Yes, You Can Keep Your Cat Like a Child
The beauty of cats is that they are temperamental: they can bite and purr when you reach for them. There may come a time when you have a close enough relationship with your feline that it will at least signal that it is about to attack; in that case, why not carry it around like a baby?
Veterinarian Dr. Uri Burstin posted a series of animal handling videos on YouTube under his minor name “The Helpful Vancouver Veterinarian . “ I recommend watching them even if you don’t have a cat because they are incredibly soothing. One of his most popular videos on handling cats received a lot of comments from people asking if it was okay to keep their cats like babies. People want to know.
By “holding on like a baby,” they mean upturned on your back in the fold of your arm. My cats are very generous in allowing me to carry them around the apartment like this, perhaps even allowing me to stroke their belly. It is an honor and a privilege. But Dr. Burstyn warns that you should never do this to a cat you don’t trust. He demonstrates with his friend Pirate how the other cat, Lancelot, is looking at him.
The reason you can’t just grab a kid-style cat is obviously because you turn the pointed ends towards your face, and a cat that doesn’t like the pose or who gets turned on easily will use your face as an escape ladder. … He also warns that they “may not appreciate” this grip if their back hurts. Why is your poor kitty’s back hurting ?! This is not a beast of burden!
From personal experience, you should also be sensitive to your cat’s mood. If they start to twirl and look around, or try to sit up, it means they want to be overwhelmed. Respect these signals before they signal by ripping out your eyes.