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Pinch-induced behavioral inhibition ('clipnosis') in domestic cats

Article  in  Journal of Feline Medicine & Surgery · March 2008

DOI: 10.1016/j.jfms.2007.10.008 · Source: PubMed

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Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery (2008) 10, 82e87
doi:10.1016/j.jfms.2007.10.008

Pinch-induced behavioral inhibition

(‘clipnosis’) in domestic cats
Megan E Pozza BS1, Judi L Stella BS1, Anne-Claire Chappuis-Gagnon 2
DVM ,
Susan O Wagner DVM, MS, DACVIM1, CA Tony Buffington DVM, PhD, DACVN1*

1
Department of Veterinary Clinical Research has documented immobilization of rodents, rabbits, guinea pigs and
Sciences, The Ohio State dogs by mechanical means, typically using neck clips or inversion (‘animal
University, Columbus, OH 43210, hypnosis’). In contrast, only a few studies of mechanical immobilization of cats
USA are available, although some success has been reported in the literature.
2
Clinique Vétérinaire Réservée aux Domestic cats may be effectively immobilized by clips placed along the animal’s
Chats, 47 Avenue Valioud, 69110 dorsum. We use the term ‘pinch-induced behavioral inhibition’ (PIBI) for this
Sainte Foy Les Lyon, France behavior because it describes both the method and the response, while avoiding
the more anthropomorphic term ‘hypnosis’. We investigated the effectiveness of
PIBI and its neurological and habituation effects in healthy cats and cats with
idiopathic cystitis (IC). Although not all cats were susceptible to PIBI and
effectiveness varied among individuals, PIBI was useful for gentle restraint in
most cats.
Date accepted: 24 October 2007 Ó 2007 ESFM and AAFP. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A
nimal hypnosis is sometimes used to fascination have been used to describe the be-
describe a spectrum of immobility be- haviors (Lefebvre and Sabourin 1977).
haviors induced by a variety of means There has been much research interest in the
(Gallup 1974). The effect has been demonstrated mechanisms underlying immobilization through
in animals representing a variety of taxa, includ- mechanical inhibition in mice, rats, rabbits, and
ing insects, reptiles, birds and mammals (Gallup guinea pigs. In these animals, immobility is typ-
1974). According to Fleischmann and Urca ically induced using neck clips or inversion.
(1988), animal hypnosis describes a behavioral Although there has been little research on immo-
state in which the animal is both immobilized bilization of cats, there have been several reports
and desensitized to external stimuli. The practise of success in immobilizing cats by placing clips
was known to the ancient Egyptians, and re- along their dorsal midline (Lefebvre and Sabo-
ported in the western literature as early as 1646 urin 1977, Toutain 1978a,b, Tarttelin 1991, 1993,
(Klemm 1971). Immobility is assumed to have Gagnon 2006). We also have found that cats are
survival value in nature because many instances often effectively immobilized when clips are
can be found in the wild. For example, snakes placed along the animal’s neck. For cats, we
transfix prey with their gaze, and baby mammals have chosen to use the term ‘pinch-induced
become limp when their mother picks them up behavioral inhibition’ (PIBI) because it describes
by the neck with her jaws. Both of these behav- both the method and the response, while avoid-
iors describe induction of immobilization by ex- ing the more anthropomorphic term ‘hypnosis’.
ternal stimuli, although the mechanisms may Furthermore, cats typically are not fully immobi-
be quite different. Because there are many ways lized by the clips. The cat may be immobilized,
to induce immobilization, a variety of terms, but often the clipped animal retains some mobil-
such as hypnosis, mesmerism, scruff immobility ity with a decreased response to external stimuli.
reflex, behavioral arrest, bewitchment and Because the cat may retain some mobility, PIBI is
an inhibition response rather than true ‘animal
hypnosis’. Therefore, ‘behavioral inhibition’ de-
*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] scribes the clips’ effects more accurately than

1098-612X/08/010082+06 $32.00/0 Ó 2007 ESFM and AAFP. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
 Pinch-induced behavioral inhibition 83

does ‘immobility’. PIBI is more casually known

as ‘clipnosis’.
Although this phenomenon has been reported
previously, it has not been widely recognized as
a safe and useful form of restraint for cats. The
purpose of this report is to describe our experi-
ences with PIBI and discuss the clinical applica-
tions of this form of restraint for cats. To this end,
we investigated susceptibility to and some effects
of PIBI in healthy cats and cats with idiopathic cys-
titis (IC). We included cats diagnosed with IC be-
cause our laboratory studies this syndrome, and
cats with IC are unusually sensitive to stressors,
including restraint (Westropp et al 2006).

