Summer heat: how to protect our cats?

Cats also suffer from the summer heat; here are some tips to protect them and avoid heatstroke.

Summer days are often very hot and muggy not only for us humans, but also for our animal friends. Several times we have addressed the topic focusing on dogs ... but cats instead?

They too are by no means immune to this midsummer climate; perhaps they are a little more "protected" due to the fact that they are more easily able to find a more sheltered and perhaps cooler place, both the cats of the house and the strays who seek refreshment in the branches of trees or under a bush and that they roam in the cooler hours of the day. Heatstroke therefore rarely occurs in a cat because, compared to a dog, they have less chance of being forgotten in the car, being tied to the chain in the sun or being carried around in the hottest hours of the day.

However, it is also important for them to take into account precautions to protect them from the summer heat:

give them free access to cooler rooms in the house;
do not force them on balconies or terraces especially if not sheltered from the sun (better to avoid keeping also boxes with litter or bowls with food, because they could cause strong and unwanted odors as well as activate insects (and the food would deteriorate much faster) ;
close the blinds or lower the blinds just enough to create someshadow, especially in the hottest hours and in rooms exposed to the sun; if you have double exposure, create current by leaving two windows (or doors) open, as long as it is not excessive;
if it is excessively hot even indoors, they are allowed fans and air conditioning, making sure that the environment does not become excessively cold and that the jet of air is not directed towards the animal;
always leave available fresh water (but not just taken from the refrigerator);

The weakest subjects also from this point of view are certainly elderly cats, debilitated or suffering from heart and respiratory diseases. In case you fear a heat stroke (you would see your cat panting, with dark mucous membranes, excessive salivation, up to dizziness and tremors), after having wet your cat with water on the head, fingertips, under the armpits and groin area, bring it immediately to the vet.