How do you help your cats deal with this heat?

[4thfloor]

My poor little girl looks so uncomfortable.

She is a rescue we have had for about 10 months, black, 8 years old and completely indoor.

She runs away from noisy things so putting the fan on in a room for her just makes her run away.

Is there anything I can do to help her? (or am I being daft and just thinking she's as uncomfortable as me?)

[cozietoesie]

Cold, fresh water around - and try to ensure a cool patch of floor (or doors open to one) so that she can find it. Also, draw curtains to ensure sunlight is blocked out as far as possible and see what you can do with windows to ensure a current of air - all stuff you'd be doing for yourself.

One of my cats had an extraordinarily thick coat and I used to hand stroke some cool water over his back if it was way too hot. He liked it but I think it would depend on the cat.

Otherwise, I think you just have to leave her to it. I rather lost sympathy for Seniorboy when he came downstairs to moan at me the other day, sprawled on the cool hall floor for 10 minutes and then headed upstairs to bake himself for an hour in some sunshine that I'd forgotten to block. Huh!

Oh - and if you have a grooming relationship, they seem to have more coming out at the moment and an increased grooming frequency (in the evening) might prove very acceptable.

[cozietoesie]

Oh - and if you're around, I'd give her her food in smaller more frequent portions. It seems to go off/go dry more quickly in this weather and although their appetite isn't usually so big when it's hot, it helps if the food is real fresh.

Best of luck

[NobodyPutsTomArcherInTheCorner]

My poor boys are struggling. I love this heat but I hate to see them uncomfortable

One of mine loves to be brushed so I found a shady spot in the garden today and brushed and brushed him which he looked very relieved about. I wish the other one would let me but he just tries to biff the brush.

[cozietoesie]

It's not the best of weathers to start a grooming relationship I suspect - like their humans, they can get pretty tetchy past a certain temperature and don't like being handled so much. That's why I was suggesting the evening (late evening actually) when it's cooler.

Certainly, Seniorboy seems to like his grooming very much in hot weather. Like humans, I suppose - think how soothing it is to have your hair properly brushed and without tangles.

[deliasmithy]

I have a fan in our room and the moggs have got used to it and now favour hanging out in that room. Maybe she would get used to the noise of a fan on low level in a room she doesn't have to go in?

I've been giving mine wet food on top of normal dry food, I use big dog size water bowls and change them every day. I also leave them to it in this weather - stroke and play with them when they ask me to otherwise let them do as they want.

[sashh]

I've hardly seen mine, she went out at 6am yesterday and came back about 10pm. Not sure what time she went out again but has just come in had some food and disappeared.

[curlew]

Mine are out under trees all day. They are very good at finding cool spots.

[elvisola]

I have a very long haired Persian and has been really struggling so I shaved him yesterday (with DH's hairclippers )

Granted he looks a little bit silly with a No. 3 haircut but he has already perked up and stopped throwing himself stroppily into the kitchen sink!

[Madmog]

Both of mine are mainly black. My girl adores the heat and eats normally, but you can see it gets to my boy and he goes off his food a little. I tend to leave all the small windows wide open at night to allow the house to cool down a little and if the sun is on a room, close the curtains. If they are resting I leave them to it. I make sure they both have plenty of liquid in this weather - fresh water is down inside and out, they have wet cat food all the time and when really hot (like now) a little cat milk each (which I mix with water)

[4thfloor]

Thanks for all your tips.

She will let me brush her so I'm doing that more often now , usually twice a day but stepped up to 4.

I've put loads more wet food down which she seems to be eating up. I hardly ever see her drink her water to be honest.

I'm going to try cozietoesie's idea od stroking water on her too.

She just seems to be avoiding off of us at the moment

[cozietoesie]

Don't worry about the avoiding - she's hot and sticky and likely won't be fancying the thought of too much physical contact. Talk to her a lot instead of cuddles.

(She'll be getting a lot of liquid from the wet food - cats have a desert animal constitution - so that's probably why she's eating that more. keep on leaving the fresh water down though. She may well be drinking that as well (or a dripping tap or the toilet or something) it's just that you haven't seen it.)

[Mabelface]

I'm keeping the wet food in the fridge, and my mogs love how cold it is when it's served. Other than that, they're hanging around the garden sleeping under bushes.

[NettoSuperstar]

My cats are the most cuddly cats ever, and are still snuggling up, but big cat is up the duffers and clearly not enjoying the heat.
We shower her but then she doesn't mind it.
Small annoying toddler kitten gets showered too, then comes straight back for her cuddles.

[NotTryingNotTo]

I've been letting one of mine play with ice cubes on the kitchen floor. He bats them around until they start to melt then licks them.

[Yddraigoldragon]

Years ago I can remember giving one of ours 'ice lollies' - frozen prawns, just a few in a dish as a cool down treat.

[cozietoesie]

Sounds like a great idea - unless they play with them first like Netto's cat and manage to bat one under a side cupboard or a sofa or something.