Unlike most mammals, cats can hardly sweat to regulate their body temperature. Sweat is mainly secreted via the paws. However, this is not used to regulate heat, but to mark their territory. To cool themselves, cats can only pant or lick. Both of these also deprive your velvet paw of water. But don't worry: you have plenty of ways to provide your cat with relief in hot weather.
Tip 1: Keep your home cool
Your cat is not stupid. It knows exactly when it's getting too warm. In an overheated home, however, it has difficulty escaping. That's why you should keep your rooms as cool as possible. If the windows have bars, you can ventilate them overnight. If this is not the case, close one room overnight and open the windows there. During the day, you should always keep the windows closed. And it's best to darken them so that the rooms don't heat up even more. At the same time, you can provide evaporative cooling, for example with the help of a nebulizer or humidifier. Air conditioning and fans, on the other hand, are treacherous for cats. They can easily catch a cold from the draught or develop conjunctivitis.
Tip 2: Cool carpet pad
Are there cool floors in your home? In the basement or bathroom, for example? Then give your cat access to them. You can also provide a refreshing surface. Either with a self-cooling mat from a pet shop, a damp towel or a cool pack on which you place a thin, cozy pad.
Tip 3: Get the cat wet
As your cat cannot sweat, it will lick its fur more often. Help them by rubbing them down with a damp towel or wet hands. A good side effect: you will remove hair from your cat, which it loses more of in the heat. And it excretes less fluid through its saliva.
Tip 4: Small ice bombs
In zoos, ice bombs have long been a popular way of serving the animals refreshment in the summer heat. You can freeze diluted cat milk, unseasoned chicken broth or even wet food pureed with water to make ice cubes. Your cat will love it!
Tip 5: Splashing around in water
Cats are not normally keen on water games. However, some cats change their mind in summer. Maybe yours will too? To entice your feline friend to splash around, you can put a toy or ice cubes in a large bowl of water. Many cats like to get excited about the cool water this way.
Tip 6: Even more fresh water
Make sure your cat doesn't get dehydrated in the heat. Encourage them to drink! For example, by placing several water bowls around the home. Ideally in places where your cat often walks past. Cats also like a drinking fountain. If none of this helps, you can make the water more interesting with a few drops of cat milk.
Tip 7: Only feed wet food
Dry food is treacherous in summer! It's best to only feed wet food. This consists of over 80 percent moisture. This way, your cat automatically absorbs more liquid. You can also stir in a few spoons of water. This will give your pet an extra portion of cool water.
Tip 8: Feed more often and in smaller portions
In general, you should make sure that wet food always stays fresh in summer and doesn't spoil. So feed in smaller portions, but more often. Especially if your cat is the type that doesn't eat everything straight away. The new Poésie® Petit in small 50 g packs is a practical way of keeping food fresh.
And what about outdoor cats in summer?
If your cat is an outdoor cat, make sure it has free access to the inside at all times. That way, he can avoid the midday heat and only go outside in the early morning hours or in the evening. And yes, cats can also get sunburn. Especially on light-colored areas such as the face or ears. Therefore, try to apply sun cream to the relevant areas of skin. The sun cream should have a high sun protection factor (at least SPF 30) and should not contain any harmful additives or perfume. Baby sunscreen, sensitive products and natural cosmetics are well suited for this.