How to massage a cat?

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 massages is especially recommended.

In this article from ExpertAnimal, to get the best results, we will explain how to give a cat a massage so that it relaxes in a complete step by step.We will see the benefits that this practice can bring us, as well as the precautions we have to take and some additional information about cat massage.

Do cats like caresses?

Before explaining how to give a cat a relaxing massage correctly, we must be clear that the vast majority of cats like and enjoy the caresses that we provide humans.Cats are animals that we have tamed and this has allowed them, even as adults, to maintain childish characteristics.For them their human caretakers are like their mothers and that is why they ask us and willingly accept our pampering .

If we look closely at our cat, we will realize that when it rubs against our body, it always follows the same pattern, starting at the face and head and ending at 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 ran exactly, as we will see.

The benefits of massage for cats

Giving a massage provides benefits to those who receive it, but also to those who do it.A well-done massage is a time of well-being and relaxation and 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 goes to be reinforced by adequate physical contact.Massage can become a practice, pleasant for both , which will establish, maintain and enlarge the bond between humans and felines.For humans, pet a cat It implies, at least and according to the studies, a decrease in blood pressure, which contributes to health maintenance but, in addition, the success of the implanted therapies in hospitals, centers for the elderly is well known or schools where physical contact between animals and humans is encouraged.

Another beneficial effect of massage is that it allows us to control the body of our cat with what, with its practice, we can detect in the early stages 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 will undoubtedly favor the diagnosis and treatment of any condition, resulting in benefits for our cat.

In the next section we'll take care of how to give our cat a relaxing massage .

How to give a cat a relaxing massage?

If we remember how our cat seeks contact with us, we will observe that the crucial areas for the caresses will be the face, head, neck, loin and tail, Following the order in which he greets us.

So, to explain how to give our cat a relaxing massage, we will continue his pattern with the following recommendations:

We will wait for the cat to approach us to start the session.It is basic that we are at a time when we have time to dedicate and be calm.The stress, haste or nervousness on our part will be perceived by the cat, so you may prefer to move away.We must settle in a place that is comfortable for us to both.The contact must start orally, that is, we will go to our cat talking to him calmly and affectionately, 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 his face, area in which he will release calm pheromones That will increase your wellbeing.For these caresses we can use the extended fingers or even just the yolks, exerting a slight pressure.If our cat refuses contact we must stop immediately and leave the massage for another time.Never, never, should we force it as it would be counterproductive and our relationship with it 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.draw, also, small circles with the fingertips.On 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 through the spine, from the head to the beginning of the tail, giving repeated passes.It is possible to do this exercise also for the flanks, avoiding coming into 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.Lastly, we can pass through the tail, from bottom to top.

The duration of the massage can be only from 5 to 10 minutes , always adaptable to the cat's wishes, as well as the massage areas, as these may differ from one cat to another.The important thing is that let's look at our cat and let's get to know him, being massage one of the best ways to interact with him.

Cat body language during massage

In addition to explaining how to give a cat a relaxing massage, we have to know how to pay attention to the signals it can emit, as they constitute its nonverbal communication .Remember to know the Cats body language helps us understand them better and communicate more positively with them.

We can observe the following reactions:

Purring : this characteristic sound 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 our cat hypersalivate we can be sure that he is enjoying the massage.
"Kneading" : these are the movements of contraction and extension that the cat makes with its fingers, just as if it kneaded.It is a memory of the first stage of its life, because it is the gesture that the kittens make on his mother's chest to stimulate milk leakage.It is synonymous with well-being.
Folded ears : if our cat crushes its ears against its head so that you are almost do not stand out indicating that he is not at ease 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 caressing sessions.We must respect them, pay attention to their first signs of discomfort and, from that moment, suspend the massage.

Of course, any principle of escape or attempt because we cease contact involves terminating the massage.

Going deeper into the massages...

Now that we know how to give our cat relaxing massages, we can use accessories that we find in the market, such as massage centers , some utensils with different textures specially designed so that It is the cat himself who is massaged.

These massagers serve as entertainment, enrich the environment, especially if you are alone for a long time, while maintaining the massage routine.On the other hand, other techniques such as Reiki, the Tellington method or tapping can help us deepen contact with our cat.

If you want to read more articles similar to How to give a massage to a cat? , we recommend that you enter our Basic Care section.

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