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Summer Tips for Cat Owners

Now it’s the hottest time of the year in Qingdao, China. In the summer heat, are you hiding in the air-conditioned office or room all day like me? When you are trying to escape the heat, do not forget about your cats. For cat owners, it is also a challenge to help our furry friends stay safe and comfortable during the hot summer.

This article will provide some common misunderstandings and tips for cat owners.

Some Common Misunderstandings

1. Cats are not afraid of heat

If your cat appears to be able to tolerate heat very well, this is because the ancestors of cats were originally desert-living animals. But generally speaking, the appropriate ambient temperature for cats is between 18 ℃ and 30℃. Our furry friends feel comfortable in the temperature range. But when ambient temperature exceeds 35℃, cats may experience loss of appetite, lethargy and even heat stroke.

Cats’ aversion to heat is mainly because of their inefficient way of losing heat. Like dogs, our felines don’t have sweat glands on their skin. They have to lick their hair wet and rely on evaporation to take away heat. Except this, cats only lose heat through limited body surface radiation, mouth breathing and footpads. But that’s not enough to help maintain its body temperature in the heat. A rising body temperature can lead to heatstroke and become life-threatening if not timely cooling.

2. Shave your cat

Since our furry friends actually are afraid of heat, some cat lovers may say, shall we shave our cats? Please note that this method is not only unhelpful, but it can also be counterproductive. As is mentioned above, your cats do not lose heat through sweat glands on their skin, so shaving won’t help. Instead, cats’ hairs is a natural barrier  that protect them from sunburn, scratches, bites, mosquitoes, and skin diseases. If you shave your cat, it will lose this protection and may even cause stress reaction.

3. Potential risk of cat backpack carrier

Have you ever seen such kind of cat backpack carrier?

Yes, this is a popular type of cat bag with space capsule appearance. Although it looks gorgeous and cool on the outside and the transparent plastic window gives cats a broader vision of the outside. My lovely baby, Baozi, also has one. But now it is only used as a toy at home. Because actually, due to its narrow space and transparent design, the cat bag forms a trap where heat can not escape when the sun is directly shining. Especially in the summer heat, if you take your cats outside with such kind of bag, your furry friends may have trouble breathing inside because of poor air permeability and their bodies blocking the ventilation holes, making them vulnerable to heatstroke. It’s just like adults leave their babies in a car in summer heat with the windows open a little. So if you really want to use such kind of cat bag, it’s ok, but remember the potential risk and do not let your cats stay inside for long periods of time, especially in summer and under directly sunlight.

A Few Things to Note in Summer

1. Keep the room ventilated

Air conditioning in summer is the most effective way to beat the heat. But if you turn on air conditioner all day, it is neither economical nor energy-saving. So do we need air conditioning for our cats when we are not at home? The answer is no. Generally speaking, the temperature of our room rarely gets above 30℃. Except in very hot areas, we only need a fan or open some windows to keep the room ventilated so that our cats stay safe and comfortable. In addition, if the local climate is humid like here in Qingdao, a dehumidifier is recommended to avoid cat ringworm.

2. Prepare more water and keep your cat treats fresh to avoid gastroenteritis

In summer, your felines need to drink more water to help cool down. Plenty of fresh water shall be prepared every day. If your cats do not like to drink too much water, you may prepare more wet food.

Summer is a season when our furry friends easily get gastroenteritis, mostly caused by eating spoiled food. So we shall give our cats a regular ration of treats. Food easily spoil when exposed to air, especially wet food. Uneaten cans or homemade cat food must be sealed and refrigerated, and reheated before serving to our cats.

Remember to store cat food in a dry, cool place in an airtight container and usually it is best to eat it within one month after opening. Under normal circumstances, after taken out, dry food should be eaten within 24 hours and wet food 4  hours. Clean your cats water bowl every day and replace it with clean drinking water.

3. Avoid going out to prevent your cats from heatstroke

We should avoid taking our cats out unless we really have to or our cats like to stay outdoors. If we have to take our cats out, be well-prepared to avoid heatstroke. First of all, a pet carrier with good ventilation performance showed in the following photo is the best choice. If you use a cat bag, please choose one with a strong air permeability and do not let your cat stay inside for long periods of time under sunlight. Secondly, prepare more water for your cat, or use a wet towel to wipe its body and feet from time to time. Keep a close eye on your cat; move it to a cool place or air-conditioned room immediately if any heatstroke symptoms appear.

4. Trim your cat's feet

While shaving doesn't help your cat lose heat, there's one part of your cat's body where shaving does help, and that's the fur on its footpads. Because cats have sweat glands on footpads, too long foot hairs is not conductive to heat dissipation in summer. So we can regularly trim the hairs on cat footpads.

5. Keep mosquitoes and insects away regularly

Summer is also the high season for mosquito breeding, and those pesky mosquitoes can spread diseases like malaria as well as parasites, such as heartworm, which can be fatal to our cats. So deworm your cats regularly and keep mosquitoes away.

6. Clean the litter box more often

Litter box is prone to bacteria if not cleaned in time in summer. So remove any agglomerated litter and refill the soiled part with new fresh litter. Change the old portion completely at least once every month. If more than one cat is using the litter box, the litter should be changed more frequently.

Finally,  if exposed to sunlight on the road in the summer heat, our furry friends may get sunstroke within 5 minutes. Cats themselves will generally find place to stay cool in summer. So if you come across a stray cat on the road in summer heat, it is very likely to get sunstroke or injured. Please help it!