We often see that once a kitten is pinched by the back of the neck, it will freeze. Is a cat’s weak point the back of its neck?

Then can we handle tigers, which are also cats, in the same way when we encounter them? ​​​​​​

While cats are predators, they are also hunted by natural enemies. When a mother cat senses danger, she will carry her kittens to a safe place. Because the skin on the back of the neck is rough and thick, it becomes a place for the female cat to bite. After one sip, the lively and meowing kitten immediately dared not move and stopped making any sound.

This is the kitten’s risk-avoidance mechanism, which facilitates the transfer of the mother cat and avoids exposing the target. This is controlled by the parasympathetic nerves and the cerebellum. Once the back of the neck is pinched, the heart rate will immediately decrease and the turbulent movements and shouting will stop. The body becomes tense and no longer resists.

Therefore, we can achieve the same effect by pinching the back of the kitten's neck with our hands, and the kitten will stop struggling and let you control it.

We must never use this trick against big cats. Because as we age, this conditioned reflex becomes weaker and weaker. Cats almost completely lose this response as they grow older.