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CAT MASSAGE
- A HANDS ON EXPERIENCE
Why massage?
Massage is an excellent relaxant
for cat and owner and once you get to know the 'feel' of your
cat you can quickly spot anything out of the ordinary that
might need treatment sooner rather than later. Massage is regularly
used by physiotherapists who can assess the condition of, and
any damage to, muscles, ligaments and tendons. Massage can
help free up stiff joints and seized muscles and promotes healing
by encouraging circulation to affected areas. I found out just
how useful massage is as a diagnostic tool and healing aid
after I broke some bones in my foot. Muscle doesn't show up
on X-rays, so a doctor or physio uses massage and manipulation
to find out the extent of soft tissue damage.
Massage can reduce stress and
blood pressure levels in both cat and owner. It stimulates
the cat's circulation and can aid convalescence. It is good
at reducing swelling by breaking down fluid, which has accumulated
in the tissue (it's a bit like massaging congealed soap until
it becomes pliable). Massage is especially beneficial to geriatric
and arthritic cats and, as human athletes know, it eases stiff
joints and rubs out muscle knots at the end of a hard day's
activity. Both cat and owner should find the sessions relaxing
- if you or the cat falls asleep, then at least one aspect
of massage is working, but you'll need to stay awake a bit
longer if you are to use it as a way of checking your cat's
well-being.
Cats need to become accustomed
to being handled by humans; this normally happens during kittenhood.
Massage in later life can improve socialisation in cats, which
are often aloof. How better to relax or reward a tensed-up
show cat or a cat which is stressed out after vet check-up
than a quick massage? While you pet your cat, it will show
its pleasure by massaging you in return using its front paws.
American vet and qualified masseur,
Dr Michael Fox, recommends that owners massage their cat(s)
weekly, feeling and seeing with their fingers and comparing
what they find with the usual feel of their cat. With practice,
I've found that you can quickly spot anything that feels different
from normal. Dr Fox gives cat owners six basic recommendations,
though much depends on how much handling your cat enjoys and
how confident you are.
1. Get to know
the usual feel of your cat(s)
Once you know what is normal,
you'll be able to detect unusual lumps or bumps. Many cats
have harmless skin tags or other minor bumps and scars (your
vet will be pleased to confirm which irregularities are harmless).
Once you've got to know the 'landscape' of your cat's skin
you will quickly recognise a new bump or one, which has grown
or spread. You will also feel any flea scabs or skin conditions
and whether the cat's fur feels sleek and well-conditioned
or whether it has started feeling harsh.
Get to know how easily you can
feel bones beneath the skin - don't squeeze or prod, just be
aware of which bones you can feel. This will help you work
out if your cat is gaining or losing weight. The skin of a
healthy cat seems to be attached only loosely to its body.
If a pinch of skin is 'tented' (gently pulled away from the
body) it should spring back quickly. If the skin stays tented
or is slow to spring back, then the cat is dehydrated for some
reason.
2. Feel for signs
of pain, heat, swelling or atrophy.
These are usually signs of injury
or illness. You may already know that your cat has injured
itself e.g. it has been bitten by another cat or it has a sore
leg and it may already be getting vet treatment. Massage can
tell you if the injury is getting worse, staying stable or
healing. Massage cannot help alleviate chronic conditions and
can help get a limb working again after a period of immobility
(e.g. a broken leg which has been in plaster will have lost
flexibility and muscle tone).
One of my cats seemed to suffer
from 'pins and needles' or stiffness after waking up. I often
gave his legs a gentle rub-down when he got up. Since he always
got up to greet me when I returned from work, a gentle massage
was a nice way of greeting each other.
3. Check the abdomen
Very, very gently palpate the
abdomen. Don't squeeze it or you could do damage, but very
gentle massage will give an indication if the cat is comfortable.
If the cat tenses up there may be a problem in that area. If
you can feel hard masses, there is a potential problem (it
may just be constipation, but it's not worth taking a gamble
with your cat's health).
If your cat has a known condition,
ask your vet or veterinary nurse to teach you about palpating
the abdomen and checking for early warning symptoms of trouble.
4. Check the glands.
In humans, we often talk about
'the glands being up' during an illness. Cats also have glands
in much the same places; while massaging your cat, check whether
any of these are swollen or inflamed.
