Cat Massage - A Hands-On Experience

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.

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