L James G. Fox, Bennett J. Cohen, and Franklin M. Loew, Eds. Laboratory Animal Medicine, Academic Press, 1984. When handling cats, wear long sleeves as protection against sharp claws and teeth. Do not handle a cat roughly, often less restraint is better. If you try to overpower a cat, it may become aggressive.
Cats are small, but they are quick and strong.
If lab personnel are unable to remove a cat from it's enclosure, or cannot successfully restrain it for a procedure, a member of the LARC Veterinary Services Unit should be contacted for assistance. Quietly approach cat from the front. While petting the cat's head, move your hand over the ears and gently grasp the scruff over the shoulders. The thumb and index fingers of the hand grasping the scruff will be facing toward the cat's hind end. Walk the cat to the front of the cage and place the opposite arm around the hind end.