How to Help a Cat Cool down During Summer

Summer is a challenging time for our pets, whether they are indoor or outdoor. It is especially true when the outer temperature reaches its peak. Cats are wise creatures, which spent their lives in harmony with nature. Their ancestors lived in the deserts of the Middle East that enable cats to handle easy high temperatures. Today, we can see them wallowing in dirt or lie in a damp place somewhere in natural shadow to protect themselves from overheating. Even though cats instinctively know how to cool themselves down, we still should increase our attention on extremely hot days. Our pets have left their place of origin long ago and needed our help. Because of their specific body constitution, cats are particularly prone to heatstroke, which can be fatal for them. To avoid dangerous consequences of heatstroke, we have to offer a cat a lot of ways that help her/him cool down. An article “How to Keep an Outdoor Cat Cool in the Summer” gives us practical advice on how to help a cat cool down during summer.

• Place a comfortable bed in a shaded area, such as a porch or under some low lying shrubs.
• Put out two bowls of fresh water. One bowl should be fresh and cool, and the other frozen. The frozen bowl will melt slowly and provide cool water later
in the day.
• Throw ice cubes into a water bowl to cool it down and draw the interest of your cat. This may encourage her to drink more liquid.
• When temperatures reach over 90 degrees Fahrenheit, you should refill the bowls every couple of hours.
• Brush your cat daily to allow the air to move freely through her fur, particularly if your cat has long hair.
• Do not tie or confine your cat to an area with asphalt or concrete because these surfaces really hold the heat on a sunny day.
• Wrap a towel around a bag of frozen peas and place it in her outdoor bed so she can lie on it to cool off.
• Take a damp cloth and wipe it over your cat. If your cat will tolerate water, wet her with a spray bottle. Most cats will tolerate the damp cloth better.
• Hold a cold compress around your cat’s neck to help her cool off a bit more.

According to veterinarians, the best we can do for the cat during the summer is to keep her/him inside between 11 am and 4 pm. If our cat is the outdoor one and nothing cannot motivate it to stay inside, the good idea is to provide a good natural shed in our garden. For cats that live in a building, we have to ensure that the cat can stay in a ventilated space. Otherwise, this cat should be kept inside. Many cats during the long summer days lose their affinity for play, but little kittens cannot live without a play. Veterinarians suggest playing with them early in the morning or lately in the evening to avoid exposing them to the risk of overheating. In any case, the number one priority during hot summer days is to provide constant water supplies that help the cat not to dehydrate and prevents it from heatstroke.