While I am not be an expert in cat health, I feel, as a cat parent, I need to raise awareness about the potential risks cats face during high summer temperatures. Knowing how to keep a cat cool is important and I wanted to do something positive to spread the safety word.
I have reached out to my fellow members of the Cat Writers’ Association for help on the many different things you can do to preserve cat health, including hydration and prevent smoke inhalation during sudden wildlife fires.
Browse my collecton of essential tips or click through the linked blog posts for further reading on how to keep a cat cool in summer.
Cat Heat Safety Tips
Bionic Basil® and the B Team
From our experience, it’s always a good idea to have multiple bowls available in different locations around the home to keep cats cool. Though obviously not where they would pose a trip hazard. And the amount of bowls available is really dependent on how many kitties mew have.
8 Warning Signs of Dehydration in Cats
Essential reading from the KasPack. What exactly is dehydration? How do you prevent it? The most common signs of dehydration in cats include:
- Dry or sticky gums
- Loss of appetite
- Constipation
- Sunken eyes
- Loss of skin elasticity
Read more on the Kas Pack’s report page.
The Purrfect 10: Ways to Help Your Cat Beat the Heat – Melissa and Mudpie
Give a cooling wipe down: Many cats enjoy being wiped down with a damp paper towel or washcloth. The moisture on their fur cools them off, just as their own saliva does when they groom themselves. Do this in front of a box fan or open window for added comfort.
ChirpyCats
Keep your blinds or curtains closed, especially on West or South-facing windows that get slammed by heat all day. This is about the only time your cat will avoid the much-beloved sun puddle.
Survival Tips to Keep Your Cat Safe, Happy, and Healthy During the Hot Summer Months – Zee and Zoey
Recognize the signs of heatstroke. Heavy panting, glazed eyes, a rapid heartbeat, difficulty breathing, excessive thirst, lethargy, fever, dizziness, lack of coordination, profuse salivation, vomiting, a deep red or purple tongue, seizure, and unconsciousness are all possible symptoms of heatstroke from extreme temperatures.
For Smoke Inhalation – Amy Shojai
Soot and ash causes irritation and can clog lungs but it’s the invisible gasses that often kill. Gasses like acrolein, benzene, formaldehyde and carbon monoxide danger, even after the pet seems to recover, and can affect pets hours to days after the initial inhalation. Keeping pets on the first floor, low to ground, helps because smoke rises. Getting them into fresh air immediately also helps enormously. If people need to evacuate, so do the pets.
Don’t confine your cat to one room, especially a sunroom. We need the ability to move around to seek shade and coolness. A closed up room gets very hot very quickly.
3 Tips to Help Your Cat Spend a Good Summer – The Swiss Cats
Provide your cat some cool water throughout the day. The ideal is a water fountain, but several bowls of water at various places in the house (and in the garden) suit perfectly. The water should be renewed several times during the day. You can add an ice cube in the bowl (only one !) to keep the water cool longer.
NEVER EVER leave pets alone in a parked car. Did you know that on an 85 degree day it only takes 10 minutes for the inside temperature of a car to reach 102 degrees (39C)? And in 30 minutes it can reach 120 (48C) degrees or higher.
Vital Summer Tips for Adventure Cats – Kitty Cat Go
Temperatures start rising in the late morning time, with the hottest time of the day being around 3pm. Aim to go on your outdoor adventures before 10am or after about 5 or 6pm. That way you and your cat are avoiding the hottest parts of the day.
Excellent and such an important post! The warm-hot days are here and this is such a concern for cats and dogs. Great tips, and very helpful links. Pinning this to my Mews News Pinterest board to share!
I didn’t know the tip about wiping down with a wet towel! Good to know and I would love to know if the cat we had would have loved it.
Yes, it surprised me too. So simple!
Excellent roundup of tips to help cats stay cool and comfy in the Summer heat. It’s really important, especially as Summers around the globe seem to be getting hotter by the year.
Fantastic and so important with summer around the corner. Brilliant idea to have done it with other cat bloggers as cat parents can always learn that way
We should have collaborated- I did a heat safety thing too. Shade, cool treats (you can turn churu into otter pops), playing in water if Kitty likes it. Letting them inside in the AC even if they are normally outside cats.
Indeed! I remembered I started this in 2023 and it was such an impactful article I had to share again!
Brilliant to reach out to other kitty lovers! I always worried about keeping my kitties cool enough in the summer. When it got really hot, they’d stretch out in from of the AC register and I’d wipe their fur down with cool water. They loved that. I’m glad they always drank lots of water in the heat of summer. Super tips and so very important especially as it is starting to get toasty.
Fantastic tips for summer cat care, and thanks for linking to the original articles. They’re filled with so much helpful info!
Great post and all the ones it is linked too.
Thank you Ellen, I am no expert but I know a lot of people with experience who I love to share!