25/07/2024
During the summer months, both indoor and outdoor cats can struggle with the heat. Here are a few tips for how to help your cats (or strays) throughout the hot periods.
Cats have their own systems to help themselves cool down, such as grooming themselves more often as the saliva causes a cooling effect. They also have sweat glands in their paw pads, which is their most effective way to cool down. However, when the heat is extreme, we need to help our cats cool down. Here are some effective ways that you can do this:
1. Use a different bed. Most of the beds we give our cats are warm and designed for the cooler months. Try giving them a cooling mat or a bed made of more lightweight materials.
2. If you have outdoor cats, suncream is important in these temperatures, especially for breeds with short hair and pink ears. Ensure that the suncream you use is cat-specific.
3. Circulate the air using fans or air-conditioning. This will give your cat a cool place to go when they feel too hot. It is also helpful to keep curtains and blinds closed to stop sunlight getting inside.
4. Provide shady areas- if your cat enjoys being outside, you should try your best to offer them a shaded area to relax in. Encourage them to use the shaded area, and offer them more water sources than usual.
5. Be mindful of where your cat is in your house. Some areas will be hotter than others, such as conservatories or sheds. Make sure that you don’t accidentally shut your cat in these areas of the house with no exit for them.
If you are going on holiday and you’re worried about leaving your cats in the heat, message me for knowledgable and reliable pet sitting services 🫶🏼🐈
