Last Updated on 2 years by admin
Summer is, without a doubt, the best time in Oz. Okay, bar the unfortunate succession of La Niñas over the past three years greying our skies and inducing endless rain, summer is generally a wonderful time to be in Australia.
Summer can also be a pretty fab time for our feline companions, but only if they can enjoy it in a safe way. After all, Australian temperatures can be pretty extreme for us humans, imagine if we found ourselves on a 44 degree day without the possibility of cooling ourselves off? It would be torturous.
With this in mind, we thought we would share some advice on how to keep your favourite little friend safe and cool during the toasty time of the year. After all, you already provide them with lots of love, food, water and best cat insurance available, why not ensure they can safely enjoy the summer, too?
Let’s find out how below:
Spot the dangers
Kittens, unlike us humans, cannot sweat when the hot weather takes hold. Instead, they enlist a series of actions to cool down like pant and lick their fur. Unfortunately, these are not the most efficient techniques in the book, so kittens can easily succumb to heat stroke or overheating.
With this in mind, it’s important to notice when they your feline friend is cooling off or if they are seriously overheating, including:
Signs they are cooling off:
- They aren’t as active as usual;
- They are stretched out across the floor;
- They are drinking a decent amount of water;
- They are looking for cool areas of the home;
- They are moderately panting and licking their fur.
Signs your cat is experiencing heat stroke or overheating:
- Excessive panting;
- Excessive fur licking;
- Discoloured tongue & gums (either very red or very pale);
- A heart rate that is faster than usual;
- Drooling;
- They are extremely lethargic;
- They are confused or delirious;
- They have muscle tremors or spasms;
- Vomiting;
- Weakness;
- Unsteady walking or dizziness;
- They are unresponsive.
What to do if they have heat stroke
If your kitten is exhibiting heat stroke symptoms, it’s vital that you get them into a cool room as soon as possible and place them in a damp, cool towel. If they are exhibiting signs of extreme overheating then you must immediately take them to the hospital.
How to prevent them from overheating
But nothing is more important than ensuring they don’t overheat in the first place. Ensuring your cat is cool and comfortable is vital to their health and wellbeing, and ensuring this in summer couldn’t be more imperative.
The first thing to ensure is that your home is properly cooled. The average kitten temperature ranges from 38.3 degrees Celsius to 39.2 degrees Celsius, and the last thing you want is for your cat to exceed this number as that is a sign they are dangerously overheating.
Kittens are also prone to dehydration in the heat, so it is important to ensure they have plenty of access to clean and cool drinking water in the warmer months. If you are letting your feline friend out for a little outdoor adventure time, be sure to have plenty of water on hand and keep an eye on the temperature as things can get bad very fast.
Grooming is also important at this time of the year. If your cat or dog has long hair, try to keep their fur under control in the toasty months, ensuring they are not matted with thick fur knots as this will help the heat escape their bodies with greater ease.
