Cat Massage - A Hands-On Experience

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 which 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 recognize 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).

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