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helping kitty beat the heat — Brooklynian

helping kitty beat the heat

erikka
erikka
edited November -1 in Brooklyn Pets
Cat hasn't moved in an hour and is panting. Poor thing looks miserable--what do you do to help your pets with the heat (aside from ice cubes in the water bowl--we've tried that)

Comments

  • shishkab
    shishkab
    you can try rubbing him/her down with a damp towel (since we all know how much most cats "like" the water, a cool bath is out of the question). the evaporation process will cool your buddy down a few degrees.

    also, go into your freezer. got a bag of frozen veggies (peas, corn are best)? wrap the bag in a dishtowel then place it in the cat bed. gives kitty a cool place to lie down, and the veggies will conform to his/her body (comfy).
  • sweet tea
    sweet tea
    a variation on the damp towel is to get a towel wet, wring it out as much as you possibly can, then stick it in the freezer for an hour or two before rubbing the cat down. (you have to really wring it out though, or it freezes too solid to unfold.) the towel is nice and cold but not super wet, at least at first.

    in the really bad weather, i've been known to bathe them. (pouring cups of cool water over them while holding them in the tub -- not submerging.) it pisses em off, but it does cool them down.
  • faycat
    faycat
    Ice cream! Just kidding. Although my cat goes crazy for ice cream. I second the the suggestion of wrapping a bag of frozen veggies in a towel.
  • laura b
    laura b
    I administer ice cream (to myself!).

    Seriously, tho, be aware that excessive panting and weakness can be symptoms of heat stroke. So if kitty seems to be having a really hard time, check w/ your vet.
  • emily
    emily

    I figured there *had* to be a topic on this somewhere. Tomorrow is supposed to go up to a heat index of 108. I might try the frozen veggies thing, although I don't know where to put it, as my cat doesn't have an official bed. (EVERYWHERE is her bed, if she wants it to be.) I also leave her extra bowls of water with ice, which she drinks from, a little. Do you guys run the A/C for your pets? That seems wasteful but I'm not sure she's smart enough to look for cool spots and drink water.

  • MOD
    MOD

    My cat hates the noise of the AC so he rather overheat in another room. I'll probably turn on the ceiling/box fans and keep a steady breeze through out the apartment along with cold water. I wish I could shave him like a lion for the summer, but Papi Chulo will not let me.

  • tateinbk
    tateinbk

    I left the AC on for my dog today. I keep it at about 75 degrees. I had a roommate at one point who made a "cat room". She took 2 boxes, one smaller than the other. She put the smaller one inside the bigger, covered the top, and cut a whole in the side of both about the size of a cat. In the space between the big and little box sides she put soda bottles filled with frozen water. She then folded the top, put a blanket on top and made a bed inside the inner box and urged her cats inside.

    It's hard to say how effective it was, but we didn't have AC at the time.

    I'm sure you've done a web search but I found this site quite helpful. The rubbing alcohol can be very helpful if needed, but you should take your kitty's temp beforehand.

    http://www.cat-world.com.au/heat-stroke-in-cats

  • armchair_warrior
    armchair_warrior

    one of my former tenants just let her super cute fat cat stay in the basement all day long with the back door ajar. so he hangs around the basement and walks around the building it keeps him cool too. cause basement is always cooler than rest of the building and even the hottest days in summer stays cool.

  • boygabriel
    boygabriel

    I run the AC for cats on super hot days. But I don't keep it anywhere near the 70s. More like 80 or so.

  • emily
    emily

    I like the cat room-in-a-box idea. Sounds like something I'd really enjoy building and my cat would really enjoy ignoring. But at least she'd have an option.

    My plan was to buy some bags of ice and put them in the drain in the bathtub, because my cat has been known to hang out in the bathtub. The water could leak directly into the drain as it melted so the cat wouldn't get wet, and I think the curtains/tub would keep the coolness somewhat contained.

    But, if I could find suitable boxes, reusing 1-liter bottles of frozen water would definitely be less wasteful.

    AW, I know the basement is really cool but there is no way I could let little Hetty wander about the building. I don't know who would be more terrified, her or me.

  • MOD
    MOD

    My cat did the bathtub thing too, which is odd for him. Now he's sleeping behind the couch, which is also odd. I'm giving in and turning the AC on now.

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