wrap

Step 3

Pull the short side of the towel over your cat, so that her entire body is covered, except for the face.

Burrito Wrap

Step 4

Pull the front edge of the towel forward, which will wrap under your cat’s neck.

Burrito Wrap

Step 5

Once the towel is wrapped all the way around, grab the other side and pull it over your cat, making sure that it’s snugly in place.

Introducing treats during grooming

• Some food motivated cats may snack on treats during grooming 
  
• Acts as a distraction from any potentially negative or stressful event that may occur
  

If the cat chooses to eat during these procedures, a positive emotional response is encouraged rather than the typical fearful or stressed response often associated with grooming. It lowers their stress levels and over time may help in associating grooming as something tolerable instead of stressful.

When not to Scruff

• Should only be conducted on case by case basis - e.g. when they get aggressive 
  
• Hold cat in a calm manner by placing one hand on the chest or using a towel
  
• When the owner does not allow scruffing of the cat
  

Some cats become aggressive when scruffed and can escalate. If they do not like to be scruffed, they may tense up their neck and turn around to bite.

In such scenarios, find an alternative method to calm them down. Either let them rest, or try to do other parts of the grooming, whichever they allow.

Goal of Low-Stress Grooming

Recognise and reduce fear and anxiety in our practices with a goal of helping pets (and their owners) to trust the care their pet will be given. 

If we as don't acknowledge that every interaction the pet in our care is exposed to teaches the pet how to react, who to trust, and how to behave, then we truly aren't doing our jobs as pet professionals and can cause harm to the pets in our care. 

If as professionals we push pets passed comfort to just "get the job done" and we ignore what the animal is trying to communicate with us, what are we teaching that pet about us and the environment they're in? Will they be calmer next time, or struggle more after a bad experience? 

It's very important for all pet professionals to understand how to properly communicate with animals, to understand that with every interaction we teach the animal about the environment and how to act, to prevent aggression and future behavior problems and to also fix problems that we may have unknowingly created with past handling mistakes. 

Practical

• 1 pair to 1 meowdel
• In your pairs, complete a basic groom for your meowdel
  
• Check for any undercoat or matts and remove them
• Do a pre-clip & trim before bathing your meowdel
• Bathe and blow dry your meowdel (Practice on your dummy while waiting for your cat to dry)
• Trim your meowdel

List 3 behaviours of a fearful cat

List 3 behaviours of an agitated cat

What should you avoid when grooming an agitated or stressed cat?

List 2 techniques you can implement to groom an agitated/stressed cat