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Cat Coping with Summer Temperatures

post #1 of 10
7/14/11 at 12:56pm
Thread Starter 
Hi everyone!.

It's high summer where we live, daily temperatures are over 30 degrees, and I am not sure how to cool my 14-months old Fingal.
We live on the top floor and we do not have air-conditioning, but I try to keep the apartment as cool as it is possible, which is not much, I have to say.

I would appreciate if someone would give me an advice how can I prevent him having a heatstroke. I would love to shower him or similar, but I'm not at all sure how cats take that [not kindly, I bet].

So, if anyone has an advice for me, I would be greatly thankful.

\\L
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post #2 of 10
7/14/11 at 1:08pm
Do you have fans running? That would help. I also add ice chips to their water bowls.
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post #3 of 10
7/14/11 at 1:18pm
We had a few crazy miserable hot days last week and my boy was miserable -I took a gel ice pack from the freezer and "pet" him with it... careful not to get him too cold but it did help almost immediately He loved it so much when I stopped he would nudge my hand for more Naturally this is a very hands on way to do it and it doesn't last long but clearly he enjoyed it.

I do ice in the water too

He also loves to play with ice cubes (I put one on the floor and he goes nuts licking and slapping it around).


Also my boy loves to lay on the cool floors - if you have an uncarpeted area you could try to convince kitty to lay there. If you do not have a cool bare floor somewhere you can go to home depot and buy a large piece of tile and set it on your floor - it should naturally feel cool to kitty
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post #4 of 10
7/14/11 at 1:18pm
Cats will not appreciate their coats getting wet. If you can tolerate the temperature in your home, your cats can as well. The species evolved to live in the desert after all, and unlike some breed of dogs, are no worse than humans for heat tolerance. Cases of heatstroke in cats are typically in scenarios that would have caused heatstroke in many people as well.

Just make sure there is decent air circulation and I would invest in one or two nice water fountains. Out of the four I have tested, I liked the Drinkwell Platinum and the Pioneer Big Max best: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OG3jmlWTm2M

The sink or bathtub or any tile areas will also be attractive for a hot kitty to lay on.
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post #5 of 10
7/15/11 at 12:44am
Thread Starter 
Thank you all so much!.
He's been playing with ice cuber since last night, and I'm encouraging him to be in the bathroom most of the time.
I even massaged him this morning with an ice cube and he loved it!!.

Thank you all again
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post #6 of 10
7/15/11 at 1:23am
A cool damp face cloth rubbed over them.

Ice cubes in their water

A fan on

Works for mine everytime!
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post #7 of 10
7/15/11 at 2:18pm
BTW, have you considered a window air-conditioner unit for both your sake's?

The modern energy star units are far quieter and more efficient than in the past, and can cool very large areas.

I just recently installed one into a three car garage, and despite being such a large area it does very well, and the noticeable improvement is not just in reducing heat but in drawing out humidity from the air which can and does damage your walls and furniture in time. Depending on size, they can remove 5 gallons a day of moisture from the air.

There are available kits which do not do any permanent damage, and they just plug in to any nearby wall socket for power. When the hot summer is over, you just take it back off and store it, and the tape and foam used just peels off.

If you want it even EASIER to install, just pick up a floor standing unit on wheels, and then you need merely crack the window open for the hot air exhaust.
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post #8 of 10
7/20/11 at 3:18am
I purchased marble tiles and ceramic tiles last year for my furkids.

the marble ones consistently felt cool to the touch. The ceramic actually heated up the hotter it got...

So my vote is marble, it is right with all the other floor tiles and isn't anymore expensive when you only buy a couple. Of course I ended up buying more since they ALL figured out that was the COOL place to hang out.

Lisa
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post #9 of 10
7/21/11 at 4:38pm
It hit almost 100 degrees here in Lakewood, Ohio today, and is still around that even now.. I don't have a/c in my home!! Poor David had to go in to the vet for an evacuation of his bowels today, and when I brought him back home he was PANTING (it scared me so much, I'm sure the stress level he endured at the vets mixed with the heat really took a toll on him). What I did (and still will be doing for a while till it cools down a few degrees), was take a medium sized kitchen dish towel, wet it (not sopping wet, just wet), stuck in freezer for 5-10 minutes, took it out (it was relatively stiff), scrunched up in hand to get most of stiffness out, then DRAPED him with it, from his neck to his tail..HE LOVES IT, walks around with it, lays down to nap with it on him...(it looks like a cape, like he is my super-hero cat!)

Of course, this is only a temporary short term cooling off, after about 10 minutes it is no longer cold, so I take it off of him (and stick in freezer again!, repeat as needed), but it is a temporary relief from the extreme heat, and to cool down his overheated (panting, ugh..) body temp

(apologies if someone has already mentioned this, but I did not see it, and it is so useful for those of us without a/c..)
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post #10 of 10
7/21/11 at 4:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Docs Mom View Post
I purchased marble tiles and ceramic tiles last year for my furkids.

the marble ones consistently felt cool to the touch. The ceramic actually heated up the hotter it got...

So my vote is marble, it is right with all the other floor tiles and isn't anymore expensive when you only buy a couple. Of course I ended up buying more since they ALL figured out that was the COOL place to hang out.

Lisa
this is a great idea, thanks for this! I am going to look into this when I visit my Home Depot/Lowe's this weekend. (At my mom's house, she has a small marble slab right next to her fireplace, and I notice her dogs have always lied down on it in the hot weather, I never thought to purchase some for the cats to place wherever in the home!.. )
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