Over the shoulders of the animal you can pick up a pinch of skin and it should fall back into place immediately when you let go. In an animal that is mildly dehydrated, it will slowly return, and in a severely dehydrated animal it will not return to its normal position. The eyes and ears in puppies and kittens do not open until they are at least 14-16 days old. A fecal test should be done and deworming performed. Many puppies and kittens are born with worms that their mother passed through the uterus.
Cats have a strong fight or flight reflex, similar to the horse.
Most of the time one hand on the head and scooping the cat next to the handler's body is enough. Scruffing the cat may be done in the more reluctant kitty. To scruff a cat, one hand holds the cat's neck at the nape and the other scoops and holds the rear legs firmly. In dogs a collar and leash are best and gentle hand and calm voice go along way to sooth the pet. When approaching a strange dog, talk quietly to it, watch its reaction.