Cooling My Cats Outdoors

Moy

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I live in a really hot climate, and my kittens really love to stay outdoors, even at noon. Sometimes they will start panting from the heat, but they still want to stay out and sleep under the bushes. I know that panting from the heat is a bad sign for cats, and I tried a lot to make them stay in at noon. However, they really want to stay out!

I put cool water for them regularly and they drink a lot. And I tried putting a fan in their cat house, but they avoid it. I looked up cooling mats, but they are either designed for dogs (cats will puncture them) or designed for indoor usage (gel will get hot outside).

Do you recommend a product /a way to cool my cats outdoors?
 
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Moy

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I put ice in the water to keep it cool and run a nearby sprinkler which cools the air. As long as they have shade they should be OK.
They HATE the sprinklers, and will go to the opposite furthest side of the yard if I turn it on. I don’t want to encourage them to go to the streets (they have a bad history of that), I’m worried that the sprinklers will make them run to the streets.
 

fionasmom

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Just to save you money, you are already correct about cooling mats. I use ice blocks for my dog who is indoor but suffers from a condition that makes him run very hot. They are safe and hold the cold for a longer time.
 
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Moy

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Just to save you money, you are already correct about cooling mats. I use ice blocks for my dog who is indoor but suffers from a condition that makes him run very hot. They are safe and hold the cold for a longer time.
Thanks for the reply! I can’t find a mat that is good for cats outdoors. From reading the reviews.. most mats are either not designed for cats (will be punctured by their claws), or have gel in them that will go super hot fast outdoors.. specially in a super hot climate like where I live.
 

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You can also use a small slab of marble or granite. Chill it in the fridge first for a couple of hours (freezer would work but you'll need to put a towel over the slab to keep paws from being frostbitten or stuck to the slab). There are small slabs sold in pet stores for chinchillas to keep them cool in hot weather. These are kind of too small for a cat (about half the size of a regular piece of paper). A hardware store or tile / stone place would likely have scraps of marble or granite around they could cut to size and sell to you.
 
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Moy

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You can also use a small slab of marble or granite. Chill it in the fridge first for a couple of hours (freezer would work but you'll need to put a towel over the slab to keep paws from being frostbitten or stuck to the slab). There are small slabs sold in pet stores for chinchillas to keep them cool in hot weather. These are kind of too small for a cat (about half the size of a regular piece of paper). A hardware store or tile / stone place would likely have scraps of marble or granite around they could cut to size and sell to you.
This is a great idea too! Thank you.. Do you know if they can stay cold long enough outdoors? I'm worried they that will turn hot from the sun in a short time.
 

LTS3

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If you keep the slab in the shade, it should stay cool pretty long.
 
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Natashan

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Ceramic/clay generally keeps really cool. A tile maybe? In shade.
 
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talkingpeanut

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I know from your other thread that these girls are newly rescued by you. Have they been fixed and fully vaccinated already? If not, it would really be best to keep them in for now, even if they protest!
 
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minish

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LTS3's suggestion is great!. minish lives indoors-outdoors during summer, where she can't get enough of hot surfaces and sunbathing. then she takes breaks lying on the coolest thing possible. happens to be our glass coffee table under the AC or bathroom sink inside the house. I also offer frozen treats, such as chicken broth frozen in ice cube containers, and wipe her with a damp cloth, which I hold longer under her paws. she definitely appreciates.
 
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Moy

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I know from your other thread that these girls are newly rescued by you. Have they been fixed and fully vaccinated already? If not, it would really be best to keep them in for now, even if they protest!
Yes, they are vaccinated and will be fixed very soon. I was trying so hard to keep them in, but they go crazy when they feel that I’m trying to confine them... I noticed lately that they always stay close and almost never leave the yard, that’s why I’m more lenient with them getting out now.
 
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Moy

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Update: I’ve been trying putting ice blocks in multiple places everyday, but they really don’t care about going to them anymore. They were curious in the first day, but they completely lost interest since then.
I’m starting to think that they like to suffer :lol:

I’ll try the slabs soon. Thanks all for the ideas.
 

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If you can keep them inside until the spay, it would really be best. Even if they don’t like it! They could get pregnant at any time now, unfortunately.
 
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