The Daily Cat

My cat doesn't like to be held, but there are times when I must hold her, such as at the vet. Any suggestions?

You can train your cat to become more comfortable with being held by doing trust-building exercises. Begin by petting your cat when she’s relaxed. Then place a hand on each side of her for a short while. Do this several times a day. Gradually work up to placing a hand around her. When she tolerates this, the next step is to pick her up (just a few inches off the ground) and place her back down. The “pick-up and put-down” should be over with quickly, before she knows what happened. Make sure that when you do this, you hold her upright and not on her back. You also want to support her hindquarters so she feels secure and comfortable.

Work up to being able to carry her to another room and back. End each session with a reward, such as a treat or some petting time. Before long, your kitty should learn to tolerate, and enjoy, being held.