A cat's glands are situated
under its jaw, before its shoulder blades and in the armpit,
groin and upper hock areas.
5. Areas to avoid
Unless your cat, and your vet,
are happy for you to gently massage areas which have been injured,
you should avoid those areas. Avoid areas that are tender because
of illness, injury or operation. In particular be careful of
sites where the cat has had surgery, you don't want to pull
at stitches or risk damaging muscles or bone which are beginning
to knit together and heal. Later on the healing process, the
cat may enjoy a gentle massage to stimulate circulation. The
vet will advise you of exceptions to these guidelines e.g.
where you can use massage as a form of physiotherapy to get
a cat mobile again after broken limbs.
The secret is don't try too
much too soon and don't massage areas which are tender and
which the cat doesn't want touched. If it solicits a pain-relieving
massage (such as Scrapper with his pins and needles) then go
gently.
6. See the vet
If you find an area that feels
abnormal in some way or your cat shows signs of discomfort,
get it checked by a vet. You have done your bit by detecting
early warning signals. Later on you can help with a therapeutic
massage.
DOING THE MASSAGE
I like to start my massage sessions
by stroking the cat in the ways it enjoys most. First I feel
the coat's condition and take a closer look at any areas that
feel harsh or sparser than normal. By dampening my hands I
can use the palms of my hands to stroke out moulted fur. After
the initial flat-palmed stroking, I press my fingertips down
more firmly to feel the skin as I stroke. That way I can feel
if Sappho's eczema is flaring up, or if Aphrodite has any scabs
under her long thick fur which means I need to use flea spray
sooner than I thought. On Cindy I thought my fingers had found
a skin tag, but it proved to be a small rabbit tick. Later
on, that area became permanently hardened due to a reaction
to the tick's saliva. I added this information to my mental
map of my cats' bodies.
After stroking and checking
for signs of external parasites or skin troubles, it's time
to start the real massage. I always start the massage with
their favourite attention areas, usually the ears, neck and
back though all cats have different preferences ranging from
belly to paw-pads and even inside the mouth (seriously). The
edge of the jaw between ears and chin is often a favourite
area. I then work along their sides and down to their belly
as by this time they are lying full length on their backs doing
Tai Chi with their front legs.
Many of my cats have loved having
a belly rub and I love running my fingers through their warm
silky belly fur. I wouldn't belly rub if they disliked it and
I always stop if they get overexcited and decide to play-fight
my hand. If your cats hate belly rubs or fight your hand then
you should move straight on to the paws.
While they're upside down or
lying on their side, I massage each leg in turn, gently flexing
the paws and feeling the pads and between the paw pads for
thorns or splinters. I also check whether any claws need clipping!
Then I go back to the belly until one or other of us gets tired
of it though you should go back to whatever bit your cat likes
best.
American behaviourist Warren
Eckstein recommends you first relax your cat by stroking it
and talking gently. Then massage using small circular motions
of your thumb and fingertips as you stroke, never losing contact
with the cat's skin. He suggests you start either side of the
spine and work along the cat's back, shoulders, sides and hind
legs. These areas see a lot of wear and tear. Then work from
the chest to the belly and finally the forelegs. Massage gently
and stop if your cat protests.
NO GO AREAS AND
YES PLEASE! AREAS
Many cats are unhappy having
a tummy rub - they feel vulnerable and switch between kittenish
enjoyments to defensive aggression. Another area to beware
of is the back of the hind legs. Relatively few cats are happy
being touched here though many can be gradually accustomed
to having these areas touched or stroked. Once again, it's
up to the owner and the cat to work out between them what feels
good. If the cat decides that one part of its body, e.g. the
belly or backs of the legs, is a no-go area, then you must
respect that.
With Squeak (my neighbour's
cat who used to sneak in for a regular rub-down) I always had
one extra area to massage - she loved to lie with her mouth
wide open for a roof-of-mouth massage. I've never worked out
why, but it's something she loves and she will lie flat out
for five or ten minutes for this. If I forget, or I try to
skip the mouth massage, she grabs my hand and sucks my finger
against the roof of her mouth to remind me.
Most cats just know how good
it feels to be massaged and after a while they will probably
pester their owners for more.
This article is part
of Sarah Hartwell’s article “CAT MASSAGE - A
HANDS ON EXPERIENCE”. If you want to read the full
article click
here.
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