How to Care for Your Cat During Summer?

It is primary to the nature of a cat to love the sun, seeking sunny spots and sunbathing. However, they are not spared during extreme conditions during the summer season. Excessive heat during the season affects your feline companion adversely, as they may suffer from overheating, also known as hyperthermia and heatstroke.

Ways to take care of your cat during summer include- wiping them with a damp cloth if not accustomed to bathing. More tips in detail to follow as you read.

1. Wipe Them With a Damp Cloth in Extreme Heat Conditions

On scorching days, you may try to keep your cat calm and composed by wiping its coat with a damp cloth. You can dampen the cloth with a dry bath spray or water. Hold your cat on your lap and gently stroke its back, head and tummy with the damp wipe. You can do this based on the intensity of heat.

2. Dip Their Toes in Cold Water Occasionally

Ways of summer cat care occasionally include dipping your cat's paws in cold water may cool your cat down. Hold your cat gently and slowly initiate dipping its toes in cold water. You may expect a reflex at the very instance, but that's normal. Hold your cat steady and at a place and continue dipping its toes for at least 5 minutes.

3. Bathe Accustomed Bathers After Every 15 Days

Most cats may not prefer a bath, but cats may get accustomed to bathing once they are trained that way from a tender age. If you have kittens, give them their first baths at four months. Later, continue bathing them after every 14-15 days. The water, however, should not be too cold, and Luke-warm water is a safe choice in summer.

You can even use cat shampoo while bathing your cat, and this ensures good hygiene, ticks and fleas free choosing a fleas-repellent shampoo.

4. Feed Your Cat More Wet Food

It might be challenging to feed indoor cats in the summer. They may refuse to eat properly, developing a distaste for food which they usually love. Try recipes which have a gravy base, or you can give them canned wet food. If your cat is accustomed to homemade food, provide them with a blend of boiled chicken-chicken liver-tuna-pumpkin-carrot.

5. Groom the Cats with Long Hair

If your cat is a long-haired breed like Persian or Maine Coon, you may consider giving them a slight trim. Trimming long hair cats is, however, not recommended.

6. Ensure You Have Proper Airflow and Air Conditioning in Your House

It is necessary to install a proper air-conditioning system in your house to ensure long hair breeds do not experience discomfort in the excruciating summer heat. Failing this, your cat is prone to heatstroke.

7. Replace the Bowl With a Water Fountain for Cats

You can invest in installing a small water fountain in your house, which is an exciting way for a cat who prefers to drink water. This will ensure they stay hydrated as they often tend to avoid drinking water from a bowl next to their food. You may even try placing bowls of water at corners across your house to ensure they drink water.

8. Invest in a Cooling Cat Mat

Cooling mats for pets are widely available, and you may consider getting your cat one of these to help them beat the heat. If you cannot arrange a cooling mat, follow the next step in the write-up on how to take care of your cat during summer.

9. Uncover the Floors In Your House

It is usual for your cat to stretch out on kitchen floors and uncovered surfaces across the house during summer. You can ensure floors are not covered with heavy carpets or mats that hold heat. Consider removing these across the house, making more room for your cat to relax and stretch out.

10. Keep the Curtains Closed During Day Time

You can consider keeping the curtains of your house closed when it is extremely hot and sunny outside. This may help keep your cat calm. Cool and composed. However, this may only be done when proper air conditioning is maintained inside the house; closing all curtains may aid rising temperatures.

11. Avoid Over-Exciting Your Cat

On sunny days, an active cat may lose energy fast and get dehydrated. You should avoid making them jump or run. Rather, approach relaxed ways for their playtime, such as, you can give them ice cubes to fondle on the floors across your house. For instance, you can prepare ice lollies for your cats. Make these by freezing their favourite treat or wet food. You may even freeze the no-salt chicken stock to give them a refreshing treat that they will love.

These 11 tips on taking care of your cat during summer are easy and effective enough, and all cat parents should know the same.

In order to take care of your cat during summer and prevent summer health risks such as dehydration and heatstroke, administer the following preventive measures:

1. Dehydration

Signs of dehydration in your cats may include poor appetite, weakness, and dry mucous membranes. In severe cases, the eyes may get sunken into their sockets, with a layer of skin in the eyes of cats covering the entire eye.

Consult your vet immediately if any of these symptoms occur. Vets may administer either intravenous or subcutaneous fluid therapy to restore hydration in your cat.

You may consider giving electrolyte solutions available at your vet's facility or general pharmacies as an instant home remedy. You can make them drink it with a syringe, gently placing them on your lap and opening their mouth.

2. Heatstroke

This condition happens when the body temperature rises to a dangerous extent. The symptoms of heatstroke can be lethargy, panting, salivating, drooling, and vomiting. The worst effects may result in collapsing with redness of skin and gums.

Visit the vet instantly after witnessing symptoms of heatstroke. The vet may administer intravenous fluid to reduce body temperature, counter shock effects, and minimise organ damage risk.

On witnessing early symptoms such as restlessness and continuous pants, remember ways how to cool down a cat, including putting ice cubes in a plastic bag and placing it on and around the body of your cat to bring down the temperature.

Cats perspire minimally through their paw pads. Ensuring how to take care of your cat during summer, be observant of trails of wet paw prints across the floor. You need to ensure your cat's temperature is normal and steady by checking their temperature anally, which should not be more than 100-102.5 degrees Fahrenheit.