How to Properly Pick Up and Hold a Cat (4 Hold Techniques) | The Cat Butler 

Ragdolls are a whole different game as they will not support themselves, like the shoulder hold. After 50 years of cats the best hold is the one they allow, each cat is different as each human is.

A tip for those wanting to get their cat more comfortable once being held: let them lead by where their head goes, and let them investigate with smell objects and other things around the house 😺

Having adopted a young traumatised (tragic circumstances) cat (Tuxedo) who hates being picked up, after 19 months and heaps of Dreamies, I can pick him up while I kneel on the floor it's slow going but it's progress, bless him 💕🙏

My baby Nori LOVES shoulder holds. She often mews at me asking for me to pick her up, she also loves shoulder rides. I’m fully convinced that her past life is a parrot😂😂 haha my boy Natto loves the baby hold. He’s so cute🥰 ❤

An important thing to realize with all cats is they have time limits for most activities. When they’ve had enough, they’ll let you know. So don’t push things, let them down when they indicate they’re done.

The fact that you have ragdolls and a husky is so funny, the dogs of the cat world and cats of the dog world respectively lol 😆

3:38 the moment i saw the football hold i started laughing way too hard 😭 he's just dangling!!

This additionally feels like a demonstration of why Ragdolls are called ragdolls

The most basic thing you emphasized is the support for the cat when picking up. I've generally done this because my cats are much more comfortable with this. (What an idea!) Sometimes I do not have two hands available so I use an arm under the cat lengthwise to give them that better support. The approach though is something I have not been consistent with so I really found that useful. Also, dropping a cat rather that putting them down gently is a big deal if you want to be able to pick the cat up easily again. Dropping may not hurt them but they must instantly go from cuddly comfortable and relaxed to high alert. They seem to trust me more if I just don't do that.

I very much appreciate how you did not force your cats with the hold they find uncomfortable.

I am always delighted when you post a new video. your voice is so calm and soothing…it’s no wonder your two cats are so relaxed in your arms. your entire presence speaks: gentleness…safety…love! thanks for great videos 🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛😊😊

What you say makes perfect sense. I never pick up my cats unless I have to.

My siamese cat Westley loves the shoulder hold, and every time I go to do it he always jumps up on my shoulders and lays down on my back lol. Then he starts nuzzling me with his face, it's so cute. He used to be a big cuddler as a kitten and I can tell he misses me when I come to visit, as he lives with my parents right now.

I like to put the cat’s front feet on my left shoulder and support their back feet and backside with my right arm. That way, the cat is sitting upright, which is usually comfortable for them and I can pet them with my left hand. I think you call this the shoulder hold. Your cats are so beautiful and this video was very clear and informative for new cat butlers. Thanks!

You’re voice is so calming and your content is just amazing!

One of the most important things everyone must learn in their lives. Thank you!

It’s funny - my cat Nikita really does not like being picked up or held (after being picked up), but she LOVES to sit on my lap or chest, and is very happy to be held there! I guess it always has to be completely on her terms and initiated by her 😸 They both love to break out of my flat when I’m coming back in and run up and down the hallway outside (and it’s about the length of 4 of my flats side by side, so I’m happy for them to have a place to sprint!), and while I try to let them have their fun and come back in of their own volition (usually when someone else on on my floor either comes home or leaves - I’ve got big scaredy-cats, so the door opening and a person being there sends them running!), sometimes I’ve had to pick them up and carry them back home. Maybe there’s a big element of, “hey, you’re stopping my fun! 😿”, but I always feel from Nikita especially, the message is, “how dare you pick me up and carry me?! Put me down! I’m a strong and independent cat! 😾” 😹 She’s a massive wriggler, and it’s a struggle to get her lowered anywhere near the ground before she’s off out of my arms. Harvey hasn’t sat on my lap for ages, which makes me sad :( He’s still very affectionate and wants to be near me though. But he doesn’t mind being picked up as much as Nika! I picked him up the other day and he settled and was calm, and we walked around my flat for a bit looking at different things from a different perspective (and sniffing them too - him not me!). He likes a version of the basic hold, but more upright - most of his weight supported by my right arm brought in close to my body, wrapped around him and supporting his back legs with my right hand too, then he puts his front paws up on my left arm, which gives him a good view :) Also, he’s now 8kg/over 17.5lbs!🙀 I think I need to do some weightlifting to get in shape to comfortably pick him up and carry him 😂

