| Kittens are amazing creatures. When they play, they | | | | when your little cat when your little cat has given his all |
| play with every ounce of their little beings. Their | | | | and is ready to be calm. Acupressure has a way of |
| needle-like little claws propel them up the curtains in the | | | | creating a very special bond between you and your |
| bedroom and down the back of a couch. Kittens can | | | | kitten. |
| scratch your antique chair that your great aunt gave | | | | Gentle Pinches for Kittens |
| you and shred your favorite plant to pieces - but we | | | | Pick a time when your kitten is relatively calm and find |
| love them anyway. We look at our beloved kitten's | | | | a location with few distractions. Take three long |
| antics and say to ourselves, "He's just a kitten," and | | | | breaths in and out, then focus for a minute or two on |
| that explains it all. | | | | your adoration of this young animal and how you want |
| Young animals are supposed to be full of life, tearing | | | | to contribute to his healthy growth. |
| through the house and dashing around the back yard. | | | | Sit with your kitten on your lap or between your legs |
| Their bones, muscles, and neurological connections are | | | | facing his back. Starting just behind or below his |
| growing by the minute. They also need lots of sleep as | | | | shoulder blades on each side of the spine, use your |
| well as nourishing, real food. In Traditional Chinese | | | | thumb and index fingers on both hands to very gently |
| Medicine (TCM), the high energy and impetus behind | | | | pinch his skin. Then move your hand approximately half |
| the exponential growth of a kitten are considered | | | | an inch in the direction of his tail and repeat the gentle |
| Yang. The rest, nutrients and essence used to make | | | | pinching. Continue to move your hands down a half |
| that growth possible is considered Yin. | | | | inch at a time, softly pinching the skin as you go, until |
| The essential concept underlying TCM is that health is | | | | you reach the base of his tail. Start again, just below |
| based on a dynamic balance between Yin and Yang. | | | | the kitten's scapula, and repeat the gentle pinches on |
| You might ask how a kitten could be healthy if he's | | | | each side of his spine and down to his tail two more |
| bounding from one extreme to the other. The reason | | | | times. |
| is that kittens are supposed to be out of balance at | | | | When you have completed three cycles of gentle |
| different times because they are in such a high growth | | | | pinches, go back to below his scapula, with your |
| period. There are times they just have to be very | | | | fingers together and flat, and sweep down the kitten's |
| Yang, and then they balance it by being very Yin. Their | | | | back with one hand on each side of his spine, similar to |
| small growing bodies have their own form of balance | | | | how you would brush out the wrinkles on your bed |
| and that's the way it needs to be. | | | | cover to make it tidy and smooth. Repeat this |
| You can do an acupressure session called "Gentle | | | | sweeping motion three times. |
| Pinches" that will support and enhance whatever is | | | | Now snuggle with your kitten and tell him how much |
| going on in your kitten's body at the time. Give it a try | | | | you love him. |