Help Your Cat Beat the Heat

Cats are more susceptible to developing possibly fatal heatstroke when the temperature rises in addition to feeling hot and irritated. Here are our top suggestions for cool cats to help you keep your feline’s temperature as low as possible throughout the hot summer months.

Advice for keeping your cat secure in the sun

• Always have plenty of fresh, chilled water readily available for your cat; this may require setting out bowls around the home and in the yard.
• Ears, noses, and places with thin fur are particularly vulnerable to sunburn in cats, especially those with pale coat colors. If your pet is lying outside in the sun, apply pet-safe sunscreen to their skin or keep them inside between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. when the sun is at its fiercest.
• Provide cover and minimize stress
• If your cat’s skin appears sore, crusty, or scaly, seek immediate veterinarian advice.
• Keep an eye out for symptoms of overheating in your pet, such as heavy panting and lack of activity. Encourage your cat to drink if you see these symptoms.
• Make sure your cat doesn’t get locked in a room that’s too hot or has no airflow (eg greenhouses).
• Even if they voluntarily entered, it is still important to routinely check on them and remove them if they exhibit signs of fatigue or confusion.

Ice snacks
Your cat’s favorite goodies can be used to make some ice cream for them. For an icy snack that will keep kids interested and cool, freeze some low-salt chicken stock (see our own recipe below) or tuna brine (see our own recipe below).

Ice packs and cooling mats for beds
There are several cooling mats for dogs that can be purchased, but placing freezer blocks, pads, or even a pack of frozen vegetables in your cat’s favorite location and wrapping them well in a blanket will have a comparable effect.

Moist towel
Since most cats detest being wet, they are unlikely to wish to cool off by swimming in any body of water. However, to provide some respite from the heat, wet a small towel with cool water and dab it over your cat’s fur. You may also simply massage your cat with damp hands.

Maintain good grooming
Cats with too much fur retain heat, so daily combing to remove dead hair will help your cat feel a little more comfortable during heat waves. Additionally, you could notice that your cat is grooming itself more frequently than usual. This is nothing to worry about because it’s their unique method of staying cool in the heat because the saliva evaporates off their fur.

8 Summer Cat Care Tips

1. MAKE A “COOL” BED.
   Cats will always seek for the coziest napping spot they can discover. Comfortably cool bedding might be very welcome. A excellent solution is provided by Catmania.net: to create a cool area that fits your cat’s contours, lay a packet of frozen veggies or even a frozen water bottle under a blanket or the cover of your cat’s bed.
2. HYDRATION IS ESSENTIAL.
   Always make sure your cat has access to plenty of cooled water that is readily available. Automatic drinking fountains are a popular method used by many cat owners to encourage their cats to drink more water. Cats are lured to the cool, pure water that the aeration and filtration provide like a favorite faucet. Float a few ice cubes in the bowl to make it look more appealing.
3. WASH DOWN YOUR CAT.
   Remember that cats only perspire via their feet; they don’t produce the pleasant sheen of perspiration that people do to help with heat loss. Your cat will experience momentary heat relief from a lovely, damp washcloth.
4. BE AWARE OF HEATSTROKE SIGNIFICANCE.
   Stumbling, having extremely red gums, being restless, or vomiting. Your cat needs to visit the vet as soon as possible if any of these symptoms start to appear.
5. BE UNPROTECTED.
   Always provide your cat a sufficient amount of outside protection and shade from the sun. Even if your cat is an outdoor cat, it is important to keep them indoors on hot days. Apply sunscreen to your cat’s nose and ears if it does venture outside and has fair skin to prevent sunburn.
6. INSPECT FOR FLIES.
   Although fleas are more commonly associated with dogs than cats, fleas are a year-round issue for your feline buddy and are particularly problematic during the summer. Make careful to treat the environment as well as your cat with a high-quality flea control product. You can get advice on the best things to use from your veterinarian.
7. ARRIVE AT THE RESORT WITH YOUR CAT!
   On those extremely hot days, Jet Pet Resort is a great place to send your cat for daycare or even an overnight stay if you must leave the house but don’t want to leave him home alone. Individual cat suites, a temperature-controlled environment system, an abundance of clean, cool, and fresh water, various lounge areas, a big plasma screen TV, muted lights, and all the love and attention our Pet Specialists can muster are included in our cat wing.

If you have any questions or concerns, you should always visit or call your veterinarian.