How to keep a cat cool?

[addler]

Our flat is very warm, 30 degrees during the day. Our boy is 5.6kg and fluffy, he's an indoor cat, and seems quite sick of the weather. He's been lying on the floor a lot to keep cool.

Is there anything we should be doing to keep him more comfortable? Can it be dangerous for cats?

Fans. Put a bowl of ice in front of them to get a cooling breeze. Pet cool mats, chilled from the fridge. Ice cube in their water bowl. A little chilled water mixed with their wet food for fluids.

Cats are desert animals. It isn't as bad as dogs. My black cat still thinks it's a good idea to sleep under the duvet and sit on my lap, she's v upset I've told her it's too hot.

However given you have an indoor cat the main thing is to make sure the temperature in your flat remains bearable- curtains closed, fan on. Fresh water for cat, wet food.

I just had to take mine for their health check. I put ice packs under their cushions in their carriers.

Fans, cool mats (covered up so they don't pierce them), open windows if safe, and as much breeze as possible.

I'd also make sure he has plenty of water - and you could give him some ice-cubes to lick at too if you wanted!

We've put some water in a big baking tray on the floor, on a large old towel, and our two kittens have been dabbling their front paws in it.

Water in the bath and put my feet in it my cat soon joined me dipping his paws in and flinging the water at me 🤣 today they have hidden away its just too hot

My cats always seem to choose the hottest room in the house to sleep in, they're not very bright🙄 But they do seem content to sleep the day away, unfortunately that means they don't want to come in at night because they like the cool night air.

I rub an ice cube over him.

Mine is insisting on lying ON me
Really helpful. I have a fan going but he won't entertain it and I found him asleep on a blanket last night

One of mine went swimming today! She often drinks out of the pond but I heard a splosh and thought she must have toppled in. I dragged her out (kicking and screaming); she shook herself as if to get dry - then jumped back in!

I really wish I had my phone on me as I’ve never seen anything like it; she’s a natural

Thanks all. I've tried to encourage him in front of the fan and he isn't interested. Have added some extra water to his wet food now.

Luckily he seems to want cuddles as little as we do as the most physical contact we've had in the last few days is climbing up our chests at 5am and staring at us to see if we're awake (I have mastered lying very still so as to fool him).

I mean look at the state of him, I keep thinking he's unwell as he just flops in the middle of the floor and goes completely still. Then he hops up and potters around like normal.

Hard to tell if he's unwell, or happily flopping in a sunbathing position.

Cats naturally change their position to be heat efficient - he might be enjoying himself!

One of my black cats used to take himself off to sit inside the greenhouse on hot days, absolute nutter.

If in between he's pottering like normal, I'd call that enjoying the sun.

Mine have decided that the coolest place in the house is on top of old clothes at the back of the wardrobe. Sounds mad, but when they come down they do seem quite cool.

My house faces east, so mornings I can have the rear curtains open then from about 11am the front curtains get opened letting the breeze through the Flat Cats screens.

I keep their unopened wet food in the fridge so it's chilled when I open it. And Boycat has to have first dibs on my raspberry ripple ice cream!

They might enjoy cold cat milk from the fridge in this weather and you can always dilute it a little with a drop of water if you're concerned about them getting enough fluids.

Cool mat although mine ignored it for a week originally till I sat on it myself then of course she HAD to have it to sit on

Mine have a bowl of water in the bath which keeps it nice and cool im looking for ice cube trays to make ice cubes to play with

But then cool mats, that they happily use in the cattery and completely ignore at home.

I lovingly made catnip tea then froze it into ice cubes. My cat couldn’t give a shit and continues to lie on her furry blankets in 35° heat.

My two also pick the warmest room in the house (attic bedroom, currently 29 degrees) to sleep in. I took the floofiest one downstairs just now so I could open the windows wide (they aren’t allowed out at night) and the look she gave me when I shut the door behind me! She’s now lying on a blanket

She fell in the paddling pool last summer. She was most unimpressed

I wouldn't worry too much about the cat. We live in France, it's bloody hot and the cat seems to cope better than the rest of us.

I put some lick-e-licks in the fridge earlier, the cat seemed to appreciate it (you can never really tell)

I have mine an ice cube in one of her water bowls earlier. She was intrigued enough to bat it about but that’s all.

She’s being very spiky in this heat though. Constantly in attack mode and stalking us. Not sure if she’s pissed off with the heat or this is normal kitten development! She’s usually very sweet.

Gave mine.

Yes this!

My joker insists on sleeping upstairs during the day - nuts! Downstairs stays fairly cool (blessing in summer, nightmare to heat in winter) but, no, he wants to be upstairs which feels like a furnace.

Having said that, he has spent a few hours here and there in the garden the last couple of days. Fairly large area, so he has the choice of shady patches that he likes to stretch out in.

Im sure I read something once that said cats are fairly good at regulating their core body temperature.