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How To Keep Your Cat Cool In The Summer 2016

Rebecca Schmidt • Aug 30, 2013
As the heat and humidity return for the last blast of summer, we may forget to keep an eye on our family cat. As the temperature rises, it’s a good time to remember that you are not the only one that needs to watch out for heat-related health issues – your cat is also at risk.

If your cat is indoors in the air conditioning all day, there is usually little need for concern. If you don’t have air conditioning or your cat goes outside, it helps to take extra steps to keep your cat cool in the heat and prevent heat stroke. Here are some suggestions to keep in mind:

Don’t leave your pet in a car

Never leave a pet unattended in a hot car for even a few minutes. Your car acts like a greenhouse and heats up rapidly. On a 70-degree day, your car can heat up to over 100 degrees.

Leave out plenty of fresh water

Make sure your cat has extra bowls of water in the areas that he or she likes to frequent. The cat drinking fountains are a great option because they keep the water cool and filtered (and cats like the movement of the water). You may also want to consider letting a faucet drip or a small stream flow in a bathroom sink for your cat.

Keep your kitty cool

Leave the air conditioning on during the day to keep your house and cat cool. If you tend to turn the thermostat up while you’re out, take steps to keep your house cool like closing the blinds and turning on ceiling fans.

Create airflow

If you don’t have air conditioning, use window fans but have the fans face outward to pull the hot air from the house instead of bringing more hot air into your home.

Keep cool spots accessible

Cats love to gravitate to places like basements, porcelain sinks, tubs and tiled areas in the hot weather. Make sure your cat isn’t blocked out of these areas.

Create a retreat for your cat

Set up a box or crate in a dark, cooler place in your home that can be a nice retreat. You can insulate an ice pack, bag of frozen vegetables or water bottle in a sock or towel or put cool water in a hot water bottle to provide a cooler resting place for your cat.

Brush your cat daily 

Matted fur will trap heat. If you brush daily, you cut down on the matted fur and also get rid of excess fur. Don’t shave your cat down – it puts your cat at more risk to damage from the sun.

Choose your playtime wisely

Your cat will still need to play some. Make sure you do short play periods in the cooler parts of the day and allow your kitty plenty of time to cool off afterwards. It’s generally best to keep your kitty calm and don’t encourage your cat to play when it’s extremely hot.

Cooling your cat down

Cool, damp cloths can help cool your kitty down as long as they don’t get too overheated.

If your cat has overheated, he or she may be at risk for heat exhaustion or heat stroke. For more on learning the warning signs and what to do please read this post http://www.northernilcatclinic.com/how-to-keep-your-cat-cool-in-the-summer/
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