Speedy out for a walk in the sunshine.......

[raysmyheart]

Can anyone tell me about sun/heat safety for cats? 

Speedy is my 3 yr old siamese-calico sweetheart, indoor young lady .......except........for our daily walks on her harness in the nice weather.  We go around our grassy yard and she loves to sniff around, pounce, roll, etc.  We usually go out late afternoon or evening.  She is my first indoor cat.

Today, we were out for 20 min. in the sun around 1pm and it was warm, I felt warm, but the breeze was blowing and we were having a good time so I did not think about it (the sun).  I noticed that she was panting which I never saw her do before, so we walked back to the house and she wanted to go in.  She panted for a few minutes when she came in and I put a cool towel around her and she is breathing like always now.  

I am ashamed to admit that I never thought about how the sun could affect her.  Does anyone know about how cats' bodies protect themselves from the sun?  Does the color of the fur matter?  She is whitish fur with siamese points, some calico.  She has blue eyes.  

Thank you for anything I can learn about this.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I did manage to find this on pets.webmd.:

Panting. Panting is a normal process after exercise. It is one of the chief ways in which a cat lowers her body temperature, as water evaporates from the mouth, tongue, and lungs and warm air is exchanged for cool. Cats also cool themselves by licking their fur and by perspiring through the pads of their feet. When panting is rapid, labored, and accompanied by anxiety, heat stroke should be considered. Some cats will pant and breathe with an open mouth when they are frightened.

Now, another thing to consider when going on in full daylight with a light colored cat is sunburn.  YES, you read correctly!  Keeping it to early afternoon and evening is good, unless you use a pet sunscreen.  (cats can and do  get skin cancer, just like humans)

 

[raysmyheart]

Thank you so much for this info.  I have lived with cats all my life, and they were indoor/outdoor cats, but it never crossed my mind to worry about the direct sun.

 The more I read on topics on this site, the more I come to understand that cats are pretty delicate.

  Speedy and I will keep our walks for later afternoon from now on.  

Thank you again!