Cheetah Massage-feeling purrrfect.
I had a once in a lifetime opportunity, I was able to massage a cheetah in Africa. Actually, I massaged one of the cheetah handlers too. So, after spending about a week in Cape Town South Africa I went on a tour that forever changed me.
The tour was a wine tasting tour for the most part. The awe inspiring beauty of the South African wine lands is enough to take your breath away and the wine , well its exquisite to say the least. Our funny and lively tour guide Rob ushered us to 4 of the finest wineries S.A. has to offer. Each one only exceeded in elegance by the previous. Until we got to the Spier Winery, it was a more modest winery with a lovely lake and a Cheetah Preserve.
I could barely contain my excitement when we entered into the cheetah area. I learned a great deal about cheetahs that day, but the massage therapist in me could barely contain my eager fingers to explore the fascinating musculature of the speedy cheetah legs. The pelvis itself was very different then the typical house cat as well as the powerful thigh muscles that were exaggerated from other cats I’ve seen. A cheetah usually runs a consistent speed of 75mph, but a cheetah has been recorded as running as fast as 125 mph. Let’s just put this in perspective, a Corvette Twin Turbo accelerates at about 7.2 meters per second. A Ferrari Enzo boasts about 8.1 meters per second, which takes it from zero to 60 mph in about 3.3 seconds [source: AskMen]. A cheetah picks up speed faster than both of those cars. Its specialized body accelerates at 10 meters per second and gets up to 40 mph (64 kph) in three strides [source: Cheetah Conservation]. Wow, how is that possible?
The cheetah has an enlarged heart and lungs that enable it to take in lots of oxygen and circulate it in a very effective manner. The nostrils of the cheetah are also larger than most animals its size; the head is small and the waist is thin, with the body long. The cheetah owns long and powerful legs. The cheetah’s tail acts like a rudder as it runs. It also has semi-retractable claws that allow it to gain ground with every step. Interestingly, the cheetah cannot roar, but it can purr as it inhales.[source:ehow.com] Now that was my favorite part, as I was massaging this cheetah he started to purr the handler looked at me surprised, he said that the cheetah almost never purrs for strangers, I proudly said “maybe so, but I’m a massage therapist” he laughed and said that I must have that special touch then!
Well you know how word gets around fast in the cheetah pen, one of the handlers then asked me if I would work on her poor shoulder too. So I did, she had a messed up rhomboid and trap. Yes, it was amazing, and now when my clients say they want purr while on my table I just tell them, go ahead, if it’s good enough for a cheetah…
Jessica
