Customer Reviews

The Healing Touch for Cats: The Proven Massage Program for Cats, Revised Edition

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

My girlfriend moved in with me a few months ago and with her, a cute black cat. The only problem was that this cute black cat was traumatized and would spit, hiss and hit me whenever I would get near. It got so stressful in my home that I didn't know what to do anymore. Nothing I tried worked. I couldn't get through to this traumatized cat.

I finally decided to pick up this book. I must have read only 20 pages or so and managed to approach the cat with those techniques I learned without her running away. When I finally got close enough to put my hand on her, she reluctantly allowed me to massage her for a few seconds. She freaked out a bit, hissed and slapped so I walked away gently maintaining a positive attitude. I was persistent yet patient and kept trying multiple times a day for about four days.

To my surprise, in only four days she was beginning to ask me for massages. The massages went from 3 seconds with violent reactions to 30 or more minutes with reciprocal behavior. It's been about a week now and instead of running away from me and hiding, she jumps on my lap and lets me know she's ready for some love. My relationship with this cat went from being absolutely terrifying to positively loving and it took just one week. Now instead of her running away and hiding when she sees me, she waits for me at door when I come home and begs to be held.

I am sure people who have traumatized pets will have different "time of recovery" results. I am assuming that I experienced a best case scenario, however the important things I took away from this book outside of massage technique is the perspective and attitude you must have to begin healing. You must believe this is going to work. At first I didn't. I thought this cat was far too traumatized to be helped. I am glad I was wrong. All she needed was love, attention and a patient yet persistent approach with a sprinkle of gentle.

A word of advice. If you've never received a massage you should try it. See how it feels and what you like and don't like. When you begin your pet massage you should try and imagine how what you are doing would feel for you. A frame a reference is key to understanding how gentle to be and where to touch.

In short, I found this book to be very helpful and I am very happy to have picked it up. If you are willing to see healing through a new perspective and try alternative treatments, you will find that trauma related negative behavior can be healed physiologically through physical touch. It's pretty amazing. You will see a complete change in personality and experience reciprocal love. Don't give up and don't be discouraged no matter how long it takes. And never ever be angry with your cat. Instead give them love and affection. It's never their fault they carry trauma. It is up to you to show them the power of healing and they will love you for it. This book will help you do just that.

The book is written in clear easy to understand terms and the techniques are easy to learn. I have already tried some of the massage on a cat I rescued who for the two years I have had him remains very skittish and resists being pet or too close to people because he was treated very badly in his formative years. He initially made some sounds that sounded like he was threatened or more likely frightened but with very gentle persistence and not forcing anything he clearly doesnt want (I never restrain or force him to endure a massage) he has made a remarkable turn around in just the first couple days! Now he head bonks for more and rolls over exposing his belly for massage. Its amaZing how animals too benefit from a gentle massage.I will have to try the dog version on another nervous rescue of mine! Anyone who really loves and wants the very best for their pet should read this book.Its concise and easy reading.

A sensitively and clearly written, well illustrated and very thorough guide to therapeutic cat massage. The author combines professional expertise as a vet and a masseur with a profound understanding of - and respect for - animals.

This book really wasn't worth the money. First, too many things are related to human massage, benefits of massage, and a lot of talk without practical application. The content of the actual "how to" massage part is very small and incredibly basic/common sense. The description of the book and even the preview made it seem as if the book taught you techniques of massage, acupressure, etc. I have a cat with a degenerative disc disease and I was hoping to help ease his pain and provide him therapeutic massage. This is about the only book I could find and it just didn't cut the mustard.

Very disappointed and not too happy about giving this author my money for nothing.

I bought this book because I have two ill, elderly cats, and want to do more for them than shove pills down their throats. Although I was already intuitively doing a lot of what's described in this book, it does provide some new options for me. I gave it only a 4 because a lot of the information wasn't new to me. For someone newer to being the servant of cats, this is an EXCELLENT resource (probably a 5 star book) for learning how to interact physically with your cats, and what you learn in this book will bring both of you loads of good times and pleasure, as well as mutual healing.

I expected more hands on instruction than this product provided. It just went through why massage was important and who could benefit rather than how to. I was disappointed.

I have a very "special" cat. He has been too interbred. He has what I would call an obsessive compulsive nervous disorder. He doesn't handle ANY change at all well. If I hang a mirror, my cat will freak-out. He will run around me with his eyes crossed, vomit, and then urinate. You don't want to know how he acts at Christmas!!! I have owned many cats in my time and I was truly at my breaking point with him. I tried everything...talked with my vet and medicated, cat-nip, calming remedies...nothing was working. My family gave up on him & for the very first time in my life, I was considering giving away a furry family member. I didn't because I knew nobody else would put-up with him, so I just distanced myself emotionally from him more and more and tried to accept the fact that this was forever. Then I bought this book. I didn't really believe that it would work, but I was desperate. I learned how to give him relaxing messages. His behavior changed from the first message. I saw him really relax for the first time ever. (I had him since he was a kitten and he was now 4 years old.) I'm not saying that he's completely "cured." He still occassionally freaks-out, but I haven't seen him cross his eyes in over a year. The vomitting & urinating occurs only rarely now. Through message not only did his behavior change for the better, but we emotionally bonded and now I can tell when he's "do" for another message and he actually tells me himself by jumping-up on me with a certain meow and paws at my hands!!! My family still laughs at him for being so weird, but there is no more talk of getting rid of him!!! Sometimes just petting a cat is not enough...a theraputic message is the key...your cats will thank you!!!

I'll make this brief. Michael Fox has loads of experience with humans and animals in the field of massage.

If you care about your cat (or dog, he has a dog book, too, but probably a lot of the same material is here too if you don't want to buy the dog book), you would be doing yourself a favor to read this book.

The massage is health for both of you, and can help locate problem areas and also promote healing. Dr. Fox provides evidence to show how massage transmits "the energy of love."

From reading other reviews I see that the massage approach can help with cats who are having trouble socializing with humans, too.

This book was very informative while still being informal enough for the average joe to use easily. Great book, especially for beginners.