Summertime is arguably the best time of the year. The heat brings a lot of really great things like shorts, pool parties, iced tea, and fireworks. However, the summertime heat can also be really hard on your body and your cat’s body. Heatstroke is a medical emergency affecting both cats and humans that occurs when the body becomes too hot to regulate it’s own temperature.
Heatstroke in Cats
Photo Credit: Ian Barbour
Although cats are desert animals, they are as sensitive to heat as humans are. They can even get sunburns (especially on their ears)! Just like you and me, if a cat’s body gets too hot in the summertime heat, they are in danger of suffering from heatstroke. Be sure to watch your cat for symptoms of heat stroke. The sooner it is caught, the more likely it can be treated. Call or visit your veterinarian right away if you think your cat is suffering from heatstroke.
The initial signs that your cat may be overwhelmed by the summertime heat can be fairly subtle. You may see that the cat is panting, drooling or feel that their paw pads are sweating (cats can not sweat other than their paw pads). The cat may also be anxiously searching for a place to cool down or excessively grooming themselves.
If the cat is unable to cool down and the cat’s body temperature continues to rise, the symptoms of heatstroke become more pronounced. They may become lethargic or begin vomiting. You might notice that they are stumbling or staggering as they walk. Their pulse and their breathing could become rapid. Their usually pink mouth and tongue could become red in color. When the heatstroke becomes severe, the cat may collapse, have seizures, go into a coma, or die.
Tips for Keeping Cool in Summertime Heat
- Make sure that your cat has access to plenty of fresh, cool water.
Photo Credit: Audry
- Keep your cat indoors where you can control the temperature.
- If you don’t have air conditioning, be sure to place a fan where your cat can sit next to it and get cool.
- Place ice cubes in your cat’s water for extra coolness.
- Try making frozen treats for your cat. You could try using your cat’s favorite wet food and treats like this recipe from Petfinder. If you don’t like that one, try one that uses sardines and krill like this recipe from All Natural Pet Care or tuna from can like this one from Modern Cat.
- Don’t leave your cat in the car for even a short period of time! It doesn’t take long for the summertime heat to raise the temperatures in your car to a deadly level.
- Keep your cat groomed. Getting rid of the excess hair can help your kitty stay cool.
- Try to do all of your playing in the morning or the evening. The temperature is hottest in the middle of the day, so that will be a great time for your kitty to just relax and stay cool.
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Great information, thank you for sharing.
You are welcome 🙂
That was some great info! Thanks!
ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!
You are welcome. I hope you guys stay cool this summer 🙂
Very important info!
Thank you very much! I hope that no kitties out there overheat this summer.
Very Good Info thanks for sharing it with us.
Thank you very much! I hope your kitties have a great summer!
Frozen treats? Frozen fish? I am so gonna show this to the peeps.
Purrs,
Nissy
I’ve heard that many kitties go crazy over these things. I hope that your peeps let you try them out 🙂 You can even add nip to these.
Thanks for spreading the word about heatstroke. It can be a killer for humans and pets.
You’re welcome. You are absolutely right – heatstroke doesn’t discriminate between species. I would venture to guess that most humans have suffered from it so a certain degree.I know that I’ve overdone it working/playing outside on hot days before. We have to be very careful with our pets because if heatstroke can sneak up on us that easily, it can be even easier to overlook in them.
Impawtant information ! We pinned it and tweeted it at once ! Purrs
Thank you very much! I really appreciate the shares 🙂 We hear so much about not leaving dogs in the car because they will suffer from heatstroke, but we really hear nothing about cats. Hopefully all of the kitties will be safe this summer.
great tips again,xx Rachel
Thank you very much!
Paws up for the good information! The signs of heat stroke in cats are different than in humans, so it’s good that people be aware of what to watch for… and what to avoid doing to minimize the risk, too!
Thank you very much! I see a lot of information out there on heatstroke and staying cool for dogs, but not so much for cats. I thought it was about time to speak up 🙂 It is really important that people know what to look for, as you said, the symptoms are different than those of humans. I find that people often overlook the symptoms of heatstroke in themselves, so it would be even easier to overlook them in their cat.