We have done a lot of feline rescue work in the past, and we also currently own six cats ... and I will not pretend to you that I have NEVER grabbed a cat by the tail! LOL! Soometimes that is the only way to get hold of them, when they are scurrying by you like a streak of lightning! But it is important to remember that you should NEVER grab a cat by the tail and then toss it around, unless your intent is to hurt the animal. Remember that a cat’s tail is actually part of its spinal cord, and if you go flinging it around by the tail, you can inflict spinal damage.
If you ever find yourself in a position where you have just grabbed a cat by the tail, the proper way to pacify it is to then grab the back of its neck and simply hold it in position on the ground until the cat calms down a bit. However, you also should never lift an ADULT cat by the back of the neck, since the weight of the adult cat on the spinal cord can, again, cause damage. (A kitten’s negligible weight will not cause the same damage.) Anyway, once you have the cat by the back of the neck with one hand, use your other hand to pick up the cat by the body and take it wherever the cat needs to go. You may want to hold the cat’s back feet together so that it can’t kick the hell out of you.
Obviously, humans come first and you should do what you need to do to ensure your safety. But most people do not know that flinging a cat around by its tail can actually inflict permanent spinal injury. Just wanted to make that clear, for those who care.
Thanks for that information. While I have grabbed my share of cats by the tail, I have never flung one around, nor would I intentionally inflict harm upon one (unless it was causing harm) but I still appreciate the information.