From a cat lover’s point of view, the only good thing about the movie Argylle released a few months ago is that it has a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 34%. Even just the trailer for the film shows a cat being picked up by the scruff of its neck and thrown from a building. The scene was created with digital animation, but still, it never gets funny. The cat is also carried around in a backpack, which can leave a feline scared, cramped, and without adequate ventilation.
Worse, the cat in question resembles a Scottish Fold, meaning it has a cartilage abnormality that causes pain and debilitating arthritis, even from a young age. International Cat Care and its veterinary division, the International Society of Feline Medicine, say flatfootedly that it is unethical to breed cats with this genetic mutation and that such pets exist solely for the purpose of people who find their look appealing.
Many other cat welfare organizations have also expressed concern, from the American Association of Feline Practitioners to the British Small Animal Veterinary Association and the Pet Industry Foundation. Scruffing alone can cause fear and even pain because when a cat is picked up by the neck, the weight of its body is completely unsupported, and the animal cannot escape the pressure from its skin being grasped. The organizations point out that suggesting such treatment is entertaining may have a negative impact on feline welfare.
