If it’s too hot for you to be outside and active, it’s probably too hot for your cat to be outside and active, too. This is especially true during a heat wave and high heat guidelines in your region. Cats can usually handle heat better than dogs; however, they can still get too hot in hot weather. However, at lesser temperatures, cats can get hot too. You don’t have to use air conditioning to keep your cat cool. Read on the best ways how to keep your cats cool when it’s hot outside.
Help Them Maintain Their Overall Health
If a cat isn’t in good health, it might not be able to handle the heat as well. Long-term care for your cat’s health may decrease the threat of respiratory problems, heart issues, as well as other difficulties that can increase their chances of getting heat stroke. You can help your cat’s health in general by:
- Every day, clean their litter box
- Giving them a high-protein diet
- Getting Regular Dental Care and Health Checks
- Ensuring they are well-groomed will reduce extra fur or cushions that could prevent them from discharging heat.
Set Up Fans
If you don’t have a cooling system, you can set up fans in your house to keep your cats cool. Putting a fan over an ice bowl will make the air coming into the room feel cooler. You can help outside cats stay cool by setting up a fan safely. In brief, ensure the cables of any outdoor fans are waterproof. It would be best if you also taped down the wire to keep people from tripping over it and to make it less likely that your cat will chew on it.
Think About Beds Or Mats That Are Cool
Cats, both inside and outside, can beat the heat with mats or vests that keep them cool. Cold water or gels keep the temperature down in sleeping bags or cooling mats. A cat can wear a cooling vest if they don’t mind it. If you can’t maintain a temperature inside your home cool enough, such products might help. But cats that live outside might also like a raised bed made of mesh or a cooling mat.
Provide Shade
Accessibility to shade is very important, particularly for cats that live outside or are wild. When you don’t have trees to provide shade, you might want to set up a small architecture or maybe a cat house with many airflows so cats can get out of the sun. Indoor cats will have more shade if you close your curtains or blinds.
Try Sunscreen For Cats
Most cats don’t get sunburned, but their ears, nose, and other areas with thin or no hair are more likely to do so. Also, cats with no fur are much more likely to get sunburned. When your cat stays inside all the time, it probably doesn’t need sunscreen. However, when your cat goes in and out, putting sunscreen on it may keep it from getting painful burns.
At the pet store near you, you might be able to find some sunscreens that are safe for cats. Just ensure to select a sunscreen that is safe for cats. Cats might lick off sunscreen, which could be dangerous if it contains harmful ingredients. Sunscreen for cats shouldn’t have any odors or zinc oxide in it.
Conclusion
Cats can handle heat pretty well, and they often seek it out on their own. But if your cat only lives inside, it’s probably used to the same range of temperatures as you are, and hot weather temperatures can make them feel too hot. If you see symptoms of dehydration and overheating, like panting, skin wrinkling, or unusual clumsiness, give your pet some cool water and wet meals and call your vet.