Any ideas & experience on dealing with cats during a hot Summer?

[Fuzzy Hatchling Find all posts View Profile Close Fuzzy]

This is my own experience:
While I’m not the type to give a lion cut to my very smart and thick-furred cat just for the “look”,
I couldn’t bear seeing her suffer from the heat. After studying multiple videos on how to trim your cat, I got a trimmer and took a large portion off her back -literally! While she growled a lot during the procedure, she seemed to quickly forgive me. The amazing thing was how quickly she changed her behaviour from lethargic to bouncy and playful.

[LPC Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close LPC]

Re: Any ideas & experience on dealing with cats during a hot Summer?

I have no experience of trimming cats in summer, but certainly our dog Forgy became much happier after being trimmed during the recent heatwave.

[Frolicking Ferrets Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Frolicking Ferrets]

Re: Any ideas & experience on dealing with cats during a hot Summer?

Going from lethargy to bouncy and playful definately shows she felt better afterwards. I've never done a cut on a cats hair but I have hand stripped the old hair from a couple of my ferrets when they haven't molted properly and they're panting because of the heat, and that's helped. Sometimes they have trouble shedding their coats for summer and just need a bit of a hand getting their old fur out.

[Fuzzy Hatchling Find all posts View Profile Close Fuzzy]

Re: Any ideas & experience on dealing with cats during a hot Summer?

Would brushing help - or would that be too invasive? What I noticed (with cats) is that unlike in most videos, where they show full-body shaves - even a sort of "landing strip" on the back makes a huge difference against the heat.

[LPC Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close LPC]

Re: Any ideas & experience on dealing with cats during a hot Summer?

Fuzzy, if your cat benefited from a trim - and if this is visible to you from an improvement in his demeanour - then you have done the right thing. I wouldn't recommend making a "close-to-the-skin-shearing", as you will see from this web page: http://pets.webmd.com/features/shavi...uring-summer#1

The main risk, IMHO, is of sunburn. So any animal which has been shorn very close to the skin should not be allowed under direct sunlight when it is strong. But what you did seems very sensible and you have left enough hair to protect the skin. That is what I have done with our dog; but even then I don't take him out when the sun is very hot. If your cat is an "outside" one, then she will doubtless find shade for herself.

[Fuzzy Hatchling Find all posts View Profile Close Fuzzy]

Re: Any ideas & experience on dealing with cats during a hot Summer?

Sunburn is a very important point, of course. I agree, outdoor cats are perfectly capable of seeking shade for themselves. My cat is an indoor-diva. I did not expose her skin. She got more like a crew-cut, something that would grow back before Winter.

[JenSTL Hatchling Find all posts View Profile Close JenSTL]

Re: Any ideas & experience on dealing with cats during a hot Summer?

Speaking of dealing with cats during a hot summer (and as a Missouri resident where heat and humidity go hand-in-hand), can I also put in a plug for keeping the kitty hydrated? It's ridiculously easy to keep a bowl of water outside a back door or on a patio, and just like people, cats need lots of water in the heat!

[LPC Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close LPC]

Re: Any ideas & experience on dealing with cats during a hot Summer?

Good point!

[Fuzzy Hatchling Find all posts View Profile Close Fuzzy]

Re: Any ideas & experience on dealing with cats during a hot Summer?

I agree, and while we're at it: Birdbaths are a good idea too ( when your kitty is an indoor kitty, or has a bell). I see birds suffer, and squirrels straining to get up trees - that's how exhausted they get during heat waves.

[Ethan Connor Cub Find all posts View Profile Close Ethan Connor]

Re: Any ideas & experience on dealing with cats during a hot Summer?

When the temperature becomes extreme in summer you need to take special care of your cat like your cat needs to drink plenty of fresh water, make sure your cat has few cool and shady spots to stay, Cats can find their way inside if they are looking for a shady spot to cool down. My cat loves her bed to sleep, I have ordered one cooling bed from Nandog Pet Gear, so that she can sleep comfortably.