Thanks for sharing 👏 I wanna get my cat more comfortable with being picked up & held, but didn’t want to hurt her by mistake 😺 Appreciate the advice 😺

Both of my cats definitely prefer being hoisted onto my shoulder. They'll stay there for a while, just chilling. Both of them prefer a different shoulder, though, which I think is quite funny.

my cat only allows a shoulder hold, and funnily enough, he'll only accept the left shoulder! try and keep him right and he'll just squeeze under your face to reposition himself. great vid, always love reading or hearing about the little quirks every pet has

Beautiful cats

The toe cleaning was my absolute favorite 5 seconds of this whole video!

My cat HATES being held... but will happily ride around on your shoulder.

Thank you for helping 'Our Feline Friends' with their "servant Problem." (So Difficult to get Good Help, these days.)

The best youtube channel ever !! Love them both so much !

Another fantastic video . I love all of the research you do for the videos .

Definitely, from my hooman opinion, the shoulder /upper arm hold is MY favorite. Newly, our calico point, enjoys it,too. It's a cross my body hold: right arm over her tail tucked bottom, right hand on her tummy, her upper body over my left upper arm and her cheek next to mine. I like the smell and feel of her fur!

My cat loves the shoulder hold.

I really like your composed voice, and your lovely cats Teemo and Arya (what lovely names)! My cat is very fond of the baby hold - I got to learn this from several hit and trials, wish good content such as yours was available earlier. Haha! All the best!

@4:53 , one does not simply move a comfortable cat that is laying in your arms 😂😂😂 you simply DO NOT MOVE until they do 😅😂❤

I am going to try those out. Thank you for the helpful video. Teemo and Arya are some great-looking cats!

When necessary, a safe hold is hind quarters tucked between your side and elbow with your same side hand sandwiching both hind legs interlocked between your fingers, and your opposite hand doing the same with front legs. Keep your front arm clear away from biting. Keep cat snugly against body so s/he is fully supported. Any escape efforts trigger tighter hold. I trained my cat (RIP, age 20) to accept this hold, and routinely walked a mile to the vet through a busy metro area. I also used a towel over her to keep her secure. (I was pretty broke at that point-no cat holder or car or cab money.) My orange tabby (also gone so sad) was usually so relaxed I could hold him upside down with my forearm under his lower abdomen and his legs hooked over my arm, and then walk around swinging him as I went. He seemed quite content.

Thanks for taking time to show us all these different ways to hold your cat, very nice video.

*W.. Cuteeeee TeemO & Arya*

These cats are so cute

My boy is so easy going but I sent this video to my partners (who are very anxious around cats and holding cats) so it'll hopefully help them. He's the absolute best cat to train on, he's super tolerant and doesn't lash out unless I've annoyed him to his wit's end. Even at the vets he is calm and tolerant. He doesn't like being baby held but will endure it, and likes his feet scooped if he's in a basic hold or shoulder hold. I've picked him up a multitude of terrible ways when he needs rescuing (usually from his own stupidity), and is given much love and treats afterwards, but I probably need to get some practice on that football hold.

This video was adorable. And what’s crazy is I have had about 6 cats over my 40 years, and yet when I’ve held them in position 1, I’ve always scooped and cradled their back feet in the crook of my arm, the little back leg dangle is so cute and my mind is blown that I’ve never tried supporting only the belly and letting the legs hang! (My current girl is skittish as she was a young feral shelter adoptee, so I’ve been very slowly (for 3 years now!) working on her acceptance of being picked up without her freaking out.

