Keeping Your Cat Cool in an SA Summer
Quick answer: keep fresh water available in several places (with a backup for power cuts), give your cat shade and cool surfaces, brush out loose undercoat, keep play to the cooler hours, and never leave her in a closed car or room in the heat.
General information, not veterinary advice.
Water first
- Add extra water stations in summer.
- Keep a fountain running through power cuts with a cordless fountain or a no-power gravity waterer.
- Drop an ice cube in the bowl; some cats enjoy batting it.
Cool spots
- Tiles, a shaded windowsill or a mesh-bottomed bed.
- Close curtains on the hot side of the house in the afternoon.
- Move window perches away from glass that bakes in the afternoon sun.
- Leave internal doors open for airflow.
Grooming helps
Brushing out loose undercoat lets air reach the skin. A steam brush or slicker brush does the job. Don’t shave a cat unless your vet advises it; the coat also protects from sunburn.
Play smart
Keep active play to early morning and evening.
Heatstroke: an emergency
Get to a vet urgently if your cat is panting, drooling, very restless or very lethargic, has bright red gums, or stumbles. On the way, move her somewhere cool and wet her fur with cool (not ice-cold) water.
Higher-risk cats
Flat-faced breeds (like Persians), seniors, kittens, overweight cats and cats with heart or breathing conditions struggle more in the heat.
More: Cat Hydration Guide.
