CatLife: Massage for Cats!
by Rebecca Sweat
From PetLife,
June/July 1998
From PetLife,
June/July 1998
Get up
on the wrong side of the bed this morning?
Rough day at the office?
There's
nothing like a good massage to untie your knows, and believe it or not, a dose
of the same medicine may work for your cat, too. True, your feline friend probably isn't stressed out from
deadlines, difficult bosses or the rush-hour crunch. But she has very real worries of her own to 
contend with, and they can drive
her to distraction.
Fact
is, your cat may enjoy a rubdown as much as you do.
Okay,
okay. If you have a cat whose idea of
getting close to you is batting at your ankles as you stumble to the kitchen
for coffee, this method is not for your.
There are some cats, especially ones who were feral as kittens or even
later, who never get comfortable with the touch of human hands. If yours is one of these, you'll probably
get the same cordial response offering a massage as you do at, say, bath
time. And chances are, two or three
times a year is plenty of that kind of closeness for both of you. So if you have to dress in protective gear
from helmet and facemask to shin-guards to give Fluffy a quick dip in the tub,
g ahead and turn the page.
If,
however, your cat stops to grace your lab from time to time, you may find he or
she quickly learns to appreciate the fine art of massage. Just like a person does, your cat likes to
be cared for and pampered. Massage is a
natural, mutually appealing way to strengthen the bond between the two of
you. "If you massage your cat on a
regular basis, it's going to have a better sense of its own well-being -- a
better interplay with you, and you will have a better interplay with it, "
says Carvel Tiekert, D.V.M., executive director of the American Holistic
Veterinary Medical Association.
Massage
has many benefits (see sidebar, "More Motives to Massage"), not the
least of which is improved circulation.
"When you improve circulation, that means tissues are going to
function more effectively," Dr. Tiekert says. "Massage improves oxygenation and the ability of the body to
dispose of metabolic garbage, which makes everything work better."
By
massaging your cat on a regular basis, you may actually make your
veterinarian's job easier because you will be more tuned in to any health
problems. "You will have a sense
of what is normal for that cat; if things change, you're going to know and then
hopefully do something about it," concludes Dr. Tiekert. You will know if your cat has any skin
problems, cuts, lumps or bumps, and you can detect weight loss in its early
stages because you're touching your cat on a daily basis.
Massage
can also go a long way in helping solve behavior problems in cats. Aggression towards people or other cats
excessive fear and nervousness territoriality, litterbox problems -- all can be
helped through massage.
Realize
that massage is a supplement to, not a replacement for, veterinary care. "When pet owners massage their pets at
home, that dramatically complements the use of drug treatments, acupuncture,
surgery and other therapies," says Judith Ray Swanson, D.V.M., a holistic
veterinarian in the Chicago area.
"When my clients massage their cats between their visits to see me,
I can tell the difference. I can't
imagine a situation where massage, done properly, would not be useful."
You
should discuss your technique with your veterinarian before you try to massage
your cat for the first time -- to make sure you've got your technique down pat
and you're not doing anything that might hurt your cat. You may want to talk to a holistic
veterinarian to get help in developing that technique. Ask for a hands-on demonstration of your
cat's anatomy. Find out if there are
certain areas of kitty's body you should avoid or special massage techniques
you should use based on your cat's particular health needs. Don't massage your cat if it has enlarged
lymph glands, a fracture or sprain, a cut, ruptured vertebral disk, blood
blister, fever, swelling or any abnormal tenderness. If you discover anything unusual about your cat's health while
massaging, refrain from further massage until you've consulted your
veterinarian. Do the massage when your
cat is resting or ready to relax, perhaps after your cat has had its meal or
following some physical activity. Some
pet owners wait until the cat jumps up on their lab and asks for some
attention. Don't try to massage your
cat if it isn't in the mood for it.
"Work
around your cat's schedule. Massage is
something that, if the cat's not ready for it and you're trying to push it on
them, it's not going to work; it's just going to make both you and your cat
more tense," Dr. Swanson says.
Make sure you are in the right frame of mind before you sit down to
massage the cat. If you've had a bad day
at work, calm yourself down before you try to give your cat a massage. "When you're relaxed, it's more likely
your cat will also be relaxed," Dr. Swanson says. "Cats are very sensitive to their
owner's emotions. When I'm stressed
out, my cats tense up themselves, or they'll run away and hiss at me."
The
first step to massaging a cat is to spend a couple minutes gently stroking it
as you talk to it. Try to get your cat
relaxed and purring.
Let
your cat get used to light rubbing for a few days; once it is comfortable with
that, you can try a slightly deeper massage.
Begin where your cat likes to be petted, which for most cats is around
the neck and ears. Using a circular
motion with the tips of your fingers, start behind kitty's head and massage the
neck in a circular motion. "Put
your thumb in one spot and anchor your hand with your thumb, and then move your
fingers in a circular motion and pivot on your thumb," Dr. Swanson
explains. "Each time you do it you
move your fingers around in a clockwise fashion, about a quarter turn each
time, and then you move a few millimeters and then do it again, and then moved
and then do it again, and so on."
From your cat's head and neck, you can gradually work your way down the
back to the tail and paws. Along the
cat's back are acupressure points which correspond to internal organs; as those
internal organs weaken or become ill, the external points become sensitive, Dr.
Swanson explains. "As you go down
the cat's back, each time you find a sensitive spot, picture that as a being a
beaver's dam," she says. "You
don't want to eliminate the dam, because you don't get results if you visualize
something gone. You should visualize
the dam slowly going away, as though a couple of logs are loosening up and
water is coming through while you're massaging the cat." How can you know if you're being too gentle
or too rough in a massage? "You
watch the cat's face," Dr. Swanson says.
"If the cat is daydreaming or looking around the room and it's not
paying attention to you, then you're doing it too softly -- you don't have
enough contract for it to be therapeutic.
If the cat tries to run away or it meows or hisses, then you're doing it
too roughly. What you want is that look
of concentration; the cat has that look of 'ahhhhhh' on its face." If you notice discomfort or your cat
daydreaming, change your touch.
It may
take some time and practice before your cat fully appreciates massage and you
have perfected your technique. Start
out slowly, especially if your cat seems uneasy or if it's a cat that's never
been thrilled about being touched.
Don't get frustrated if the first couple of massage sessions don't go
smoothly. Realize that the art of
massage, like any skill, takes time and practice to fully develop. Try to tune in to the types of touch your
cat does and doesn't like, and adjust your technique accordingly. Make the time you spend massaging your cat
something you both can look forward to.
