Thursday Thirteen - #7

Thirteen Steps to Massage Your Cat!!! First, start scratching your cat behind the left ear. Rub the entire ear, even stroking on the inside of the top. Then scratch the top of their head, between the ears. Then go to the right ear and repeat #1. Move to the left side of their face and scratch below the whiskers. Now under their chin. Then the right side of their face. (You start on the left to balance the kitty out, because if your cat is right-pawed, they do everything with the right side of their body. If your cat is left-pawed, do this in reverse.) Mom learned this at Yoga class. Go back up to their ears and then to the top of their head. Stroke the top of their head down the entire back in one continuous motion. With your hand wide open, to span the entire back, stroke it several times. Then go from head to tail end several times. Next with your hand wrapped all the way around the tail, stroke the entire tail several times. (Unless your cat does not like this or the tail is hurt.) If they melt like butter and lay down, you take each leg (one at a time) and stroke from shoulder to paw several times. Next, it your cat allows it (Samantha likes it, Tigger doesn't) rub each paw gently. Then if your cat is on its back stroke under the chin. Lastly, stroke any other place your cat will allow. Samantha likes her sides rubbed. Tigger likes his lower back stroked. Tummies are optional, because in some cats this makes them think you want to play. Therefore, un-calming them. Please note: Do what you know your cat likes. At the end of this massage, Samantha and Tigger are sleeping like babies.