I'm holding Pangur in the baby hold right now, it's his favourite way to be held, and he will wriggle and move around until he gets in that position, then he snuggles into my shoulder and makes biscuits on my face, chest or neck. He will climb on me and get in my face if he wants to be held, sometimes he will even slap me if I don't pick him up! Helios, our flame point ragdoll, will let anyone hold him in whatever way you want, but prefers just the standard cat hold. He loves just sitting on my son's lap the most. He's our most easy going kitty. Artemis won't let anyone hold her except for my daughter in law. She's definitely a bit of a princess!

I love the noms at the beginning lol.

Thanks for sharing these techniques! I've had trouble with this myself.

Thanks for sharing.

This is a good informational video.

great lesson ty!

Great video ! Thanks♡

How georgeous! Have two stray white cats also Cats are angels they are helping me since my childhood blessings sir

Great video! Thank you very much!!!

Liked the video! Just wish there had been footage of picking up a cat with the "Basic Hold" or getting them into that hold after the pickup.

Your babies are stunning.

This was great, thank you for sharing!

The Cat Butler! 😄 ❤

Thank you! Teemo and Arya are beautiful and I enjoy your videos so much! I have 2 ragdolls (a cream colorpoint "Skye" and a seal bicolor "Oceane" my two boys) and I always put my second hand under their back feet and then when I release them, i make sure I release the hand from their back feet so they can walk away. Oceane doesn't like to be held but Skye sometimes does. I will try these new holds. I've been a cat owner for over 30 years and I had no idea I was doing it wrong!!! Thank you so much for sharing!

I have an awesome rescue cat. 16yrs old now. Affection is on his terms. Growls like a dog if you try to pick him up. It’s pretty funny actually. It’s cool, we have an understanding. I don’t pick him up, he don’t claw my face.

Oh teemo and arya are so adorable

Thank you

My cat loves the basic hold it is so good😊

What beautiful and exquisite cats ❤

I have found that with all the cats that I have had the pleasure to spend time with, all of time has liked when I hold them with one hand under their back paws and one hand under the front. Then I move them around so that they can look out the the windows and stuff while being comfy in my hands.

This video was very informative and interesting ❤😮 Love ur channel ☺️

Great

My kitties love the shoulder hold the best where they can look around.

thx

that helped a lot

Both my cats are shoulder cats. other one doesn't mind baby hold but actually it's not a suggested hold Jackson Galaxy explains this well.

Your ragdolls are so very adorable. 🥰

I've held hundreds of cats (see the Canadian Parliament Hill cats), always by using one hand as a platform for their rear legs to stand on while their front legs rest on my shoulder. I never squeeze them. They can always escape at any time, so they feel in control as they purr and head butt me. This method has a key advantage over your methods because you have one hand free to pet them.

Funny. This video does not mention the one cat hold I was always told was "THE" cat hold. Lift under cats chest, and quickly swoop other hand around rear of cat, gripping and supporting tail and hind legs with that hand. Continue to support chest of cat with the other hand, and allow front paws to rest on top of arm. I was always under the impression this was the one and only correct cat hold.

The cats are beautiful.

Beautiful cats!

My 2 cats like being held different. My bigger cat likes the shoulder hold or baby hold. My other cat likes the basic hold, just without my arm between his legs. He'll even get into position all on his own.

Beautiful cuties😍😍

I like to hold my arm like a shelf, palm up, and put them down on that, so they are standing on their own feet. That way they can support themselves. and if I need to I can use the other hand to pet them, or manipulate objects like a brush, or a doorknob.

Thank you so much! We adopted our first cats about four months ago. Nova enjoys the basic and sometimes will allow a baby hold. Nadia hates being picked up at all unless right after she wakes up, so I'll try the football hold with her! I'm mostly worried that she won't let me pick her up in an emergency, so I'll continue watching your videos!

They are gorgeous, I loves cat more than anything else in the world.