Materials and methods

Animals
All cats used in this study were individually Fig 1. Placement of clips along the dorsal cervical region
of a cat.
housed in stainless steel cages in the vivarium of
The Ohio State University College of Veterinary
Medicine and fed a standard dry commercial
a marked negative response to the clip(s)
diet. The Animal Care and Use Committee of
(arousal, vocalization, attempts to remove clip),
The Ohio State University approved all of the ex-
0 indicated no response, and þ3 indicated
perimental procedures. Five healthy male and
a marked positive response (behavioral inhibi-
eight healthy female neutered cats ranging in
tion). After ranking the response the clips were
age from 1 to 5 years, and 11 male and seven
removed.
female neutered cats with IC ranging in age from
1 to 10 years, were studied. The evaluation of
Habituation to PIBI
health status and diagnosis of IC was performed
as previously described (Westropp et al 2006). All cats were clipped 1, 2, and 3 months after ini-
tial clipping. PIBI response was ranked and com-
Clips pared to the previous month’s PIBI ranking.
One or two standard 2 inch binder clips (Staples)
Scruffing and PIBI
were used to induce PIBI. The pressure applied
was estimated by applying a clip to a blood pres- In month 4 (3 months after initial clipping), 12 of
sure cuff attached to a Propper pressure gauge 13 healthy cats and 16 of 18 cats with IC were
(SpeidelþKeller, Jungingen, Germany) inflated gently lifted by the scruff of the neck to deter-
to approximately 10 mmHg and recording the mine whether the cat’s response to scruffing
pressure rise. would predict the response to PIBI using the
same scale used for ranking PIBI.
Procedure
Neurological examinations and PIBI
The cats were removed from their home cages,
placed on an examination table in the hallway Four of 13 healthy cats (two males and two
of their housing room, and the clip(s) placed females), and six (three males and three females)
along the dorsal midline between C1 and C7 of 18 cats with IC were examined both before
(Fig 1). The first clip was placed directly behind and during clipping by a board certified veteri-
the ears (this is the scruff area, commonly used nary neurologist (SW). Mentation, menace
by queens to pick up and carry kittens). The sec- response, facial sensation, and front and back leg
ond clip, if used, was placed immediately behind support capabilities were examined. The re-
the first. After placing the clip(s) on the cat, PIBI sponses were scored before and after clipping as:
was immediately ranked on a Likert scale rang- 0 ¼ normal, 1 ¼ mildly decreased, 2 ¼ moderately
ing from 3 to þ3. A rank of 3 indicated decreased, 3 ¼ markedly decreased.
84 ME Pozza et al

