Cats love the deep relaxation of a good massage and we will get a bunch of lovin’.
Win-win!
more animals
Since cats often react to a massage by flexing their feet, (an important part of their stress relief,) we should approach them while the cat is lying on a soft surface. By starting out in one of their hangout spots, we make their spot even more special, keep our laps safe, and get our cat used to this move.
Start with our our usual Petting in Place routine. This will start the relaxation process and soften the cat up for new petting moves.
How can this new thing be bad? It feels so good!
We begin our massage by making our thumb and fingers into a circle, and start rubbing the back of our cat’s head. The head is both the most sensitive area (even a small movement here feels good to the cat) and the least sensitive area (it’s hard to make a wrong move when we are petting their head with our fingertips.)
We started at the top of their spine, and as we open our hand and use the fingers and thumb more separately, we slowly move down their spinal column. We do not bear down.
We use no more or less force than we do when we pet the regular way. The simple fact that we are using our fingertips instead of our whole hand will concentrate the petting into a massage move.
We slowly let our fingers do the walking down their spine, slowing down when the cat stretches to get a different spot moved under our massaging hand.
If the cat rolls over onto their side, we continue our massage. If the cat rolls over onto their back, they are relaxed, but it’s not a good idea to massage their belly. Leave our hand in place for them to roll over onto; this might be something that feels good to them. And that’s the whole point.
By the time we reach the base of their spine, right where the tail begins, we can linger there, moving our fingers closer and closer together, lightening up on the pressure until we take our hand away.
We can run our fingertips lightly along their tail as a finishing move, but do not attempt to “massage” their tail; it’s not built that way.
Wrap it up with some chin rubs or ear “scritches” to bring the happiness full circle.
As we massage, we should tell them what it is, and suggest how they can ask for it in future. By repeating their massage word, which can be “massage,” they will learn to respond to our invitations in future.
One day, we can call out, “Who wants a massage?” and have an eager cat come running in to flop in front of us. (This is also a good way to start grooming a comb-shy cat.)
So ramp up that petting next time.
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There’s more ways to get our cat to be affectionate in The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See all of my CAT AFFECTION posts.
