The arrival of summer implies a notable rise in temperatures that affects the habits of humans and animals. Cats are no exception: to withstand the intense summer heat, it is important to pay attention to them and help them carry it in the best way possible to prevent them from suffering from heat stroke, with the serious consequences it would have for their health.
Despite the fact that cats love the sun, they should take it in its proper measure because they are animals sensitive to high temperatures. In fact, they are more so than humans, since they do not have a thermal regulation system in their body that allows them to sweat like humans. Therefore, heat stroke in cats can be very serious or have lethal consequences. Knowing how to cool them is essential to regulate their body temperature in such heat. To discover how to cool down a cat , at OneHOWTO we recommend that you continue reading this article.
You may also be interested in: Heat stroke in cats: symptoms and what to do
Index
- cool wet towel
- fresh and clean water
- Cool corners at home with shade
- ice toys
- ice creams for cats
- brush often
- Wet the pads of their paws
- Air conditioning or fan
- plastic pool
- refreshing refuge
cool wet towel
Most cats don’t like to get wet with water, so a good way to cool them down is to wet their fur using damp towels rather than direct contact with water. Do the test with your cat: soak a towel with cold water and pass it over his entire body, including his head.
Moisten especially the armpits, the legs, the belly and the chin . These areas are the best for lowering their body temperature, thus achieving a very pleasant cooling effect for your cat.
fresh and clean water
Keeping your cat well hydrated is essential to cool down. In this sense, you must have his drinker with fresh and clean water at all times at his disposal. You must check it periodically to prevent it from running out of water: you can place more than one drinking fountain at home and distribute them in several rooms so that it drinks water whenever it wants.
Another recommendation is to add some ice to cool the water in the drinkers, but always in moderation.
Cool corners at home with shade
Your feline must have resting places at home where the shade is predominant. If this is not possible due to the location of your home, lower the blinds or draw the curtains to prevent direct sunlight from entering through the windows.
In this way, your cat will have shaded areas throughout the house to take refuge from the heat of the sun. You can also moisten or leave ice socks in places where you know your cat likes to be to refresh the environment .
ice toys
Ice is a great ally to cool your kitty on very hot days. Try to give him some directly so that he can cool off while playing with them, that is, that he sees them as one more toy with which to entertain himself.
If you see that your cat does not react well to ice directly, you can choose to freeze one of his toys . In this way it will be a trustworthy object that will not cause so much rejection. You can find in this other OneHOWTO article on How to make homemade toys for cats .
ice creams for cats
Cat ice creams are another foolproof way to cool them down. It is a very easy snack to make and irresistible for your feline. Take a can of your favorite food and run it through the blender adding a little salt-free chicken broth.
With the whipped mixture, you put it in a mold and store it in the freezer . When it is completely frozen, you can give it to it so that it can eat it little by little and cool down.
brush often
Brushing your cat frequently is important at all times of the year, but especially in summer, since it is essential to refresh it. The dead hairs that cats accumulate in their fur prevent them from expelling heat , so getting rid of them will help them cool down.
This trick will be much more effective if you soak the brush with water before brushing itself. In this way you will be able to moisten their fur, keeping it fresh for longer. It is another simple resource to apply and very effective, helping your feline to cool down by getting rid of the winter fur.
Wet the pads of their paws
Cats do not have sweat glands spread throughout the body as in the case of humans, but rather they have them in very specific areas of their body, such as the pads of their paws. A good trick to keep them cool during the summer is to wet their paws and the pads located in this area with water to regulate their temperature.
They, by themselves, already wet these areas by licking them, but the effect will be much more noticeable if we regularly wet them with fresh water .
Air conditioning or fan
A fresh bed adapted to the high temperatures of summer is important, since it will not be the same one that it will need compared to winter. To adapt the bed, you can put a cooling blanket on top or inside so that it acts and cools your cat whenever it lies on it.
In addition, you must create a rest area where air flows : to achieve this, place your bed near the air conditioner or fan, but with a precautionary distance so that it does not come into contact with the device and could hurt itself.
plastic pool
If you have a garden or terrace, you can buy a small plastic pool like the one for babies and place it in this area of the house so that your cat can bathe in it. You should fill it with a little cold water, but not too much water: the cat needs to stand in the pool to feel safe and comfortable in it.
If you don’t have an outdoor space to put a small pool, you can always place a basin full of water in the shower or bathtub so that your cat can comfortably enjoy some time soaking.
refreshing refuge
If your cat is one of those who likes to get into ins and outs, take advantage and prepare a refreshing refuge. Prepare a cardboard box and cover it with a damp towel. Take the opportunity to leave a sock inside with several ice cubes inside, thus creating a perfect fresh oasis for the feline.
With this simple trick you will get a quiet space for your cat in a cool environment and away from the sun’s rays . If this article has been useful to you, we recommend this other one about heat stroke in cats: symptoms and what to do .