I hope u guys r good right now in san fransisco i know how hard it is right now praying for u❤☹️🙏

Thanks for another great video! For my cat, Boots, I usually do the baby hold or a variation of the basic hold. I also do the shoulder hold if he's being rambunctious because it lets him look around more easily. Picking up cats comes naturally to me since I was raised around them, but my boyfriend wasn't so when he picks up our cat, the hold is kind of what I would call "the torpedo." It's similar to the basic hold except he holds him a little further from his body. We both put him down on his chair (yes, my cat has his own chair with his own sofa on top that I crocheted for him... he likes to feel like he's a human and sit between us when we are using the computers) or on the bed instead of on the ground, so that he has a soft place to land. My brother's cat's favorite hold wasn't listed, but it's for good reason 🤣 She likes to be held literally upside down. He supports her back and her head but holds her literally upside down. No idea why that little weirdo likes it but he's held her like that ever since she was a baby. She's a little bit older than my Boots.

This creature is covered in beauty. I dnt know how God crafted such an amazing fluff ball. The way their heads turns and then they release a 😼😽😻. Bursting pleasure fireworks 🎇

The first hold 🤣 I would never pick a cat up like that... It looked uncomfortable 😆

With my young maincoon, I tend to go for a mix between the shoulder hold and first, laying-down hold. I place one hand underneath her chest, and one underneath her hind legs. She then sits on my hand, or I hold her paws depending on the day, and her front paws are on my arm. Sometimes she turns into more of a baby hold, to look up at me.

Ironically the shoulder hold is the one my cat constantly demands. She learned it from my baby cousin asking for her mom. She hates the basic hold. She tolerates the baby but she moves to the shoulder.

I do a variation of the first by placing my arm over the back of the cat and then my hand goes under his back legs so he can stand on my hand. Makes for a very compact hold without dangling legs. I belive that's also how you hold rabbits.

Another great video. Gina

You misnamed the football hold. That’s really the booty cleaning hold. 😂😂😂. Only time I ever use that one.

Thank you soo much for this video!! Ive loved and cared for cats for so long, but ive never been able to figure out how to properly hold them..this was amazingly informative!!💗

Good morning ! I also have a smoll red tabby Ragdoll ( her name is "Sardine" ! ), which looks like Arya and Teemo ! I learned a lot with your channel as Ragdoll are cats that need extra softness, so its super nice to have your experience. I just tried all those holding positions and she's definitely more comfortable with the "Baby" and "Shoulder" ones ( seems that her favorite is the "Baby Hold" : she automatically purr as soon as flipped ahah 😂 ). Have a nice day all

My current cat: Doesn't request or demand being held, yet doesn't usually mind when I do. My previous cat: You have asked for death.

Thank you so much, ❤now all I need to do is find that stray cat I found and pet a while ago😂

I know how to hold a cat but I still watch this video because... Cats. My variation of the normal hold is to support their hind paws with my hand. So they basically stand on my one hand with their hind legs and lay on top of my arm with their chest. They love this the most. If I just hold them at their belly they flail about.

My Jasmine makes me lean over at a 90 degree angle and rides my back as I walk from room to room. 😂

Swish those cats!!

I’ve always used the shoulder hold

awesome...just need to get a cat.

I have a couple of 7kg cats. They hate any tummy holds so it's one hand under the chest as i put my hand under the back feet and they step on then they put their paws on my shoulder.

Samson is a 16 mo Ragdoll, and so far he only accepts the babyhold. When we just got him, that was the only time he really purred. It was also in that position he gave me the first nose kisses ❤ When he is done being held, he starts pushing on my arm with his front paws, making it easy to put him down gently, and avoid any panic or discomfort.

I have a half rag doll cat. She loves the shoulder hold, but only with me and my sister. If my mom picks her up she will try to get away. She always wants kisses and face rubs from me, so I guess the shoulder hold allows me to give those

Very cute cats 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

That is exactly the way I lift my cat up and carry them around(and she doesn’t mind at all to be picked up)🤣 my sister even said to me that I was being too dramatic for carrying her like a baby🤣

I usually do an inverted football hold.

S Q U I S H THAT CAT

Huh, normally my cats don’t seem to enjoy being held, but I tried the first one on my calico and she actually seemed okay with it. Thanks for the tips!

My Calico rather enjoyed the ‘baby’ hold.