Statistical analysis responses to scruffing and clipping was observ-

ed in cats with IC than in healthy cats (r2 ¼
Response to PIBI over time was evaluated using
0.72, P < 0.0001) (Fig 3).
KruskaleWallis test. Scruffing and clipping were
evaluated using linear regression analysis, and
Neurological examinations and PIBI
the effect of clipping on all neurological parame-
ters was evaluated using Wilcoxon signed rank No differences were observed between responses
test. of healthy cats and cats with IC or gender, so
the data were pooled for analysis. Only me-
ntation (25th percentile ¼ 2, median ¼ 2, 75th
Results percentile ¼ 1; P ¼ 0.004) was significantly de-
Measurement of pressure applied by the clips creased by PIBI. During clip application, miosis
ranged from 140 to 160 mmHg. On initial expo- was observed in all cats.
sure, 12 of 13 healthy cats (92%) had a positive
PIBI score, and one had a moderate negative
PIBI score (2). All 18 of the cats with IC Discussion
(100%) had a positive PIBI score. No effects of The scruff response in cats is ‘almost identical to
age or gender were identified in either group. the immobility produced in small kittens when
At month 2, PIBI scores increased in seven of they are picked up by the skin of the neck by
13 healthy cats, stayed the same in four, and de- their mother and transported from one nest site
creased in two. In month 3, PIBI scores increased to another’ (Hart 1978). The kitten’s tail curls
in two cats, stayed the same in six, and decreased up under the body, the back ventroflexes, and
in five. The PIBI scores increased in three of 18 the animal becomes passive. Veterinarians and
cats with IC, stayed the same in five, and de- cat owners alike have long recognized that
creased in 10 in month 2. In month 3, scores in- ‘scruffing’ a cat can provide restraint for minor
creased in five cats, stayed the same in 10, and procedures such as administering injections or
decreased in three (Fig 2). trimming claws. PIBI induced a comparably pas-
sive behavior when the clips were applied to the
Scruffing and PIBI scruff of the neck.
We became interested in using PIBI because of
A positive scruffing score almost always indi-
its effectiveness in inhibiting mobility during
cated a positive PIBI score. Likewise, a negative
phlebotomy and other minor procedures, and
scruffing score almost always indicated a nega-
tive PIBI score. A closer relationship between

Fig 2. Effect of repeated clipping on response in healthy Fig 3. Regression (best fit line and 95% confidence limits)
(H) cats and cats with IC. Only H2 and IC 1 were statistically of response to scruffing onto response to clipping in healthy
different using KruskaleWallis test. cats and cats with IC.
 Pinch-induced behavioral inhibition 85

because it seemed to have a ‘relaxing’ effect on

many cats even after removal of the clips. Cats
usually seemed more content, even purring,
and less fearful during veterinary procedures
when clips were used instead of restraint by
other means. Some veterinarians have even
called clipping their ‘third hand’ because of its
usefulness in facilitating veterinary procedures
in a clinical setting (Gagnon 2006). PIBI has pro-
vided a generally effective alternative to more
traditional means of restraining cats.
We found that, as with scruffing, not all cats
were susceptible to PIBI, and the effectiveness
varied among individuals. In month 1 (initial Fig 4. Ventroflexion of the back and tail placement during
clipping), 92% of 13 healthy cats and 100% of positive PIBI.
18 cats with IC responded positively to clipping.
Tarttelin (1991) reported that 67% of 60 cats re- positively to the clips. This assessment may be
sponded to clipping, while 33% showed no re- useful in some clinical settings to save time and
sponse. Gagnon (2006) has found that 69% of energy that might otherwise be wasted trying
100 cats responded to PIBI (using two fingers in- to clip a cat that would not be likely to respond
stead of clips). In our study, one healthy cat (PIBI to PIBI.
score 2) responded negatively to the clips with It is interesting to note that the scruff is not the
vocalization and biting, and one cat with IC (PIBI only location on the cat that stimulates PIBI
score þ3) immediately fell to his side and ap- (Beyaert et al 2003). Clips placed anywhere along
peared almost catatonic. However, the healthy the dorsal midline may produce some response.
cat’s PIBI score increased the following month. Although it is unknown whether the PIBI mech-
Although we did not identify an effect of time anism is related to acupuncture point stimula-
on response to PIBI, our subsequent experience tion, the dorsal midline has been called the
has suggested that most cats become more rather ‘governing vessel meridian’ by acupuncturists,
than less tolerant to PIBI after repeated experi- and stimulation of points along this line is re-
ences with the procedure. Individual IC cats’ re- ported to decrease activity (Gagnon 2006). In
sponses were more variable than those of the our experience, however, application of clips to
healthy cats. We were not able to identify a partic- the neck seems to maximize clip effectiveness.
ular source of this variation, although it may be Clip pressures also affected PIBI induction. We
related to environmental circumstances in the vi- experimented with a variety of clips, including
varium. For example, the absence of the cats’ reg- clothes’ pins (Fig 5), kitchen clips, and binder
ular caretaker may have affected the response to clips. We found that the most effective clips
PIBI among the cats with IC in month 2. We have were those that produced pressures in the range
observed that calm, quiet cats respond much bet- of systolic blood pressure. This same relationship
ter to clipping than do agitated cats. In clinical between pressure and PIBI was found in rats
settings, we recommend clipping before attempt-
ing any procedures, and not as a last resort. Cats
that are already aroused are less likely to re-
spond positively to application of clips.
The physiological response to PIBI was some-
what similar to that of scruffing. For example,
miosis and ventroflexion of the back with the
tail (Fig 4) curled up under the body occur dur-
ing both procedures (Reiner 1986). Although
we believe that PIBI is preferable to scruffing,
we investigated scruffing as a possible predictor
of positive PIBI response because of their
similarities. We found that scruffing provided
a reasonable prediction of whether or not cats,
particularly cats with IC, would respond Fig 5. Clipnosis using clothes’ pins.
86 ME Pozza et al

