From Communicating With Your Cat by J. Anne Helgren
Petting and massaging come naturally to a cat -- Momâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s tongue massaged her when she was a kitten and you can take over from there. Massage can relax and revitalize your cat …. You can also use massage and stroking as positive reinforcement for good behavior….Stroking and massaging will desensitize her to being touched, making it easier for you to perform routine care….The key to effective massage is gentleness. Pressure that would feel good to you will be painful for your cat.
1. Begin with slow, gentle movements on the parts of the body where Fluffy is used to being touched….Donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t stroke against the grain of her fur; always stroke in the direction of the lie of the coat.
2. Massage in a circular motion the muscles on the shoulders, the neck, on either side of the spine, and the hips, working down toward the tail. Remember to be very gentle when massaging the tail because the bones are delicate, particularly at the tip.
3. Donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t forget the ears. Many cats love having their ears rubbed because their ears get itchy and itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s hard for them to scratch them effectively. Take a flap of the ear between your thumb and forefinger and gently rub in a circular motion. Fluffy will let you know if she enjoys this or not.
4. Work down to the legs, then, if your cat will allow you, work on the belly area.
Allow Fluffy to set the length of the massage. Youâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ll probably find that at first she wonâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t understand the point of what youâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]re doing, and may move away, bite your fingers, kick her feet, or think youâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]re trying to play.
You may discover sensitive spots that cause her to flinch; if you do, move on. Start with a few minutes of massage, and work up from there. Youâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ll be able to tell by Fluffyâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s body language whether the massage is well received or not.
Petting and massaging come naturally to a cat -- Momâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s tongue massaged her when she was a kitten and you can take over from there. Massage can relax and revitalize your cat …. You can also use massage and stroking as positive reinforcement for good behavior….Stroking and massaging will desensitize her to being touched, making it easier for you to perform routine care….The key to effective massage is gentleness. Pressure that would feel good to you will be painful for your cat.
1. Begin with slow, gentle movements on the parts of the body where Fluffy is used to being touched….Donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t stroke against the grain of her fur; always stroke in the direction of the lie of the coat.
2. Massage in a circular motion the muscles on the shoulders, the neck, on either side of the spine, and the hips, working down toward the tail. Remember to be very gentle when massaging the tail because the bones are delicate, particularly at the tip.
3. Donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t forget the ears. Many cats love having their ears rubbed because their ears get itchy and itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s hard for them to scratch them effectively. Take a flap of the ear between your thumb and forefinger and gently rub in a circular motion. Fluffy will let you know if she enjoys this or not.
4. Work down to the legs, then, if your cat will allow you, work on the belly area.
Allow Fluffy to set the length of the massage. Youâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ll probably find that at first she wonâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t understand the point of what youâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]re doing, and may move away, bite your fingers, kick her feet, or think youâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]re trying to play.
You may discover sensitive spots that cause her to flinch; if you do, move on. Start with a few minutes of massage, and work up from there. Youâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ll be able to tell by Fluffyâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s body language whether the massage is well received or not.
