For humans, summer is hot and stuffy in summer, and summer holidays on the coast. But for cats, summer is a series of long hot days. So how to cool cats down? In the article below, Top Kitty Care will introduce simple ways to help your cat have a more pleasant summer.
Why need to cool cats down?
The ancestors of cats live in arid areas along the desert. Therefore they are trained to withstand very good heat. But after thousands of years of domesticated and migrated with humans, cats have gradually adapted to new habitats.
Many purebred cats originate from cold areas. They have thick and long fur. The ability to resist cold is very good but the heat resistance is much lower than that of tropical cats. Even cats in the tropics are unlikely to survive if they encounter extreme weather.
Especially for urban cats, in small spaces, they are not easy to cool themselves. It is easy to get cold or heat shock in the summer.
Heat resistance of some cat breeds
Turkish Van and Balinese cats are 2 cats with long fur. But their ancestors were tropical cats. The fur of these two breeds has a relatively thin lower layer, reducing the heat-retaining effect. Therefore, if the weather is not too hot, there is no need to worry.
Sphynx cats are also known as hairless cats. Due to the lack of protective coat, Sphynx cats are very sensitive to the weather. They suffer from cold or heat are very poor. Not only are they susceptible to sun damage, but hairless cats are also vulnerable to sun damage.
Short-haired British cats and Russian Blue are two extremely cold-resistant cats. Because their fur is short but extremely thick. The lower cilia works very well, but is counterproductive when summer comes. Therefore, farmers need to pay attention to cool cats down on hot days.
In addition, obese cats, old cats and newborn kittens are very afraid of hot. The reason is that the body function is impaired or incomplete. Extremely hot weather for them is especially dangerous.
Measures to cool cats down
Cats have many ways to cool down themselves. For example, exiting the heat through the sweat glands in the feet, through the ears, licking the body, changing the place, opening the mouth with a low breath, lying on the abdomen… But these measures are also ineffective if it is too hot. .
The easiest way is to use air conditioning. Air conditioner helps to reduce heat quickly. But be careful with the temperature difference between inside and outside the room. Take care not to make the temperature difference too high. Ideally, the difference should not exceed 5℃, between rooms does not exceed 3℃.
Do not leave the cat’s cushion under the air conditioner. Avoid getting a cat with a cold or suffering from a condition.
Electric fans despite lower heat loss than air conditioners, but can reduce sweating. Help air circulation. Has a function to cool cats down effect. When using a fan, take note of cat safety measures.
>> Read more: 5 Best Indoor Cat Houses for Your Feline Friend
Cool cats down through food and water
In summer, cats need lots of water to cool themselves down. Water helps to cool cats down, providing energy for the body. Therefore make sure cats can easily find drinking water if needed.
A pretty popular method is to cook soup for cats to drink. Soup can be cooked with boiled fish or chicken. Let cool or freeze and feed the cat. Or give your cat some fresh cat grass juice to add nutrient solution. Very suitable for cats who often stop eating when it’s hot.
Cat food in the summer should add green vegetables, supplement water. Examples include sweet corn, lettuce or broccoli. Fruit for a bit is enough, for example, watermelon. Because sugar in fruits can make cats obese. Liquid foods such as minced meat and pate are also a good choice.
Hot weather does not mean not sunning
A reader of top kitty care has asked: your cat’s hair is quite long. But in the summer, the cat still suns regularly. The outer coat is also very hot, won’t it affect it?
In fact, even in the middle of the hot season, cats still need to be exposed to the sun. Natural sunlight helps cats synthesize the amount of vitamin D needed for the body. Cat fur coat in addition to keeping warm also helps to insulate the environment. Protects skin from UV rays.
Although the hair is very hot, the cat’s body temperature remains stable. Cat owners do not need to worry about cool cats down. Cats know overheating will move to another place.
Being in the house without being exposed to the air is more dangerous to cats. Especially cats live in dark, damp places. When the cat is exposed to the sun, sunlight helps to kill bacteria and fungi on cats.
These are the simplest ways to help cool cats down in the hot summer. Wish you and your lovely cat have a cool summer!
