Cooling A Cat...

[gaogier]

My cats are getting stressed and hot.

Any ideas to cool a cat down?

 

[rubysmama]

Here's a TCS article with a lot of suggestions:

How To Keep Cats Cool

 

[gaogier]

I have tried these, “solutions” but my cat is extremely timid.

I need out of the box ideas...

 

[rubysmama]

Cats, generally, can withstand much more heat than we can, but if your cat is getting stressed, maybe you should call your vet and get their advice.

 

[duckpond]

Are they inside or outside cats? Normally an outside cat will find a somewhat cool place to hide out during the hot part of the day?

Indoor cats, if you dont have air then a fan, and something cool to lay on, like tile floor? And either one brush them well, some cats have a heavy undercoat and brushing can help with that.

And a big bowl of water, ice in the water if they like that, but at least cool water changes a few times a day.

If they seem to be having a really hard time with the heat i would also suggest a vet check. Maybe something going on health wise that is compromising their ability to deal with the weather?

 

[gaogier]

Taffy gets needy when hot, he does not know cuddles make him and myself hotter.
I have ice cold water available in 8-10 locations around the house and gardens. He will only drink at night, no idea why... I am with him 90% of the day.
He hates the air con machine, he dose not like the fans.

My cats are “indoor” but eat wet food outside, dry food in my bedroom, and have access to outside 24/7 via my bedroom window on the 1st floor - not ground floor bedroom. I am British so our weather is not great, meaning my cats only go out normally to go to the bathroom and eat dinner. Last year he slept in a old tree stump that was rotten, damp and cool. This year it broke up too badly so he can’t sleep there.

 

[duckpond]

Ok, where you live im not sure it gets hot enough to cause serious problems for a cat that is in good health? You are in the UK? If he seems to be suffering a lot then i would have a vet check. If he has access to the house with the air condition, and he gets hot enough i think he will take advantage of it. Same with the fan, i keep our ceiling fans on low, and when its hot i know my cats like to lay under it, and this is with the air condition on too.

Sounds like you are giving him options, not sure what else to do. Try to get him to stay in the air condition at least during the hot part of the day.

We are in the US, south, and its so hot and humid right now that all outdoor animals are mainly laying around in the shade. Or trying their best to get indoor with the air.

 

[gaogier]

It’s hot for the uk, south... my bedroom reads 34°c or about 93°f it’s normally 16°c or 60°f here.

 

[stephanietx]

Have you tried placing a cake pan full of ice in front of a floor fan and letting the fan blow over it? The ice cools the air. Place a towel under the ice pan to catch condensation. I know people who take balloons and inflate them with water and then freeze them for this purpose. You can also wipe your kitty down with a cool, wet cloth.

 

[stephanietx]

Another idea is to freeze water in a plastic water bottle (about 3/4 of the way full). Place a towel around it and place near them while sleeping. Don't place a frozen bottle directly next to them.

 

[LTS3]

Try a pet cooling mat: Keep Cool Mat - Cat & Dog Cooling Mat

 

[duckpond]

If its that hot inside i bet he will go out, where it is cooler? We are averaging 96 to 101 right now, and so much humidity. My moms cats who are normally outdoors have been staying in the air-conditioned house. they are only wanting out early in the day and late in the evening. Mine always stay in, and right now i notice they are wanting to lay on the tile or hardwood floors, under the ceiling fans.

All of the cooling ideas given are great to try, hopefully they will take to something. But normally they will be fine. Ours are all just sluggish, sleeping most of the time when its that hot. Hopefully your hot spell will not last much longer! I am ready for fall and winter myself

 

[mama africa]

 

[gaogier]

It was much cooler today in my bedroom, 27°c or 80°f, and he was still really needy, and stressed. However there maybe an other reason... I am autistic, I can’t handle any temperature above 18°c including water. I have had several meltdowns due to the heat, I am now thinking he is like this Ashe is trying to reassure me?

My mum said before I woke up, Taffy was acting normally...

 

[duckpond]

It could be. Cats often can tell our feelings and emotions, i think. And it could well be he is trying to reassure and comfort you. He loves you

 

[orange&white]

Cats will pick up on your moods and emotions. I think you're on to something there and the cat is empathizing with you and mimicking your discomfort.

 

[silkenpaw]

Don’t forget that cats can get rid of heat much more efficiently than humans. They evolved in Africa. They are smaller, meaning more surface area compared to volume than humans, so they lose heat faster. I once lived in an old incredibly hot student apartment and the cats loved hanging around in the hottest part of it. So your cat may not be suffering as much as you are and may well be picking up on your own discomfort, as you suspect.

 

[calvinsmom1]

For Calvin, I used to make him "popsicles" by freezing low-sodium chicken broth in an ice cube tray. He loved them.
My new cat, Toby, doesn't know how to eat them though.
But they're cheap and easy, so could be worth a try!

 

[Antonio65]

Try a pet cooling mat: Keep Cool Mat - Cat & Dog Cooling Mat

I bought two of them two years ago. They work indeed, I put my hand on them and felt cool right away.
None of my cats (I still had Lola at that time) has ever wanted to even put a toe on them!

P.S.: Of course I paid them 6 times more than advertised in that link...

 

[Royalty]

It’s hot for the uk, south... my bedroom reads 34°c or about 93°f it’s normally 16°c or 60°f here.

I'm in uk south too. We have fans water with ice cubes in topping up several times a day. I just read yesterday about cooling mats sold online n the BM stores so I'm going to check them out. My cats are both indoor ones. We are just not used to this hot weather are we