linamuro said to @ask-drferox:(1/1) Hi! I took my cat in to a new vet to get him looked at for dermatitis today, and while the cat was being combed through for fleas, he tried to move away from the vet. The doc grabbed his tail and pulled him back by it. It made me uneasy, but I didn't know if this is appropriate, or a method taught to vets. Its my first time with this vet, and I'm uneasy about going back. My cat didn't cry or lash out, so I assume it didn't hurt him, but can I get your thoughts on it please?.Thank you!
I can’t picture a situation in which grabbing a cat by the tail would have been safe or appropriate. When taking a rectal temperature one might hold the tail base to deflect it out of the way, but you should never be pulling on it as such. Tails being pulled can cause significant injury and shouldn’t be the primary method of controlling a cat.
Sometimes you might need to pin a cat down at the hip if it’s flighty or aggressive (squishing at hip and shoulders) but that shouldn’t look at all like pulling.
