For thousands of years, people have enjoyed the benefits of massage. Now its time for our animals to enjoy the same pleasures. Cat lovers can learn some simple basics about cat massage.

Jonathon Rudinger, President of the PetMassage™ Institute in Ohio, believes all animals deserve massage on a regular basis. Animals thrive on touch- its their language of communication. We give them a wonderful gift with massage.

While some medical massage involves deep muscle manipulation, most cat massage offers loving caresses that soothe and relax. Slow gentle strokes, rather than fast rubs, bring deeper satisfaction. Genuine bonding develops with slow stroking and simple holding.

If your cat already enjoys your petting, make your together time even more rewarding with these massage principles. If you know a cat who doesn't like touch, these ideas may help that change that.

Just Hold Me
Some people are always "busy" with their cats. They continually talk and fuss with them. Surprisingly, most felines would prefer times when their owners literally do nothing with them.

Try holding your cat, without television, telephone or petting- just holding. Start with two minutes, and build up to five minutes and more. The art stillness is quite a feline concept, and in our multi-tasking society, Just Hold Me is actually more difficult than it sounds. It may take you longer to enjoy this than your feline. If you feel compelled to do something, hum; the vibration is relaxing.

Slow-Mo
Fast petting, even well-intentioned, can startle a cat. Re-create your favorite strokes in Slow-mo for an unhurried, deliberate pace.

To understand Slow-mo, count how many seconds it takes for a stroke from the neck to the tail.  Then repeat at half the speed, taking twice the time. Slow-mo expands a four-second rub into a luxurious eight-second caress. Every time you're tempted to rub fast, remember to slow your speed down. It also enables you to thoroughly feel you cats bones and muscles.

**For more amazine feline massage techniques, pick up the July issue of CAT FANCY**