How To Keep Cats Cool

NyxHemera45

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I have a cat named Sugar, who just turned a year. Recently it started getting warm in the SFV and with no air conditioning in the house we are in me and my kitty have been getting very hot during the day. My Sugar loves to play but with the panting (from the heat) I'd hate to run her breathless.
How do you keep your fur babies cool?

Ps. Already looking into a small fan, and I try to keep the windows open as much as I can.
 

Etarre

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Interesting topic. My apartment is too big for us to leave the a/c on in the living room when we're on vacation, but we typically designate the bedroom as the 'cool room' and leave the a/c on economy mode at 78 degrees or so in case of heat waves.

But I've learned that there are pet cooling mats you can buy with gel in them that is weight-activated, so that when a pet lies down on one of them, the gel should self-chill. They're generally marketed to dog owners, and some Amazon reviews suggest that they're not sturdy enough to stand up to cats' claws. If anyone reading this has tried these, I think they would be a great alternative if there are any that are claw-proof.

I have also tried ice cubes in the cat water fountain with mixed success. My first kitty loved them, and started begging for ice all year round (pretty comical to be feeding her ice cubes during a blizzard, but she got what she wanted), and my current kitty is not a fan of the ice cube. She also doesn't like the a/c, because she prefers that the window be open to help her better surveil the neighborhood.
 

happilyretired

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I have whole house air conditioning, so I can keep the temp at a comfortable level during hot summers, but I have a enclosed porch that gets neither heat nor air conditioning, and in the summer, it can get quite hot. I've found that my cats want to be out there in the heat rather than in the 'comfortable' house!

When it gets really hot, I just won't let them out there.
 

silkenpaw

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Many years ago, I lived in a very hot apartment in student housing. I think hot water pipes for the building ran through our wall and the place was hot all year round. Often, when I got home, I would find a cat sitting in a particular spot near the front door and it always puzzled me because there was nothing special about this spot and it was out in the open. Then one day, I walked over that spot barefoot and found out the floor was warm there. Turns out, it was right over the foyer light of the apartment below. What amazed me was that, even in that hot apartment, the cats still liked a warm spot to lounge on. So I think their heat tolerance is much greater than ours, after all they are much smaller than people.
 

LAL

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Melody will still go curl up in a small, enclosed 'house' that is part of her cat tree--even though I know it is warm in the condo during the day now that it is essentially Summertime.
 

jen

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1) fans
2) next time she is at the vet have them just check her heart and make sure it is definitely from the heat that she is panting
3) don't shave her, a lot of people do this, but they have fur coats and they regulate their body temperature through grooming, shaving all their fur off screws this all up and is unnecessary
4) I think they make some kind of cooling pad for dogs, that or a tiled floor with a fan should be just fine
 

Kal_shadowsmom

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Many years ago, I lived in a very hot apartment in student housing. I think hot water pipes for the building ran through our wall and the place was hot all year round. Often, when I got home, I would find a cat sitting in a particular spot near the front door and it always puzzled me because there was nothing special about this spot and it was out in the open. Then one day, I walked over that spot barefoot and found out the floor was warm there. Turns out, it was right over the foyer light of the apartment below. What amazed me was that, even in that hot apartment, the cats still liked a warm spot to lounge on. So I think their heat tolerance is much greater than ours, after all they are much smaller than people.
This made me think of my own furball. The first winter after i got Shadow
 

Kal_shadowsmom

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This made me think of my own furball. The first winter after i got Shadow
Ok, didn't finish that thought before I accidentally hit reply.
Shadow would lay right in the middle of the hallway in the winter, and it took me forever to realize that she was laying right on top of the junction of heating ducts.

As for keeping her cool, ice in the water bowl definitely. Also I run a fan in my room almost constantly, pointed directly at the recliner so she can relax there if need be. My dad is at home with her every day, so when he gets overly warm, he will put on the a.c.
 

Docs Mom

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I got marble floor tiles, they stay cool so the cats lay on them. I tried ceramic tiles later on but not the same !
I also got one of the gel cooling pads and they used it...this yr. unfortunately its a pee target
 

dustydiamond1

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I have a cat named Sugar, who just turned a year. Recently it started getting warm in the SFV and with no air conditioning in the house we are in me and my kitty have been getting very hot during the day. My Sugar loves to play but with the panting (from the heat) I'd hate to run her breathless.
How do you keep your fur babies cool?

Ps. Already looking into a small fan, and I try to keep the windows open as much as I can.
Gypsy sometimes lays in the bathtub to keep cool. Could you get a small window A/C unit? Use fans, lots of fans.
 
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Sa'ida Maryam

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I thick Sugar is a classic calico, high energy. My Diiki, is just a little over 1yo and plays hide&seek,chase ,she did not pant but I look at her belly to see how Fast she’s breathing, I stop when she needs a rest, she will sit when she need to rest. I also, got to work on brushing
 
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