When It is Too Hot for Cat; Heat Stroke Symptoms

Recently I published an article at a social media website that addressed the temperature tolerance of an outdoor/indoor cat, the post pointed out that all cats need shelter when temperatures soar and that they all suffer from heat stroke.  

 

The interaction on this post indicated that cat owners assume that cats can tolerate extreme heat and that heatstroke and other serious complications are not a concern.  One particular commenter stated that their air conditioner was broken and they left the housecat home alone when they went to a hotel because the temperature change in their apartment was unbearable for humans but they felt it was okay for their cat.

Well let me tell you this comment was the furthest thing from the truth. A cat that is accustomed to air conditioner will suffer when the temperature changes to extreme heat. Even an outdoor cat that is used to hot summer weather will suffer when the heat is extreme.

The person who left the comment in question mocked their spouse when they returned from the hotel and found the cat lying on their side, panting on the carpeted floor. She also noted that the cat had vomited. This cats lethargic appearance was red flag that cat was in distress. The husband wanted to soak the cat in cool water, to try to bring that cats temperature down and this would have been the right thing to do, as long as he did not get water on the cats face. Heat stroke is serious and a trip to the veterinarian for treatment would have benefited the cat.

Know that if the cat owner left the bathroom door open and installed ceiling fans to circulate some air and left several bowls of water for the cat, then kitty would have tolerated the temperature change in the home better. Personally I never would have left the cat in a home that had extreme heat because cats do suffer when the temperature changes; cool house to temperatures in the mid 90's Fahrenheit is too hot for a housecat that is accustomed to air cooled home.

Heat Wave - Keeping Feral Cats Cool Naturally

Feral Cat lies next to mud

Feral cats are generally skittish about entering a garage or shed for shelter, however, some feral cats will enter an outdoor igloo house that is hidden behind shrubs.  

Many feral cats will take shelter by lying on the mulch in your garden, under a low hanging shrub or they will lie in-between the leaves of your plants.  


These foliage type shelters are no match to the scorching summer sun especially if your area has an extreme heat advisory.

Over the years I have tried many methods to keep the feral cat's body cool but none of my methods worked. The only method that works for a feral cat is derived from nature and it is mud.  Making a muddy area in your yard will provide outdoor cats with a comfortable resting place.  Mud is a natural way to lower a cat’s body temperature and to keep them cool during a heat wave or drought.

I take the woodland feral cats their food and water daily by hiking to their colony.   While at the colony  I count the cats to make sure all are present and I check them for health concerns and for stress.  In the morning when it is cool an average of 76 degrees the cats are resting and there is no stress but in the afternoon at 5:00 feeding I have noted that the cats are breathing hard and they are panting. 

 

My husband and I decided to coax the feral cats out of the woods to our yard.  I achieved this by moving the feeding station closer to my yard.  By the 5^th day, the feeding station was set up in my heavily shaded yard. I choose an area close to my Hosta garden that is shaded from two mature Oak Trees and one Silver Maple tree.  

There is morning sun followed by shade the rest of the day.  Which means the temperature is good 20 degrees cooler.  In this area, I created a mud bath for the feral cats.  Since my outdoor water is restricted I saved the bath and shower water.  I filled buckets of water and dumped the water into a rain barrel.  This water is used daily to create a muddy area for the feral cats.  

In order to provide the cats with an all afternoon natural cooling mud, I wet the ground until the top 3 inches of soil is muddy.  I then keep the top soil moist by setting the sprinkler on a slow drip from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.

The feral cats came into my yard and lay on the wet ground.  They slept comfortable because the wet mud lowered their body temperature.  I provided the cats with fresh water and set up a feeding station off to the side of their resting area.

Fiskars5998 Salsa 58-Gallon Rain Harvesting System

Note:

Another way to keep feral cats cool naturally is to take old carpets and lay them out in a densely shaded area close to the cat’s colony or in your yard.  Use your garden hose to wet the carpets.  (Drench the carpets with water.)These wet carpets will provide the cats with comfort.

To conserve on water during the drought I recycle all indoor water into a rain barrel and use this water to wet the ground.

I also choose to not water my lawn and my back gardens.  By doing this I will be able to provide the cats with a slow drip from the garden hose when the rain barrel runs dry.

Farm animals lie in mud during the hot summer months to keep their body temperature cool, thus this natural method works.