Cats love warmth, but they can hardly stand the heat. They do not know how to cool their bodies "in a dog's manner" - breathing with their tongue out; and they have very few sweat glands. Therefore, overheating is dangerous for them - and in the hot months, care must be taken to make life easier for the animal.
Instructions
Step 1
Cats sleep a lot in hot weather, while sometimes moving from sunny places to shade and vice versa. This is how they regulate their body temperature, and this is normal behavior. But it is necessary to ensure that the cat does not sleep too long in direct sunlight - there are few thermoreceptors on its body and there is still a chance of “sleeping” before heatstroke. It is dangerous for cats and sleeping under cold air currents from an air conditioner or near a fan - they can catch a cold.
Step 2
On hot days, you can spread sheets and towels moistened with cold water around the apartment. They will slightly lower the air temperature in the room, and the cat can lie on a cool cloth or walk on it, wetting the pads of the paws.
Step 3
If the air temperature in the room is too high, cats like to take a nap in a cool place - in the bathroom or in the sink, on the tiled floor of the bathroom. Therefore, in the heat, it is better to keep the bathroom door ajar so that the animal always has access to the desired chill.
Step 4
Cats who love water procedures, in the summer, sometimes arrange themselves "cool baths", washing themselves with water flowing from the tap. If your pet is one of them, turn on the water in a thin stream several times a day, and the cat will most likely come to "splash" itself. In addition, you can moisten the outer side of the ears and paws with cool water, and iron the fur with wet palms - these procedures will make the animal a little easier. Some cats don't mind a cool shower either. But, if the cat resists - do not force bathing.
Step 5
In hot weather, it is better to feed the cat once or twice a day. The main meal should be in the evening, and the food should be fairly light. If the cat eats natural food, then it is better to replace beef with rabbit or poultry meat. In any case, care must be taken that the food does not remain in the bowl for a long time: in the heat, even dry granules quickly lose their taste and smell, and canned food can go bad in just a few hours. But the animal should always have access to cool fresh water.
Step 6
The appetite of a cat in the heat usually decreases, sometimes for one or two days she can eat almost nothing, only drink water. If there are no other signs of illness, loss of interest in food is not a cause for concern.
Step 7
If, despite all the precautions, the cat still becomes ill, it is necessary to give it first aid. The symptoms of heatstroke can be frequent, but shallow breathing (sometimes cats in such cases breathe with their mouths open, like dogs); temperature above 39.5 ° C; dilated pupils and discoloration of the mucous membranes, stiffness or confusion. Sometimes cats in this state lie sprawled or stretched out, not responding to the touch or voice of their owners. In this case, the first step is to cool the animal by wrapping it in a cool, damp towel. You can put ice bags on your thighs or abdomen. After that, even if the cat immediately felt better, it is necessary to show it to the veterinarian as soon as possible and make sure that heatstroke has not led to pulmonary or cerebral edema.
