Pinch-induced behavioural inhibition (PIBI), also called dorsal immobility, transport immobility or clipnosis, is a partially inert state which results from a gentle squeeze of the skin behind the

neck The neck is the part of the body on many vertebrates that connects the head with the torso. The neck supports the weight of the head and protects the nerves that carry sensory and motor information from the brain down to the rest of the body. In ...

. It is mostly observed among

cats The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of t ...

and allows a female cat to carry her kitten easily with her jaws. It can be used to restrain most cats effectively in a domestic or veterinary context. The phenomenon also occurs in other animals, such as

squirrel Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrels. Squ ...

s and

mice A mouse ( : mice) is a small rodent. Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (''Mus musculus' ...

References

Felinology Mammal behavior {{mammal-stub

See also

References