How To Massage Your Cat To Sleep (4 Helpful Tips)

Cats are often busy at night, and they have sleep cycles that are different from other animals. Besides, they’re much more active and hunt in the evening or early morning. 

As a result, its nocturnal nature can be a huge worry for its owners and even deprive them of their sleep. In this post, you will understand how to massage your cat to your sleep. Stay tuned!

How To Give Your Cat A Massage That Would Put It To Sleep

Read the details below carefully if you wish to massage your cat to sleep:

• Make sure your cat is comfortable around you. 

Always make sure your cats are happy to be around you. It would help if you waited for your pet to come to you instead of taking it out of its comfort zone. You can wait for him to hang out with you, lie down, relax or even purr or snuggle up to you. 

If your cat doesn’t come up to you or doesn’t want to be touched, it’s probably not in the mood to get a nice massage at the moment.

• Talk or sing to your cat. 

Ensure your cat is calm and happy by putting him in the right mood first. You can do this by singing softly to your cat or using a deep, soothing voice and telling your cat that it is a good boy. You know what your cat likes the most, so do what works best!

• Start slowly at your cat’s favorite spot. 

Choose your cat’s favorite place, whether under the chin, on the back, or behind the ears. Beginning with a familiar place will make your cat more susceptible to massages. You can find out where your cat would like to be touched by listening as it starts to purr.

It is vital to start slowly – coming on too fast can make your cat overwhelmed and anxious. Try to stay away from its face and head unless your cat likes it. Moreover, cats can interpret this type of touch as a threat, and it could freak them out. Generally, cats like to be touched from the neck up.

• Use a circular motion on the top of your cat’s head. 

A good number of cats have a thing or two for head massages. Start with your cat’s head and make a circular motion with your palms before moving to its temples and cheeks. 

Make use of your fingertips to massage around and behind your cat’s ears as well. Notice how your cat responds to the scalp massage. Some cats consider it a threat, so pull back if they seem uncomfortable or anxious. 

You may want to get back on your pet’s head after massaging it for an extended period. Plus, your cat needs to be more relaxed to appreciate the head massage fully.

• Massage your cat’s chin and neck. 

After massaging your cat’s head, gently and slowly rub under the cat’s neck. Next, massage your cat with your fingers and make small circular movements up and down the neck. Ensure not to press too hard on their necks to prevent them from injuring themselves. 

Take note of the cat’s neck because it is another sensitive area that needs careful handling. During this part of the massage, pay attention to their body language and how they are behaving.

• Make use of your fingers to massage your cat’s face. 

Apply small circular motions with your fingers to massage your cat’s forehead and cheeks. You can also make use of the palms of your hands on both sides of the animal face. If your cat enjoys what you do, you can even massage the small area around the whiskers, eyes, or nose. 

Cats rarely get touched on their faces, so massaging it there can be very nice for them.

• Use your whole hand to massage. 

Many cat owners stroke their pets with their fingertips, but this touch may be too light for the cat to feel, especially on the back or stomach. Using your whole hand, apply light pressure to the cat’s body as you stroke it.

Save your fingertips for head and face massage. Furthermore, only one hand or both hands is required for use.

• Monitor your cat’s reaction. 

Pay attention to the reaction of your cat during the massage. If your cat is still trying to get up, it may not feel like it wants to get a massage. However, when they drool, fall asleep or even look a little dizzy, then it’s most likely they enjoy the massage immensely. 

If your cat gives in or starts scratching, stop massaging. This is probably nothing personal, and you can try again in a few hours, days, or weeks.

Some cats can lift their hind legs when they enjoy a massage, especially if you caress them from the head to the bottom of the tail of the spine.

4 Tips To Improve Your Cat Massage

Here are four tips to help you massage your cat to sleep effectively:

#1. Use light stroking whenever you give your cat a massage.

Remember how much your cat loves to be pampered: they usually enjoy gentle, light touches that caress their body. So while massaging your cat, stick to gentle movements that caress it, not deep movements that can harm its body. 

If you think a deeper massage is best suited for your cat’s needs, you can take it to a veterinarian to do it professionally. 

#2. Keep the message around 5 to 10 minutes. 

Cats don’t require hours of massage, so you can keep your massage session short. But then, take at least 10 minutes a day to pay extra attention to your cat if you have time. 

There is no set amount of how often you should massage your cat so that you can adjust it to your needs. As a rule, be sure not to massage them more than once or twice a day.

#3. Massage your cat when it’s in the right mood. 

When a cat is jumpy, anxious, or angry, it may not be in the mood to get touched. So wait for your cat to approach you and show interest that it would like to be petted, then continue with the massage. 

Never massage your cat if it is in severe pain or they have blood clots issues. Also, you should never massage a cat directly with tumors or infected skin.

#4. Get yourself into a zen mood. 

Cats can understand your stress and anxiety and won’t relax around you if you give off negative vibes. Ensure you are at least feeling relaxed before massaging your cat so that they can feed off your positive energy. 

Stroking your cat can be a relaxing activity for you, helping you through a difficult day. However, if you’re not in a high spirit, your cat may not want to be stroked by you at all.

Final Words

If your cat shows signs of dislike for the massage you give it, stop! A cat will probably let you know that it does not like the message by getting away from you, biting, or even scratching. 

It’s noteworthy to mention that you should avoid massaging a pregnant cat and a sick cat without first talking to your vet. 

Lastly, never apply massage oils to your cat because the substance can kill them when absorbed through the skin.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this website results from in-depth research on various topics. The articles on this site are only for informational and educational purposes, and it’s not intended as medical or health advice. Hence, we suggest you always ensure to seek the opinion of your doctor or other qualified health personnel regarding any questions that relate to health objectives or medical conditions.