Petting with Purpose

One of the best ways to communicate with our cats is through touch. most cats love to be stroked, petted, and scratched. most people enjoy the feek of that silky fur and the sight of a happy, purring face. When properly performed, the power of touch delivers many therapeutic and health benefits.

Edward

One of the best ways to touch is through massage. Daily messages can help you detect fleas or ticks. You can also look for cuts or suspicious lumps. Massage can play a role in chronic conditions such s arthritis. Although not a cure, gentle massage reduces joint stiffness and pain by delivering oxygenated blood to those trouble spots.

Tubby

Massage strengthens the people-pet bond, helps curb aggression and other unwanted behaviors, and improves a cat's sociability with people and animals. Another advantage is that regularly massaged cats become accustomed to being handled. They associate touch with positive experiences. That can take the stress out of combing and brushing, nail trimming, car trips, veterinary visits, and cat breed shows for both the cat and the owner.

Boags

Start with the basic massage stroke known as "effleurage." This French word means "to flow or glide" or "skim the surface." Effleurage is always performed toward the heart in the direction of the venous blood flow, which helps remove wastes and toxins and refresh the tissue and muscles. On a cat's legs, for example, work from the toes toward the knees and hips.

 

Here are some Suggestions:

Percy

GO WITH THE GLIDE. This classic massage stroke is simply a straight, flowing, continuous motion. move your fingers or palm from the top of the head down the back to the tail.

CREATE CIRCLES. Move your fingertips in clockwise or counterclockwise circles about the size of half-dollar bills.

DO THE WAVE. Make side-to-side rocking strokes with open palm and flat fingers (mimic the movements of a windscreen wiper).


And some final suggestions for a massage session that is soothing and satisfying for both you and your cat:

• Approach your cat slowly and speak in a soothing tone.
• Don't force a massageon your cat.
• Don't massage your cat when you feel stressed or hurried.
• Do use clean hands - no need for oils, creams, or lotions.
• Do pay attention to feedback. Look for purring, rolling on to one side, kneading, and soft eye blinking. Stop the massage if your cat squirms away from you, hisses, sinks his back under your hand, or meows in protest.
• Don't press too deeply - you could harm your cat.
• Don't try to substitute massage for medical treatment for conditions such as arthritis. let it complement the care plan devised by your veterinarian.

  * This information was gathered from "The cat Behaviour Answer Book" by Arden moore