A few days ago, I let my cat out when it was 29°C. He came back completely out of breath and panting. Since I live in a top-floor flat under the eaves, I took him over to my mum’s for the duration of the heatwave. I carried him there in his carrier on foot, which took about fifteen minutes, sticking to the shade. When he got out of his carrier, I was really worried: he was breathing very fast, panting, and took about twenty minutes to settle down. However, his body temperature was normal.
I’m picking my cat up on Sunday (my mum can’t keep him any longer), but it’s still hot at my place, and I’m worried the temperature will stay quite high all summer. So, my question is: at what temperature do cats start feeling uncomfortable?
I’d also love to hear your stories: what’s the temperature like in your homes? Are your cats coping okay?
Thanks in advance for your replies!
Anne.
Translated from French
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No, the windows aren't cat-proofed, but from tonight I'm going to let him out at night so I can get some fresh air in. This morning, I let him out for an hour. The weather forecast said 22°, and the cat came back with his tongue hanging out and completely out of breath when I called him. I brought him inside, and it took a good five minutes for him to settle down. Is it normal for a cat to pant this much? Thanks, Anne.
No, that’s not necessarily normal for 22°. But it’s also possible he’s just had a bit of a hyperactive spell after hours of doing nothing. Keep an eye on him over the next few days.
No, the windows haven't been cat-proofed yet, but from tonight I’m going to let him out after dark so I can air the place out.
I let him out for an hour this morning. The forecast said it was 22°, but when I called him back, he had his tongue lolling out and was completely out of breath. I brought him back inside, and it took a good five minutes for him to settle down. Is it normal for a cat to be panting this much?
Thanks,
Anne.
Hi there,
I’ve noticed that some cats are definitely more sensitive to the heat than others.
Mine is extremely sensitive to it. She hardly eats anything and just sprawls out flat on the floor.
I’ve had to block off the upstairs rooms in the loft because it gets far too hot up there. I manage to keep the ground floor at a decent temperature, but once it hits about 26°C, she just goes into standby mode. She absolutely hates water, so there’s no point even trying to cool her down with a damp flannel.
What I’ve done is cat-proofed my garden. When I get home in the evening, I let her out. She heads straight for the coolest spots, and I think getting some fresh air really does them the world of good.
Are your windows cat-proofed? Ideally, you should open a couple of them during the evening and at night to get a breeze through and cool the flat down.
The blessed sink ^^
Ours haven't hit on that idea just yet.
One thing we do at home as well is hanging a wet sheet over the clothes airer; we leave it for 10 to 15 minutes before switching on the fan (a pedestal fan) which we place behind the airer. It blows much cooler air that way. We also use a second fan (a tower fan) which we put in front of the open window when it cools down in the evening. Our boy often sprawls out right in the middle to catch the breeze from both of them.
Another trick worth trying is using a fan (ideally a large pedestal one) as a heat extractor. Instead of having it blow into the room, you point it out the window to pull the hot air out. I usually start by doing that for about 10 minutes in the morning before turning it back around to face into the room.
Same here, it’s pushing 30 degrees at my place. I’ve got the shutters closed all day and I only open them up from 10.30 pm (I’m in the London area, so it stays hot until very late here).
Kiri is coping "alright" – she’s less active than usual and I’m finding it hard to get her to play for any length of time. I’m also giving her more wet food and I give her a regular wipe down with a damp flannel.
And she’s currently in "total blob mode" on the floor tiles, flat out with all four paws in the air.
That’s about it! :)
Hi there.
It’s regularly hitting 30 degrees in our flat at the moment. Our cats are completely flopped out, but they aren’t showing any signs of distress.
We’re giving them even more wet food (tins) than usual and we’ve cut back on the dry food. We’re also changing their water as often as possible.
Just a word of warning for the evenings when you’re airing the place out: there’s a real risk of a cat falling out of the window, so you have to be really vigilant if your windows aren't cat-proofed. Mind you, you still need to make the most of the cooler evenings to freshen up the house. Last night, we split our time between the living room and the bedroom to keep our cats off the windowsills.
Cats have a higher body temperature than we do, so they can handle these temperatures a bit better.
Another thing we’re doing is a total "screen blackout". We haven't had the PC or the TV on for a week. Believe it or not, it actually helps drop the temperature in the house by 2 degrees.
Hi everyone, I’ve ordered a cooling mat for my kitty (it’s one of those gel-filled ones) to help lower her body temperature when she lies on it, but I don’t know if it works yet as it hasn’t arrived.
It all depends on the cat really. As long as they can drink and get to a cool spot or something, that’s the main thing. Just keep an eye on them and see how they’re getting on. :)
