Review: Acu-Cat: A Guide to Feline Acupressure by Amy Snow and Nancy Zidonis

If you’ve ever been interested in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), acupuncture or acupressure, and how it might benefit your feline family members, you’re going to want to read Acu-Cat: A Guide to Feline Acupressure.

This comprehensive guide covers

• a thorough introduction to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) concepts and theories
• how these theories and concepts are applied in a feline acupressure session
• 33 feline health and behavioral conditions that may benefit from acupressure
• extensive drawings of acupressure charts, meridians and points

If you’re expecting a simple guide that tells you to “push here and your cat will feel better,” this is not the book for you. This book requires an indept study of TCM concepts and the patience to understand the drawings and descriptions that help you locate acupressure points on your cat.

As a Reiki practitioner, I appreciated the section on Feline Acupuncture Session Protocol, which stresses that an acupuncture session is “a dynamic, energetic interaction between two equal partners: you and your cat.” As such, the practitioner (in this case, the cat’s guardian), needs to center herself and be fully present for the cat, for the entire session. The protocol also emphasizes the importance of letting the cat be the guide as to how much touch is wanted and appreciated, which requires really tuning in to your cat.

I’ve always been fascinated by TCM and have seen the benefits of acupuncture on pets in the veterinary practice I managed. I’ve also experienced acupuncture myself and have found it extremely beneficial. The concept of being able to provide acupressure for my cats resonates with me, and this book is a good first step. I’m not convinced that you’ll be able to truly learn this modality without some in person or online instruction, but the book provides a wonderful and thorough introduction. Tallgrass Animal Acupressure Institute, cofounded by the authors, offers numerous online and in person courses.

About the authors: Over the past 18 years Nancy Zidonis has co-authored acupressure texts and developed equine, canine and feline meridian charts as well as acupressure training programs. She teaches acupressure throughout the US and Europe and is a founding board member of The International Alliance of Animal Therapy and Healing (IAATH). Amy Snow has combined her professional publications background and experience in the healing arts with her love of all animals in co-authoring this book. Teaching acupressure allows her the opportunity to offer people and animals a meaningful way to care for each other.

This book was sent to me by the authors. Receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.