(Meyer 1990) and cats (Toutain 1978a). Although detection and to better locate a predator and
we used clip pressures that did not exceed physio- plan escape. In contrast to tonic immobility, the
logical blood pressures to ensure that clip applica- freezing animal is highly responsive to stimuli,
tion did not result in ischemic damage to the skin such as touch, and remains in the alert posture
of the animal, pressures greater than 300 mmHg typical for that species (Marks 1987).
for prolonged periods of time (>3 h) have been re- We conclude that PIBI is not a fear or pain re-
ported to be necessary to induce ischemia-related sponse, and instead may have evolved to facili-
injury (discussed in Tsuji et al 2005). tate transportation of the kitten by the mother
The only difference in neurological function cat. We have observed that young cats and kit-
observed in the cats after application of the clips tens are more responsive to PIBI than adults,
was a decrease in mentation, suggesting a fore- suggesting that this may be a procedure to be in-
brain site of action. The altered mentation was troduced to owners as early in the cat’s life as
not characteristic of decreased arousability, as possible to enhance effects. The profound PIBI
would be observed in obtunded or stuporous an- response in young cats and kittens also suggests
imals. Instead, the difference was in content; the that this may be the residue of a conserved juve-
changes were not appropriate in the given envi- nile mechanism in adult cats. The mechanisms
ronment, in which more active behavior was underlying immobility remain uncertain (Klemm
observed without the clips. Interestingly, the 1971, Fleischmann and Urca 1988, Klemm 2001,
mentation change appeared to have positive Beyaert et al 2003).
characteristics associated with it. The cats ap- No cat exhibited behavior that was interpreted
peared calmer, and most purred and kneaded as evidence that they were in pain, eg, tachyp-
with their paws while the clips were attached. nea, tachycardia, mydriasis. Furthermore, we ob-
In the cats that had the most pronounced re- served the effects of clip application on 15 cats
sponses, the menace response also was decreased (eight cats with IC and seven healthy cats) with
or absent, further supporting a forebrain localiza- implanted telemetry devices and detected no sig-
tion of the effect. nificant changes in heart rate, blood pressure, or
Reiner (1986) reported significant pupillary mi- body temperature. These observations, particu-
osis and decreased central and peripheral sympa- larly the absence of stress-induced hyperthermia,
thetic neuron activities during the induction of lead us to conclude that the clips were not pain-
the scruff immobility reflex, suggesting that the ful for the cats (unpublished data). Moreover, in
reflex is not noxious (Boscan et al 2005). In con- clinical use we regularly observe miosis, bradyp-
trast to PIBI, tonic (or unresponsive) immobility nea, bradycardia, and less resistance to vene-
is ‘the sudden onset of prolonged stillness and puncture, which further suggests the absence of
decreased responsivity in a previously active pain. Additional research will be necessary to de-
animal in the face of threatening stimulation’ termine potential analgesic effects of PIBI in cats.
(Marks 1987, reviewed in Moskowitz 2004). Tonic However, we conclude that PIBI can be a safe,
immobility represents a fear response, and can be convenient, benign method of restraint for a vari-
elicited in a wide range of animals, ranging from ety of routine veterinary procedures such as
arthropods to fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, physical examination, minor wound care, vene-
and mammals. Although tonic immobility also puncture, vaccinations, blood glucose monitor-
is characterized by lack of movement, animals re- ing, and nail trimming.
portedly maintain unusual postures for pro-
longed periods, with muscular rigidity and
waxy flexibility of limbs. Vocal behavior is typi-
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