How Do Cats Naturally Cool Themselves Down?
In the summer season, cats can get dehydrated and experience heat stroke. These severe conditions can lead to death and illness. According to Vets Now, cats are also susceptible to sunburn, particularly those with white noses and ears. This can lead to painful sores and blisters. Long-term exposure to sunlight can lead to skin cancer. You can purchase pet sunscreen for the hairless areas of the noses and ears. You can also keep white-faced felines indoors when there is heat outside. Here are some tips on how you can help your cat remain cool during hot weather.
Ensure it gets a lot of water – It is essential to look at your cat’s water bowl often, and you need to fill it up when it gets low. Cats cannot survive for a long time without it.
Conduction – According to Mental Floss, cats need to maintain an internal body temperature of 101 to 102 degrees. They have several methods of keeping cool in sweltering weather. They have to avoid over-exerting themselves on hot days. Conduction enables cats or anything else to warm or cool themselves up through contact with objects of different temperatures. That’s the reason why you often find that cats want to stay on the kitchen tiles during hot days. However, this works for dogs or people.
Have shady spots in the garden – If you keep your cat outdoors, ensure that some shady spots occur naturally in a garden. You can create such a spot if you place some cardboard or cloth over a particular area to keep out the sun. Also, look at the buildings situated outdoors like greenhouses and sheds before you shut them because cats can become locked in them overnight.
Brush the cat every day – Matted hair can trap heat. Therefore, if possible, groom them often, especially if they are long-haired.
Keep your cat out of greenhouses – Greenhouses can become hot even if the weather feels warm. Remember that they become harshly hot even if the weather feels warm. Remember that they exclude a cooling breeze and enhance the heat. Cats can also get trapped accidentally in greenhouses and conservatories.
Utilize damp towels to keep your cat cool – The tummy is the warmest part of a cat’s body, including its armpits, paws, tummies, outside of the ears, and chin. Even if cats do not like getting wet, you can dampen a cloth in cool water and stroke it from the head to the back.
Keep the cat indoors – If the temperatures are high, keep the cat indoors.
Take care of your cat when it is in the car – Cats travel in vehicles commonly. However, they are at risk. If you take your cat for treatment at the vet, the cat show, or cattery, do not leave it in the vehicle. Always keep the carriers secure and shaded to allow for air circulation. The boxes of plastic with wire mesh are better.
Look for symptoms of heatstroke – Heatstroke can occur on extremely hot days. Yet, it is still essential to be aware of the symptoms. The symptoms include stretching, agitation, breathing rapidly, glazed eyes, drooling, vomiting, and skin that is warm to touch. If you think too much about your pet, contact your veterinarian immediately.
Circulating cool air – Keep the air conditioner at a reasonable temperature, turn on a fan or open the windows. Your cat will feel better if the indoors are cool to relax indoors if the sun is scorching outside.
Grooming – Cats also keep themselves cool by grooming themselves more . Cats do not sweat as humans do, but if you groom them, it can help your cat in the same manner. Cats feel cooler whenever air moves against their fur and when the saliva evaporates. If a cat allows for it, you can stroke its fur gently with a damp, cool washcloth.
Insulating fur coats – The fur coats of cats are insulating. The fur coat of your cat is amazing. It helps them stay warm during the winter and keeps them cool during the winter. So, if you want to shave your cat during the summer, you might be doing a disservice. The coat of your cat does the work of a thermal regulator. Therefore, it is meant to keep the temperature of your cat’s body stable in every kind of weather. The coat also enables her to remain hydrated and keep sensitive skin from experiencing sun damage.
Seeking out cool surfaces – You might have noticed that your cat splays herself out on the floor tiles of your kitchen when it gets hot. Your cat might also lounge beneath the enamel tub. Cats know that they can reduce their body temperature if they contact objects, which are colder than them.
Conserving energy – Your cat can become sluggish when it is hot. That’s because cats know that conserving energy helps keep their core temperatures down so that they do not overheat. Hot cats will remain as still as possible to avoid overexertion.
Find a cool or shady spot – Your cat can hang out on the tile floors of the laundry room or under the bed where they can remain out of direct sunlight.
Sweat – The paws of cats have sweat glands, which enable them to cool down. However, on hot days, they can seek several methods of cooling down. Cats also have coats to cool down, and that’s why they need to groom themselves more in the summer. As saliva evaporates from the cat’s fur, it offers a cool effect, similar to sweat evaporating from their skin. When your cat gets hot, he may begin panting. Rapid breathing, similar to a dog’s panting, enables saliva to evaporate from their tongue and cool down.
Cool play – Cats love playing with ice cubes, and they allow them to stay cool at the same time. You can place a few on the floor so that they can engage in chasing them when they are scattering around the floor. For instance, you can place chicken stock in the ice to improve their interest.
Closing the curtains – Do things that will keep you cool. By keeping blinds and curtains closed so that the sun does not get in.