Okay guys, summer is here and even when I’m excited to show off my bikini body, the high temperatures are very dangerous fur us. As you know we have been working extra hours shedding all our winter fur, but many times that’s not enough. In my town we have even reached 109 degrees, so we can suffer a heat stroke! So I share my thoughts on cat safety.
Furstable, how can you know if your furchild is having a heat stroke? Symptoms include panting, lethargy, drooling, fever, vomiting and collapse. If you think your cat may have heatstroke, get to the vet ASAP, heat strokes can cause permanent organ damage and death FUR REALS!
Here are some tips fur keep your furchild cool:
1. Try to keep your furchild indoors
If this is not possible then make sure they have enough shade and cool water outside. Make sure to change the water two or three times a day because bacteria grow very fast in summer.
2. Haircuts
If your furchild have long hair like me, you can give them a lion cut. Honestly I’m not sure how I feel about this since I LOVE my long fur but I guess if you don’t have AC or your kitty likes to go outdoors a lot … well a lion cut it’s a way to go!
Warning: Don’t shave your cat to the skin as this will expose our skin to the sun and can result in sunburn and skin cancer. Fair skin furkids need to wear sunscreen in their nose and ears, check with your vet!
3. Keep your kitty calm
Playing time should be early in the morning or late afternoon, so we don’t get dehydrated running like crazy during the hotter hours of the day.
4. Provide a "nap retreat"
Fur example you can put a cardboard box in a cool and dark place, put some towels or anything else that is not too warm. You can stick an ice pack under the towels fur an extra cooling effect. Don’t worry we are very smart and we will let you know which is the best place, fur example on hot days I like to lay down on my white desk/runway.
5. Showers or damp towels
Most of us don’t like showers but you can use a damp towel to cool our fur. Just stroke gently from head to back a couple of times a day if is very hot.
6. Kitty on ice
A fun cooling game is to play with ice cubes; of course is fur be played indoors.
7. Brush your furchild daily
This is very impurrtant if your furkid have long hair because matted fur traps heat!
8. Fans or AC
Purrsonally I don’t like fans, mess up my fur-do every time! My momma always put a fan far to keep the room cool … of course my FAVE is AC but the electric bill is a bitch sometimes!
9. Fountain water
Fountains keep the water cool all the time, make sure to provide tons of water all day long. If your house is big then you need more than one water station. If your furkid is afraid of water fountains then put some ice cubes in his or her bowl.
10. Think about others
Especially during summer, homeless kitties and dogs are in serious death danger!! Leave water bowls outside your house and you might save a life.
I hope all these tips are helpful fur you and I don’t want to finish this column without conCATulate all the cat daddies out there. This Sunday it’s also your day FUR REALS! This is the second year that I have a daddy and even when he sometimes gets red eyes, he keep snuggling and playing with me. It’s nice to have backup maid I mean PAWRENT! Fur be honest he plays very different with me, allow me to bring my wild side and it’s fun to see my momma freaking out while we play LOL.
Have a great weekend my LunAddics! Follow me in Facebook and Twitter and don’t furget to furriend me here in Catster. Last but not least take a look to the Purrsians in need in your area and fall in love today!
