This site was created to help you find out more about the growing field of animal massage, but has over the years turned into a site about many different kinds of alternative/complementary therapies for animals.
Whether you are thinking about a career as an animal massage therapist (or other types of alternative/complementary animal health modalities), looking for new ideas for your practice, want to find an holistic health therapist for your pet, or just want to learn more about animal massage and/or other alternative/complementary therapies, you will find lots of information and inspiration here.
Who is writing this?
My name is Cattie Coyle and I am a certified animal massage therapist and Reiki practitioner. I graduated from the Small Animal Massage program at the Bancroft School of Massage in Worcester in April of 2005 and started my own business, Nimble Limbs Animal Massage, at the same time.
I have always loved animals. As a teenager, I was happiest at the stable, hanging out with my hamster Mimi, or playing with, and building hinder courses for, mine and my friends’ dogs. I even went to pre-med (a long time ago now) with the intent of becoming a vet, until I realized that would mean the animals would fear me, and I would have to play a hand in ending lives, which was an unbearable thought. So animal massage was the perfect answer – I would get to spend time with and help animals for a living. It was a dream come true.
Unfortunately, after only a few years of practicing, my allergies got the better of me. I had already become allergic to horses, cats and rabbits, so I knew I wouldn’t be able to work with them, but then all of a sudden, I started reacting to dogs too. Not all, just certain breeds (short hair seems worse than long for some reason) and dogs that hadn’t had a bath for a while. My doctor said I had to stop working with animals, or my allergies would only get worse, maybe even to the point where I would have to give up my dog. Well, that was obviously out of the question, so I put my massage business on hold, got an office job, and started researching alternative therapies that 
could help me get rid of these ridiculous allergies that were starting to control my life.
So after many years of trying a lot of therapies – Reflexology, which was lovely but didn’t help the allergies at all, Reiki, which I think did a lot for my emotional health but nothing for the allergies, Naturopathy which became way too expensive and really didn’t resonate with me at all, a few shots at Tong Ren but didn’t stick with it long enough probably, NAET which really did work, it got rid of several allergies, but sadly not animals. And after 1 ½ years of it, I couldn’t afford it any longer, nor commit the necessary time – the allergies are still there. Thankfully, I can still be around dogs, it’s just when I start massaging them and the hair and dander starts flying that I react (sometimes). But I’m not ready to give up hope yet. I recently started yet another therapy, and if it works, you will hear about it! 
Why I started Animal Massage Guide
When I first started practicing, I was contacted many times not only by owners looking for a massage therapist for their pet, but also by people who were interested in learning animal massage and wanted to start their own animal massage business, or add animal massage to their existing “human” massage business and were looking for advice.
So I decided to start this blog to put all the things I have learned about animal massage, alternative health for pets, and starting your own business in one place, as a resource for everyone to use. And in my quest for an allergy cure, I came across so many therapies I never knew existed before, and what was even more exciting is that most are also used with animals. So what started as a blog about animal massage slowly became a blog about many different kinds of alternative/complementary therapy for animals.
I am so glad that I did start this blog. Not only has it allowed me keep up with and learn so much more about alternative pet health, I have “virtually met” so many amazing people who do so much for the animals and are so wonderfully generous with sharing their stories, case studies and advice.
Finally, a big thank you to all who visit and participate in this blog. I love working on it and making it better every day, and it is so rewarding to know that others find it helpful and learn something new as well. When I started it, I had no idea what it would turn into, and I am so excited to see what the future holds, both blog- and allergy-wise.
