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Thursday, June 9, 2011

Heat-stroke in cats

We have been having very hot weather the last little while and it reminds me of the importance of keeping the cats from getting heat-stroke.
The best way is to keep them indoors. Mine like to lie on the deck during the day which is ok but I have to watch that they are not right in the sun and always have a water bowl with cool water close by. I will throw an ice-cube in the water throughout the day to keep it cool and get them interested.
 Lily is a white cat with very pink skin. She has to have sun-screen put on her nose and ears or she can easily get skin cancer. I also don't let her lie directly in the sun.
Plants on your deck will help to provide well-needed shade for your cat once they have had enough sun.






Signs of heat-stroke in cats

  • Panting
  • Anxiety, possibly demonstrated by pacing
  • Increased heartbeat
  • Respiratory distress or hyperventilation 
  • Dark red gums
  • Lethargy
  • Increased internal body temperature 
Be sure to take good care of your cats throughout the hot days of summer. 

hugs, Deb




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11 comments:

  1. Julie HarwardJune 9, 2011 at 1:28 PM

    I put ice cubes in all my pets water, even the little birds and they love it. It is only about 70 here though. Have a good day! ;D

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  2. Brenda PruittJune 9, 2011 at 4:23 PM

    Clyde likes to go out, but I don't let him stay out long. He's 12 now, and I want to keep my boy around as long as I can. Thanks for the tips.
    Brenda

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  3. DoloresJune 9, 2011 at 6:22 PM

    Such good advice. I can't stand the thought of any animal not having cold water in this horrible heat.

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  4. Brian's Home BlogJune 9, 2011 at 6:31 PM

    That is really good advise, listen up everyone!!!

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  5. AnonymousJune 9, 2011 at 7:03 PM

    My kitties are happy to stay inside, esp. when it's so darn hot!
    Ronna

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  6. Avalon's Garden and Mewsings of Garden Cottage CatsJune 9, 2011 at 10:00 PM

    A Very Good Reminder ;))
    Out of 6, only one wants out. Considering she was feral ,,, she now spends 23 hrs. out of the day indoors. That makes me very happy:)) She wakes up in the morning wants out (the key here is BEFORE breakfast) we get the morning clean up done, about an hr. later time for breakfast. And she is sitting by the door waiting to come in to eat :)) Everyone is Happy ^..^
    The last 2 days it's so Hot around here you have a hard time breathing.... imagine having a fur coat on ..... :(
    You take very good care of All your Babies :))
    Hugs ~ Angel

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  7. KariJune 9, 2011 at 10:23 PM

    Excellent advice! With hot and sunny weather here, we really need to mindful of the comfort and wellbeing of our kitties. I adopted two cats who had ears removed and nose leather removed due to cancer from too much sun. Both needed additional surgery after I adopted them. One was all white (Jett) and one was orange and white (Puffin).
    Both are angel kitties now and I miss them terribly!

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  8. MariodacatJune 9, 2011 at 11:27 PM

    he he- I don't have to wworry about that -M stays outside with me and she can't take the heat and strong sun either. So she always covers me up - although we really didn't know about heat stroke in cats. That's good information.

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  9. Cat-from-SydneyJune 10, 2011 at 3:32 AM

    Aunty Deb,
    We had this problem when we were in Sunday...Brad would be panting like mad whenever the temperature hits the forties (celcius). Mama would open the fridge door and we'll camp in the kitchen for a while. Now that we've moved country, we all congregate near the A/C all the time. purrr...meow!

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  10. a quiet lifeJune 10, 2011 at 10:02 AM

    so many cute kitties~

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  11. CatherineJune 12, 2011 at 8:55 PM

    I hope kitties are keeping cool!
    xo Catherine

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