10 Steps to Protect Your Cat in Hot Weather

Dear human, hot weather during the summer months can be dangerous for us pets. Therefore, I want to share some important hot weather tips I summarized from the Humane Society of the United States. What do we pets need you ask?

1. KNOW THE STAPLES:

• Provide ample water.
• Keep us in the shade (or in air conditioner).
• If outside, make sure we have protection from heat and sun. Provide plenty of fresh, cold water.
• In heat waves, add ice to water to our water when possible.
• In worse case scenarios, make a cooling wrap – Dampen a towel with water and place on your pet. There are also commercially available cooling body wraps, vests or mats that stay cold for UP TO THREE DAYS![1]

2. PREPARE A TREAT:

Expecting a hot day? Whip up a batch of easy frozen tuna juice treats. Just pour the water (not oil) from a can of tuna into an ice cube tray and freeze. When we lick the tuna treat, we will get cool from the inside. Don’t forget to provide water, whether your pets are inside or out with you.

3. BE ALERT FOR SIGNS OF HEAT STROKE.

Pay attention, dear human. Signs include:

• heavy panting
• *glazed eyes
• a rapid heartbeat
• difficulty breathing
• excessive thirst
• lethargy,
• fever, 
• dizziness/lack of coordination, 
• profuse salivation, 
• vomiting, 
• a deep red or purple tongue, 
• seizure and unconsciousness.[1]

4. KNOW HOW TO TREAT A PET WHO IS SUFFERING FROM HEATSTROKE:

Find a shaded or an air-conditioned area. Apply ice packs or cold towels to your pet’s head, neck and chest. If an emergency, run cool (not cold) water over them. Let your pet drink small amounts of cool water or lick ice cubes. Then take them to a veterinarian.[1]

5. HUMIDITY IS DANGEROUS TO PETS

Like people, we pets find humid weather uncomfortable. However, humidity is dangerous for us, because animals are unable to cool ourselves. Keep your pet cool and carry water with you to keep us- hydrated.[1]

6. TIPS FOR WHEN OUTSIDE

Limit exercise on hot days to mornings or evenings, when it is cooler. Also, know that asphalt on sidewalks and streets gets very hot and can burn our paws.[1]

7. KNOW WHO’S AT RISK

Dogs and cats with short muzzles will have a much harder time breathing in extreme heat.

Like people, we animals are also at higher risk for heat stroke if we are very old, very young, overweight, or have heart or respiratory disease. Also, pets with white-colored ears are particularly vulnerable to skin cancer.[1]

8. FANS ARE NOT A GOOD SOLUTION

Don’t rely on a fan – Fans don’t cool off we pets as well as they do people.[1]

9. NEVER LEAVE YOUR PEOPLE OR PETS IN A PARKED CAR

On hot days, the temperature inside a car can rise rapidly. Dear human, never ever leave an animal or person in a hot car. The temperature inside a car rises rapidly, and we could die.[1]

10. PREPARE FOR POWER OUTAGES

Last, dear human. Keep us safe from heat stroke should the electricity go out. There are steps you can take to prepare ahead of time.[2] For help making a plan, go to Make a disaster plan for your pets | The Humane Society of the United States

Thank you for keeping us safe, dear human.

Reference:

1. https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/keep-pets-safe-heat.

2. https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/make-disaster-plan-your-pets