Although the cat famously loves to lie down in the sun, crouch by the stove or fireplace during the winter, and snuggle up in the blankets, when the summer temperatures arrive the cat suffers a lot from the heat !
It is therefore very important to protect the cat from the heat, so as to avoid suffering from sunstroke or heat stroke. In fact, even cats can run into these problems related to high temperatures, and they are not situations to be taken lightly, because they could also cost the animal’s life.
In addition to this, our cat, just like us humans, runs the risk of getting burned on the most delicate parts of the body such as the nose, ears, the lower part of the legs. The risk is higher in cats with white fur.
HOW THE CAT PERCEIVES AND FACES HIGH TEMPERATURES
Cats have a slightly higher body temperature than ours. But, compared to us, they don’t have the same ability to self-regulate and lower their temperature, as humans do through sweat. Cats also “sweat” but they do it only through the fingertips placed under the paws. Theirs The main method of cooling the internal temperature is to lick oneself during the hottest and most sultry days, so as to be able to cool off thanks to the saliva.
In principle we can say that our cats have more or less a tolerance threshold of heat and cold similar to ours.. Therefore the ideal temperature for our cat will be the ideal one for us too, both in summer and in winter.
WHAT TO DO TO DEFEND THE CAT FROM THE HEAT
Now let’s see together what can be the precautions to be taken to help the cat defend itself from the summer heat :
1- FRESH WATER ALWAYS AVAILABLE
One of the biggest problems to avoid related to heat is that of dehydration. That is why, the first action to take is to make sure that the cat has always available clean and fresh water (be careful that it is not frozen). For this it will be important to change it even several times a day.
If we realize that the animal drinks little, we should try to entice it to do it. Like? Cats are naturally attracted to running water, so we can, from time to time, open the tap for them, or buy a special cat fountain. Another method is to put one or two small ice cubes, which cats love to play with, inside the water bowl. So they will be attracted to it and at the same time the water will stay fresh longer.
2- PROVIDE SHADOWED AND AIRED PLACES
If there is a fan or air conditioner in the house, you can use them quietly, of course putting in place the due precautions and precautions that we also adopt for us, namely: use in moderation and only in the hottest hours, do not set a temperature too lower than the outside one, avoid stopping in the areas where the direct jet of air arrives.
Alternatively you can always try to keep the internal temperature of the house as low as possible, lowering the blinds or closing the shutters where the direct sun comes in, pulling down the curtains on the terrace if there are any, and leaving open windows in the windows, from one room to another, in order to create a shady environment with good air circulation.
One of the favorite places for cats during the hot season , and to which they should always have free access, is the bathroom. Here, in fact, the tiles on the floor tend to always stay fresh and if this is not enough, our feline can take refuge and doze off in the bidet or in the tub, to ensure all possible refreshment.
Another method, when the days are particularly hot, despite the above precautions, is to provide the cat with a wet and well wrung towel , so that in the most difficult situations to bear it has a humid place where it can lie down to find relief and regulate. so the temperature.
3- MAKE THE SIESTA IN THE HOTTEST HOURS
If you have a garden available, from which the cat enters and exits freely, first of all make sure that the cat always has a cool and shady place where he can stop and where there is a bowl of water.
However, in the central hours of the day , the hottest ones, the ideal would be to avoid letting it go outside so as to avoid bad inconveniences.
4- WATER ON HEAD AND LEGS
If the heat were to start to be unbearable, and we saw our furry dog starting to breathe hard and wheezing, it is a sign that he is particularly suffering from the heat and this behavior is nothing more than his way to lower his internal temperature.
For our part, we can offer further relief to the animal by slightly wetting its head with a little fresh water, and do the same thing with the fingertips under the paws. Also it might be useful caress the animal with wet fresh hands , so as to reproduce and maximize the effect of when the animal licks its coat to moisten the fur and get some refreshment.
5- THE RIGHT FOOD DURING THE HEAT
Certainly, proper nutrition is a valid ally to fight the heat. An easy to apply precaution will be that of give food during the cooler hours of the day: so early in the morning or late in the evening. In this way, without the oppression of heat, the animal will be more inclined to eat with desire and at the same time will be able to digest the meal more easily.
But the most important thing is to provide wet type feeding. In this way we will be able to guarantee a good amount of hydration also from food and at the same time we will provide the animal with a meal that is certainly more tempting and pleasant to consume during the summer than the dry one (which we can still leave available during the day).
If you want to learn more, we suggest a short brochure written by the Ministry of Health, on how to treat pets during the summer heat .
