Keeping a cat cool in hot weather

Most healthy cats cope with warm weather by resting in the shade and drinking, but heat can become dangerous fast. Keep fresh water out, keep the home cool and shaded, and never leave a cat in a parked car or a closed, sunny room. A cat with open-mouth breathing, drooling, weakness or collapse in the heat needs a vet at once.

How cats handle heat

Cats are desert animals by ancestry and tolerate warmth better than dogs or people. They sweat only a little through their paw pads, and they cool mostly by resting in cool places, grooming and, when stressed, by panting. Panting in a cat is not normal in the way it is in a dog. It signals stress, overheating or a breathing problem.

A normal cat will seek cool tile, shade and moving air on a hot day. A cat that cannot do so, or that is already unwell, can overheat.

Which cats are at higher risk

• Flat-faced cats. Breeds with short noses, such as the Persian, Exotic Shorthair and Himalayan, breathe less efficiently. See brachycephalic.
• Kittens and seniors. They regulate temperature less well.
• Overweight cats. Extra fat insulates and slows cooling.
• Cats with heart, lung or kidney disease.
• Cats with thick coats. Long-haired cats and a cat with a double coat hold heat.
• Cats shut in. A cat trapped in a garage, shed, conservatory, greenhouse, car or room with no airflow can overheat in minutes.
• Cats that are stressed. Travel, fear and a fight can raise body temperature.

How to keep your cat cool

1. Offer plenty of fresh water. Put out several bowls in different spots. Change the water often. Some cats drink more from a cat water fountain or a wide, shallow bowl. Wet food adds fluid. See hydration.
2. Give shade and cool places. Make sure your cat can reach a shaded, ventilated room. Cool tile or a stone floor helps. A damp towel or a cooling mat can help some cats, if the cat chooses to use it.
3. Close curtains and blinds. Block direct sun in the hottest hours, and keep windows shaded.
4. Keep air moving. A fan helps a room, but a cat cools mostly by resting, so provide a place out of the draft too. Open windows with secure screens or catches. Cats fall from windows more often than people expect.
5. Keep the cat inside at the hottest times. In many places, mid-day to afternoon is the worst. Let outdoor cats go out early and late.
6. Brush more often. Removing loose hair can help a thick coat shed heat. See your groomer or vet before clipping the coat. Many cats do not need a clip.
7. Never leave a cat in a parked car. The inside of a car can reach deadly temperatures in minutes, even with the windows cracked.
8. Check sheds, garages and outbuildings. Cats creep into these for shade and get shut in.
9. Plan for outages. If the power may fail, know where you can take the cat to be cool.
10. Plan for travel. Put the carrier in the air-conditioned part of the car, never in a hot trunk, and never in direct sun.

Sunburn

Cats with white or pale ears and noses can sunburn. Repeated sun damage can lead to skin cancer, called squamous cell carcinoma, at the ear tips, nose and eyelids. Keep pale cats out of strong sun, and shade windows they sit at. Ask your vet whether a sun protection product is safe for your cat before you use one, because many human products are not safe if a cat licks them off. Show your vet any crusty or sore spot on the ears or nose that does not heal.

Signs of overheating

Heatstroke is an emergency. Signs include:

• Panting or open-mouth breathing.
• Fast, noisy or labored breathing.
• Drooling.
• Restlessness, or seeking a cool spot and stretching out.
• Red or very pale gums.
• Weakness, wobbling, a glazed look or confusion.
• Vomiting or diarrhea.
• Collapse.

If you see these signs, move the cat to a cool, shaded place with moving air and call your vet or emergency clinic at once. Follow their directions on cooling. A cat can be harmed by cooling too quickly or too much, so ask your vet what to do while you travel. Do not delay the trip to try home treatments.

Dehydration

A cat that does not drink enough in the heat can become dehydrated. Signs include dry or tacky gums, sunken eyes, lethargy and loss of appetite. A common check is to lift the skin over the shoulders and see how fast it snaps back, but this is not reliable, so do not use it as your only test. If you suspect dehydration, call your vet.

Common mistakes

• Shaving a long-haired cat without advice. The coat also protects against sun and heat.
• Leaving a cat in a closed room or car.
• Relying on a fan alone.
• Using ice or very cold water on an overheated cat. Ask your vet first.
• Forcing a cat to drink.
• Leaving windows open without secure screens.
• Missing early signs such as restlessness or heavy breathing.
• Applying human products to the coat or skin.

When to call a vet or get help

Call your vet at once if you see open-mouth breathing, drooling, weakness, collapse, or if the cat has been in a hot place and seems unwell. Do not wait to see whether it passes. Call the same day if your cat is drinking much less, is lethargic in hot weather, or has a sore or crusty spot on the ear or nose.

Summary

• Provide fresh water, shade, cool floors and airflow.
• Keep cats inside during the hottest hours, and never in a parked car.
• Flat-faced, young, old, thick-coated and unwell cats are at higher risk.
• Open-mouth breathing, drooling or collapse in the heat is an emergency.
• Protect pale ears and noses from sun, and ask your vet about sore spots.