How to Soothe Your Cat With a Massage

Preparing Yourself to Massage the Cat

Focus intently on the cat. You want your attention to be as close to 100% on the cat as possible. Massaging your cat lovingly for even a few minutes can be as good as a full half hour of petting, so focusing on the cat will be very beneficial. You can get your attention on the animal by relaxing with a few deep breaths. Get into it—the cat will thank you!

Visualize giving your cat the perfect massage. You can give yourself some great practice that won't tire out your massage hands just by visualizing the massage you will give. This kind of concentration is known as centering, and it will help keep you from getting sore as you massage your cat.

Prepare the massage space. The best atmosphere for massaging your cat is one that is calm, quiet, and peaceful. Loud people—such as children—in the room may be irritating to your cat, and can detract from the benefits of massage. Thus, you should pick the most peaceful time and place for your cat's massage to have the best impact.

Readying Your Cat for Massage

Speak or sing soothingly to the cat. One great way to relax your cat for massage is to use voice massage. Voice massage is essentially repeating a phrase or song in a soothing voice to prepare your cat for contact. What you actually say or sing is not as important as the tone of your voice, which should be as calm and soothing as possible.

Let the cat accept your touch. Move slowly toward the cat with your had outstretched and allow them to smell you. This gives the cat the opportunity to accept your touch rather than you simply going ahead. This shows respect and can help keep the cat calm as well.

Pay attention to body language. If the cat seems to back away from your hands as you try to ready them for massage, do not attempt massage at this time. Do not attempt to massage the cat if they nip at your hand when you offer it either—this could mean the cat is in a playful mood or a bad mood, or it could signal a defensive position from the cat. When the cat is waking from a nap or otherwise very relaxed, this would be a good time to massage them. Do not attempt to massage a cat who is injured or sick.

Massaging the Cat

Begin slowly. There is no reason to rush to massage your cat. Begin by petting the cat gently as you normally would, then stroke the cat's entire back slowly, counting the seconds it takes to do so. Stroke the cat's back a second time, this time doubling the seconds it took to do so before. The cat may really enjoy the slow speed of this stroke. Repeat this technique six times. Repetition is good for getting your cat to accept the massage, as well as establishing familiarity and relaxing the cat in general.

Massage the back of the cat's neck. Run your thumb or fingers from the top of the cat's head to the base of its neck gently. Gently massage the back of the neck with your thumb and fingers. Tug very gently on the loose skin on the sides of the cat's neck.

Caress the cat's body. Very gently caress the cat's body applying mild pressure around the contours. You should be able to feel various bones as you do so. Do not apply too much pressure, but get your fingertips in each crevice and massage gently.

Move your hand slowly to the underside of the cat's body and gently massage the belly. Try increasing the speed of your caress on the belly/chest area to see if the cat likes it. Be careful here because some cats are very sensitive to being touched on the underside of their body. If the cat is very relaxed, they may not mind, but even if so, this may startle the cat or cause them to get somewhat defensive, so be careful.

Massage under the cat's chin. Gently lift up on the cat's chin with your fingertips, and, as the cat lifts its head, begin stroking the chin and neck with your fingers. Move from the throat to the tip of the chin. If the cat looks up, they like this motion. You can also move your fingers in a circular motion underneath the chin for a different sensation.