Although cats have the undeserved reputation of being little affectionate animals, the truth is that the vast majority of our feline companions will enjoy, enormously, the massages that we can dedicate to them. Especially if we want to improve our bond with him, the practice of massage is especially recommended.
In this article, to get the best results, let’s explain how to massage a cat so that it relaxes in a complete step by step. We will see the benefits that this practice can bring, as well as the precautions that we have to adopt and some additional information about cat massages.
Do cats like caresses?
Before explaining how to give a cat a relaxing massage properly, we must be clear that the vast majority of cats like them and they enjoy caresses that we provide humans. Cats are animals that we have tamed and this has allowed them, even when they are adults, to maintain some characteristics of children. For them, their human caregivers are like their mothers and that’s why they ask us They accept our pampering.
If we observe our cat with attention we will realize that, when rubbed against our body, it always follows the same pattern, starting on the face and head and ending with the body and tail. This behavior is explained because they are your favorite areas to receive our contact due to the presence of pheromones that produce a relaxing effect. This pattern that they follow will give us the necessary clues for us to perform the massage correctly, as we will see.
The benefits of massages for cats
Giving a massage provides benefits to those who receive it, but also to those who do it. A well-made massage is a moment of wellness and relaxation and it works as a tool for combat stress, which will be beneficial for all cats and, especially, for those most vulnerable by age or disease.
In addition, the relationship between caregiver and cat will be reinforced by adequate physical contact. Massage can become a practice, nice for both, that will establish, maintain and enlarge the link between humans and cats. For humans, petting a cat supposes, at least and according to studies, a drop in blood pressure, which contributes to the health maintenance but, in addition, it is well known the success of the therapies implanted in hospitals, centers for the elderly or schools in which physical contact between animals and humans is encouraged.
Another beneficial effect of massage is that it allows us to control our cat’s body with what, with its practice, we can detect in the initial phases any dermatological problem, such as alopecia, wounds or presence of parasites or, also, the growth of some lump. With this we will get an early veterinary attention that, undoubtedly, will favor the diagnosis and treatment of any condition, resulting in benefits for our cat.
In the next section we will take care of how to give a relaxing massage to our cat.
How to give a relaxing massage to a cat?
If we remember how our cat seeks contact with us, we will observe that the crucial areas for the caresses they will be the face, the head, the neck, the back and the tail, following the order in which he himself greets us.
So, to explain how to give a relaxing massage to our cat, we will continue its pattern with the following recommendations:
- We wait for the cat to approach us to start the session.
- It is essential that we are at a time when we have time to dedicate and be calm. Stress, haste or nervousness on our part will be perceived by the cat, so you may prefer to walk away.
- We must install ourselves in a place that is comfortable for us to both.
- The contact should start orally, that is, we will talk to our cat talking calmly and lovingly, so that he knows that we are interacting with him and that we are going to touch him.
- Once we have established contact we can begin to caress the sides of the face, area where it will release pacifying pheromones that will increase your well-being. For these caresses we can use the extended fingers or even only the yolks, exerting a slight pressure.
- If our cat refuses contact we should stop immediately and leave the massage for another time. Never, never, we must force it because it would be counterproductive and our relationship with him would suffer. Respect is fundamental. In addition, our movements always have to be smooth.
- After the face we can pass the hand over the head, focusing on the area behind the ears and the chin. We can also draw small circles with the tips of our fingers.
- In the neck we can perform the movements that we have already described and add, in addition, the “kneading” on the sides, always careful not to press the trachea, as it could be annoying.
- With the open hand, we will pass it by the spine, from the head to the beginning of the tail, giving repeated passes. It is possible to do this exercise also on the flanks, avoiding contact with the belly, since it is usually an area in which the cat does not admit caresses as it is a vulnerable part of its anatomy.
- Finally, we can make passes through the tail, from bottom to top.
The duration of the massage can be just from 5 to 10 minutes, always adaptable to the wishes of the cat, as well as the massage areas, since these can differ from one cat to another. The important thing is that we observe our cat and we know it, being massage one of the best ways to relate to him.
Body language of the cat during the massage
Besides explaining how to give a relaxing massage to a cat, we have to know how to pay attention to the signals that it can emit, since they constitute its nonverbal communication. Remember that knowing the body language of cats helps us understand them better and communicate more positively with them.
We can observe the following reactions:
- Purr: this sound so characteristic of cats, as we know, is one of the signs that indicate that you are comfortable, in this case enjoying the massage.
- Drooling: some cats drool in moments of pleasure, so, if we see hypersalivate our cat we can be sure that the massage is liking him.
- “Kneading”: are the movements of contraction and extension that the cat performs with his fingers, as if kneading. It is a reminder of the first stage of his life, because it is the gesture that the kittens make on their mother’s chest to stimulate the milk’s output. It is synonymous with well-being.
- Folded ears: if our cat crushes his ears against his head so that they almost do not protrude he is indicating that he is not comfortable and even that he is preparing to attack us if we do not stop touching him. Cats can be affectionate but not accept more than a few sessions of caresses. We must respect them, pay attention to their first signs of discomfort and, from that moment, suspend the massage.
Of course, any escape principle or attempt because we cease contact involves ending the massage.
Deepening in the massages.
Now that we know how to give relaxing massages to our cat, we can use accessories that we find in the market, such as massage centers, some utensils with different textures specially designed so that the cat itself can be massaged.
These massagers serve as entertainment, enrich the environment, especially if you are alone for a long time, while maintaining the routine of massages. On the other hand, other techniques Like the Reiki, the Tellington method or the tapping can help us to deepen the contact with our cat.
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