Summer, Sun, Heat & Cat

As beautiful as the summer and the hot temperatures may be for us humans, our beloved animals can easily overheat. You can read in this article how you can survive the summer with your darling:

Heat Stroke cat: A Medical Emergency

Heat stroke is a life-threatening emergency that must be treated immediately, otherwise shock and multi-organ failure may occur.  Heat stroke can be triggered either by a high ambient temperature or by too much exertion. Cats like to bathe in the sun and adapt well to hot temperatures, but they can also suffer from the heat. If one or more signs of heat stroke occur, immediate countermeasures should be taken.

Symptoms of a heat stroke

• Fast breathing, strong panting, increased salivation
• Elevated body temperature
• Exhaustion, restlessness, nervousness
• Mucous membranes pale, glassy eyes
• Tremors, cramps
• Bluish tongue
• Tachycardia, cardiac arrhythmia
• Vomiting, (bloody) diarrhoea
• Balance disturbances, disturbances of consciousness, apathy
• Coma, unconsciousness

First aid

• Get out of the sun! Find a cool, shady place with your cat.
• Let your cat drink water, but it must NOT be too cold (room temperature)!
• Cool with water (not ice-cold)! Start with the paws, then work your way up to the belly, to the loins and then to the neck.
• Put cool, wet towels under the cat and change more often. Never lay them over the cat, danger of heat accumulation!
• If you have  fans or something similar, you can use them additionally. In the car, switch on the air conditioning (not too cold) and also open the windows wide (air circulation).
• Go to a vet.

Prevention:

• DO NOT leave your friend alone in the car for a few minutes. Tests have shown that from an outside temperature of 20°, the temperature inside the car rises exponentially after a very short time and can be life-threatening. Even with slightly opened windows, the temperature in the car in the sun quickly climbs above 60°.
• Offer her the opportunity to retreat into the bathroom, where she can lie down on cool tiles.
• If you have a balcony, make sure to offer her a shady place.
• Free walkers usually look for shady places themselves.
• Avoid large amounts of food, as they are an additional strain.
• By licking the fur, cats use the evaporation cold. You can support them by wiping them with damp cloths.
• Always provide enough fresh water. A drinking fountain can encourage you to drink.
• Cats with a lot of undercoat should be brushed and trimmed (hairdresser).
• NO excessive activities in the sun.
• Too well-intentioned: Set air conditioners so that they don’t pull directly on your darling, because cats can also catch a cold or get conjunctivitis.
• Sunburn: Especially bright cats can get a sunburn, mostly at the bridge of the nose and ears. Choose a natural sun cream without chemicals to protect your pet.
• Air at night and darken your home during the day. Attention: If you don’t have a cat grille, never open the windows unattended. Especially tilted windows can be life-threatening.

The sunny sides of summer:

• Off to the cool wet! Not every cat is afraid of water, some like to dip their paws into the water or even go for a swim. Never force your cat to, just give it the chance to cool down in the water.
• Cats ice cream? Yes of course! For example, you can freeze your cat’s smoothies in a small Kong. So she has a wonderful occupation. By licking out the ice warms up, so she should not get a sore throat.
• Water games: Some cats love to catch the water from the sprinkler.
• Your cat is not a water rat? Also a wet towel or a cooling mat are often gladly accepted.
• Doze in the shade and let your soul dangle.
• Walks in the forest.
• Enjoy the morning and evening sun.