Flustered Felines: 5 Ways to Keep Your Cat Cool During a Heatwave
Pet-admin
Cats can typically be fairly impartial pets, however that doesn’t cease them needing a serving to hand every so often. Just like their large cat ancestors, they love basking within the daylight, whether or not it’s exterior within the backyard or just beneath a sunny window. You could have observed, although, that after a time they want a break and hunt down the shade or cooler surfaces like your kitchen tiles. When temperatures spike throughout heatwaves or the summer season months, these refreshing, cooler spots could be tougher to seek out. Here’s how one can assist your cat keep cool regardless of the climate.
Staying hydrated
During scorching days, hydration is essential. Despite this, cats typically don’t drink as a lot as we anticipate them to and as an alternative get a lot of their water from their meals. Dehydration is chargeable for cats’ predisposal to urinary tract infections, although, so maintaining their water consumption continues to be essential (Animal Trust).
When they do drink water, cats can nonetheless be notoriously choosy. Try to maintain a superb provide of contemporary water readily available in your cat, as they could not drink any that’s been left standing in a single day or too near their meals. It’s additionally a good suggestion to stay to moist meals throughout hotter days moderately than utilizing dry kibble, as this could present your cat with additional water with out them having to drink it.
Similarly, our feline mates are well-known for his or her curiosity and so are sometimes most intrigued by working water from faucets or hoses. Not solely this, however a steady stream retains the water transferring, serving to it to remain cool and contemporary for longer. You can subsequently encourage your cat to drink extra by utilizing a drinking fountain, which flows filtered water for them to lap up. Feeding merchandise with stainless-steel tops can be extra hygienic and irritate your cat’s pores and skin lower than plastic.
Warm nights
When temperatures are excessive throughout the night time, your cat’s mattress or regular sleeping spot could turn out to be too scorching for them (notably igloo-shaped beds or ones manufactured from thick, fluffy materials). Wrapping an ice pack or frozen water bottle in a towel and inserting this into their mattress may also help to chill them down in a single day, with out making them sleep someplace totally different. Simply transferring their mattress to a tiled ground or elevating it above carpeted flooring can even assist preserve it cool.
If your cat sleeps in an enclosed room, all the time keep in mind to depart a window open — or the air con switched on — to offer them correct airflow all through the night time.
Outdoor cats
If you may have an outside cat who loves nothing greater than enjoying and looking within the backyard, remember to have a dependable space of shade for them to relaxation in on scorching days. Whether it’s below a desk, tree, or backyard umbrella, similar to us cats want a break from the sunshine every so often to keep away from overheating.
It’s additionally sensible to maintain their water bowl or ingesting fountain within the shade wherever doable, reminiscent of transferring it away from a heat window that will get the solar all day. Next time you make your self a chilly drink, you could possibly additionally drop just a few ice cubes into their water to assist it keep cooler for longer.
When the nice and cozy climate hits, you’ll doubtless be out absorbing the solar too: so, when utilizing any sheds, greenhouses, or vehicles, test that your cat hasn’t wandered inside earlier than shutting the doorways. A protracted time spent in these unventilated areas on a heat day may be very harmful in your cat and will give them heatstroke.
Indoor cats
However, you probably have an indoor cat then protecting them cool is simply as essential. If it’s not doable to open a window (as an illustration, in case you reside in a high-rise house), then remember to preserve air con or a fan on for many of the day.
Grooming can also be key for protecting cats cool, however notably so for long-haired breeds, short-muzzled cats like Persians and Himalayans, and older or obese cats, all of that are extra weak to overheating. Matted fur traps in additional warmth, so remember to groom and clip your cat’s fur when needed.
According to the RSPCA, long-haired cats must be brushed day-after-day whereas short-haired breeds could be groomed weekly, so it’s price investing in a grooming set designed for various shedding wants. When it involves clipping, you’ll be able to simply trim the fur across the abdomen to assist preserve their core temperature down.
Cold treats
Finally, a enjoyable strategy to preserve your cat completely satisfied in scorching climate is to freeze their favorite creamy treats and make ‘cat pops‘. While you cool off with an ice lolly, why not give them their very own? This will not be solely a welcome refreshment on a scorching day but additionally makes their contemporary, perishable treats final for much longer.
“While we’d welcome hotter days with open arms, they are often considerably overwhelming for our four-legged mates. So, whether or not you may have an indoor or outside cat, a long-haired or short-haired breed, it’s essential to maintain them secure and wholesome in antagonistic climate.
“Providing correct hydration, shade, and airflow are just a few methods to assist your feline pal beat the warmth. By protecting just a few primary security suggestions and helpful instruments in thoughts, you and your cat can keep cool and content material throughout the upcoming heatwave this spring.”- Paul Trott, UK Marketing Manager at Catit
