{"id":2064,"date":"2017-04-02T10:42:24","date_gmt":"2017-04-02T10:42:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zookie.com.au\/?page_id=2064"},"modified":"2024-01-15T07:59:45","modified_gmt":"2024-01-15T07:59:45","slug":"massage-for-your-cat","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.zookie.com.au\/loving-your-pet\/treating-your-pet\/massage-for-your-cat\/","title":{"rendered":"Massage for your cat"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"category\">\n<p class=\"bodytext\">\n<p class=\"txt\"><strong>Why massage?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Massages provide loads of health benefits for cats:<\/li>\n<li>Reduces stress<\/li>\n<li>Alleviates aches and pains<\/li>\n<li>Improves circulation and blood flow to the skin, resulting in a healthier, glossier coat.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"txt\">Regularly massaging your fur baby can encourage you to check for changes in your cat\u2019s coat that may be indicative of other health problems. <strong>Look for any parasites, lumps or swelling, as well as any signs of injuries<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"txt\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" src=\"https:\/\/www.zookie.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/002-2-3-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-2067\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.zookie.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/002-2-3-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.zookie.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/002-2-3.jpg 655w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"txt\"><strong>A massage can also offer a terrific bonding experience<\/strong> for you and your meowing mate. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.catmassage.com\/about.htm\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Maryjean Ballner\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Maryjean Ballner<\/strong><\/a>, a pioneer of cat massage, was effectively able to tame a feral cat named Mr Grey through massage; he became noticeably more affectionate towards her once she began paying closer attention to how she was petting him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"txt\"><strong>Things to consider before massaging your cat<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"txt\">You probably don\u2019t need to be told how temperamental cats can be at times about being touched, but it\u2019s worth noting that <strong>you need to ease into a massage routine, especially if your feline friend isn\u2019t overly fond of being petted<\/strong>. Cats are creatures of habit, so allocatine a regular time of day or week to massaging you cat might help them become used to it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"txt\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" src=\"https:\/\/www.zookie.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/001-3-3-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-2068\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.zookie.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/001-3-3-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.zookie.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/001-3-3.jpg 655w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"txt\">Over time, your cat will respond better to the motions. It\u2019s also wise to <strong>be aware of your cat\u2019s mood before commencing a massage<\/strong>. If they appear playful, mischievous or grumpy, then it\u2019s best to wait until your cat is in a more relaxed state of mind, such as when they first wake up.<\/p>\n<p class=\"txt\">The underside of the chin, the cheeks, the base of the ears, the shoulders and the base of the tail are some commonly preferred places for petting, and your cat will likely respond equally as well to having those areas massaged. <strong>Avoid the places your cat doesn\u2019t usually like being touched<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"txt\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.zookie.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/004-2-3-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-2069\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.zookie.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/004-2-3-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.zookie.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/004-2-3.jpg 655w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"txt\">Just as you wouldn\u2019t enjoy a hurried massage, your cat won\u2019t respond well if you rush through the motions. <strong>A thorough massage can take upwards of 20 minutes, so be certain you have enough time to spare<\/strong> before beginning. Consider the location too. Find a quiet space, free of distraction, so your cat will feel at peace and you\u2019re able to focus all of your attention on the massage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"txt\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.zookie.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/005-1-3-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-2084\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.zookie.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/005-1-3-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.zookie.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/005-1-3.jpg 655w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"txt\"><strong>Tips for massaging your cat<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"txt\">Start from the top of the head and work your way down. <strong>Begin by massaging the base of the cat\u2019s ears, rotating your fingertips in small, circular motions.<\/strong> Move your fingers in a sweeping motion down and around behind the ears and under the chin, and then stroke the cheeks. Some cats respond well to having their spine massaged; with your thumb and first two fingers, you can gently knead or stroke along the line and the curve of the spine. Massage the shoulder blades by making circular motions with your fingertips, or by stroking the area from top to bottom.<\/p>\n<p class=\"txt\">Apply gentle pressure, and be careful when massaging around joints and other sensitive areas. Avoid massaging your cat if they are sick or injured, unless otherwise advised by a vet.<\/p>\n<p class=\"txt\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.zookie.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/003-2-3-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-2085\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.zookie.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/003-2-3-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.zookie.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/003-2-3.jpg 655w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"txt\"><strong>Petting can be as therapeutic for cats as it is for humans<\/strong>. So why not try massaging your kitty. They\u2019ll definitely thank mew for it, in their own special way\u2026<\/p>\n<p class=\"txt\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"txt\">\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Why massage? Massages provide loads of health benefits for cats: Reduces stress Alleviates aches and pains Improves circulation and blood flow to the skin, resulting in a healthier, glossier coat. Regularly massaging your fur baby can encourage you to check for changes in your cat\u2019s coat that may be indicative of other health problems. Look &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zookie.com.au\/loving-your-pet\/treating-your-pet\/massage-for-your-cat\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Massage for your cat&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2066,"parent":1960,"menu_order":317,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"sub-sub-details-page.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zookie.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2064"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zookie.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zookie.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zookie.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zookie.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2064"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.zookie.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2064\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4498,"href":"https:\/\/www.zookie.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2064\/revisions\/4498"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zookie.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1960"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zookie.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2066"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zookie.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2064"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}