Once again, the children tug at you from all directions.
 
ding
 
Your Understanding has increased!

@BackgroundLoL  
@Background Pony Number 17  
I didn’t know much about ferrets but you guys are right about them. They’re one of the few animals you can safely scruff when they’re adults.

@mjangelvortex  
On the other hand, scruffing ferrets, even full-grown ones, is standard operating procedure to control them. It doesn’t harm them at all, and calms the hyperactive critters down right away.

At least their are no diapers to change XD

@mjangelvortex  
Thanks fo giving the pet owner safety notes - I should give them myself, but didn’t think of it.
 
To explain my earlier comment - with other pets though, young ferrets at least can also be scruffed, as they are so in nature by their mothers. Vets also used with hedgehogs and and rodents (like hamsters or the mentioned Guinea Pigs) during physical examination - altough this shoould be left to vet’s themselves, their assistants, or under the vet’s supervision.
 
Although I met with objections towards scruffing in general (outside of kittens, puppies and other juveline pets etc), even with adult rodents, although with hedgehogs, it’s often just hard to examine them otherwise, as they just roll up into a spiky ball…

@Background Pony #90BC  
Oh yes. Only do this with kittens and small puppies since they’re young enough to be picked up by the scruffs of their necks. (Also always be sure to give them extra support when carrying them too. It never hurts to be extra careful. You have two hands after all, so it’s best to use both when carrying your puppy or kitten.)
 
Adult cats and dogs are too big to do this and you’re right about them losing the patch of fat around the scruff when they get older so you risk accidentally hurting them if you try it when they’re adults. Other cats and dogs will sometimes bite another cat or dog on the neck when playing (or mating) but they don’t pick them up so the one being bitten isn’t getting hurt or anything like that.
 
Also don’t do this to other pets. My mother once did this to one of our Guinea Pigs many years ago and it ended up biting her (she only picked it up because it was fighting with another one of my Guinea Pigs and she was trying to separate them).

@BackgroundLoL  
Just as a note, don’t ever hold an adult cat like that. Kittens have special patches of fat that allow them to be carried that way.

Good old Spike, always there to assist

@mjangelvortex  
Yeah, a reall life horse, even a foal I think, wouldn’t be able to by scruffed. But as you said, ponies in FiM, have a number of un-equine traits.

@Trahzo  
It should hurt. A lot of creatures don’t like being held up by the neck, especially considering that makes them scared because they associate getting grabbed by the neck to being hunted by an animal.
 
But the ponies in the show don’t rely on real world logic all the time. (For example they can eat chocolate and vomit whereas real ponies can’t do either. Chocolate is extremely toxic to them and kills them.) Plus, they are rather stretchy and cartoony at times so you can bend the rules a little. So with that being said, seeing ponies being held up by their necks like kittens is rather cute.
 
>>1424240p (deleted)  
See? It’s super cute.

@Trahzo  
Spike is “scriffing” Nova - I think it’s the artist (OverlordNeon) is giving Spike and Nova feline traits, accidentally or intentionally. “Scruffing”, is when cats and other felines carry their your by a fold of skin by their back - cat owners also do so, even with adult cats.  
 

 
I guess there should be a behaving like a cat tag here too?
 
Although I saw also other pets and animals scruffied by people - like hedgehogs, smaller dogs, hamsters, weasels etc

Is he holding one of the foals in his teeth? Shouldn’t that hurt?

Poor Uncle Spike has got his hands full (metaphorically and literally).