Hot Days?

[faganfamily1]

Hi everyone- as everyone knows- it is really getting hot, and I wanted to know if anyone had some ways they keep their cats cool. We live in a place that has air- but it's just a air conditioner in the front. We have fans, but was just wondering if anyone lets thier cats play( if they like it) when it is hot outside?

 

[mooficat]

I suppose in time the cat will have a molting season - they do adjust to their surroundings. Here in Spain its really hotting up and my mogs need regular brushes as they are molting like mad. So maybe a good brush now and then will help as well !!

 

[momof3rugratz]

I would not allow the play outside because they can overheat very easy...

 

[goldenkitty45]

My cats don't go outside (except the barn cats and they seek the shade when hot).

If its too hot to play, let them sleep/rest. Make sure they have plenty of water to drink. If it really gets hot (we don't have air cond in our current house), then I may give them a bath - just wet them down and more/less drip dry. Keeps them cooler that way.

 

[zissou'smom]

I don't think he means go outside, I think he just means play when its so hot out. Correct me if I'm wrong. If you do mean outside, don't let them out.

There isn't really any way to keep a cat from playing, but if you see them panting move them to the coolest part of the house where the a/c is. They know their limits, if they're hot they won't move much and you'll find them sprawled across the tile or linoleum floors in the shade. I put an ice cube out for Zissou to play with when it gets real hot. I have central air, but don't run it all the time cause its so expensive.

 

[valanhb]

Some tips for those who don't have AC, or don't have it throughout the house:

Put a couple of ice cubes in the kitties' water in the morning. It will keep the water cooler throughout the day.

If you're running fans, put a large bowl of ice water directly behind the fan so it's actually blowing cooler air.

If there is any tile in the house, let the kitties have access to that area. Bathrooms are usually the coolest places in the house, with tile and tubs. Kitty proof the bathroom (close the toilet lid, cover the TP) and let them rest in there.

 

[faganfamily1]

Hi everyone,

Sorry, I didnt mean to say that i let otis outside, he is strictly an indoor cat. I meant to say do you let them play in water somewhere in the house. I let the faucet trickle, and he dosnt seem to be interested in that.

Thanks!

 

[goldenkitty45]

If you cat plays in water, its fine, but don't force him. My rexes love to play in water.

 

[zissou'smom]

Playing in water unsupervised is unadvisable. Basically, the same rules concerning water and baths that apply to toddlers apply to cats. Leaving a faucet run is the most I would do aside from giving them ice to play with. If they aren't even interested in the faucet I doubt he'd be much for playing in the water anyway.

 

[goldenkitty45]

I wasn't thinking of playing in the tub in water. More of a bowl or sink with running water

 

[buzbyjlc10]

It's been hot here as well... It's not really changing Ollie's behaviors though... yesterday he got one of his usual crazies spells: dashing all around the house so all you could see was an orange blur - it was like a kitty nascar race and he was the only cat on the track! Anyhow, he finally came to a sliding halt, ploping on the kitchen floor, where he panted for less than a minute, stretched out and cooled off under the ceiling fan (the big wall unit in the living room had just been turned on, so it was still a little warm in the house).... I have a window unit in my room (his "home base"... litter box, food, one water dish and his crate are located here) so it goes on for us to sleep at night and then when I turn it off in the afternoon, I keep my door open just wide enough for him to slip in an out, and turn on the ceiling fan to try and keep as much cool air in as possible - works well.... If I have to head out and he gets put in my room (We still dont trust him to be alone in the house when the dog's inside cuz she's an old lady and he tantalizes her - dont want him teasing her too much with no supervision), I flip the AC back on low....

You could wet a paper towel and dampen your kitty for relief too... I do this with the dog and cat occasionally... also, nightly brushing sessions will help get rid of hot undercoat (I say nightly since its cooler at night).... I agree that you cant keep a cat from playing, haha... he wouldnt play if it's too hot, ya know, they're not gonna do something that makes them uncomfortable...

As for the whole inside/outside thing in general... I say, keep 'em indoors during the day - Ollie gets harnessed for some backyard play occasionally, but in this heat, I'll only do it in the evenings, after dinner when the back yard is shaded... I always feel so bad when I'm outside sunning during the afternoon and I hear him at the screen sliding door "meow! meow! meow! mama I wanna be out there with you!" I just tell him a) its way to hot for kitties outside and b) he REALLY wouldnt like being in the pool with me, haha

KEEP COOL!

 

[bab-ush-niik]

I'm actually concerned about this too. It's got really hot and muggy in our apartment, and the little AC that we have doesn't do anything except make one corner of the living room cool. My bf found Puppy lying on the bathroom floor. Should we be concerned? Is there something we can do to keep the heat down for him? The apartment heats up during the day, and we aren't there so we're concerned about how he'll deal.

 

[buzbyjlc10]

Any fans you can plug in/turn on will help... I wouldn't worry about your kitty simply laying on the linoleum (sp?)/tile floors... they are cooler than carpet and my pets do it all the time.... make sure your kitty has plenty of cool water available and keep as much sunlight out of your apartment as possible to keep the heat out... do you have any idea just how hot it gets in your apartment during hot days? Because if it's a rediculous temperature you'll really have to seek options to keep your kitty at a comfortable temperature (I know walmart sells small digital thermometers that will let you recall the minimum and maximum temperature in the area you've set it. I have one in a hermit crab tank to acurately track the temperature and humidity - they're really cheap and in the harware section with the mailboxes and such.... one or a few of these could give you an idea of how hot it gets inside while you're gone)

I just saw today in a new Drs Foster and Smith catalogue a pet bed that you apparently fill with cold water to keep your pet cool (I believe it was in the dog section).... it's not a big fluffy kind of bed, more like a mat - I don't know how well it works, but just saw it in glancing through
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produc...0&N=2001+22732

And here's another option they offer: a little less expensive
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produc...&N=2001+113234