Can cats sweat?

[SillyTilly]

Just wondering if keeping a fan on will help keep the kittens cool?

If not what top tips do you have to keep cats cool in this hot weather.

Cheers

Olivia

[Hreow]

A fan will help keep them cool, if they can handle the draft. (So don't aim it directly at them.) Cold-packs - fill a hot-water bottle with cold water, or wind a towel around an ice-pack.
Cat's only sweat through their paws, as far as I know.

[Fran]

Cats are surprisingly good at finding a cool and shaded spot :D As far as I know they sweat through the pads on their paws..

[dandysmom]

I've also always been told they sweat only through their paw pads. But they're good at fiding the coolest spot in the house.

[Kim]

Unlike dogs who pant when they're hot, cats sweat through their paws I believe. We have a fan on and it helps keep us all cool - cats & dog included!

[Snoof]

Cats do sweat through their pawpads - they can also pant, but usually manage to find a cool spot. Another thing is that catfur is awesome for trapping cool or warm air, which is why it's excellent for keeping cool in summer or warm in winter.

I actually encountered someone on a different forum a few days ago who has just shaved her cats "to help them cool down" and had to explain to her that she's basically shot them in the foot a bit as far as that goes...

[dandysmom]

Snoof, that's incredible!! Shaved her cats to help them keep cool...??? The world is certainly full of awfully misinformed people, isn't it? Poor babies...and I personally cannot imagine trying to shave a cat (Leia wouldn't stand for it :roll: )...I wonder if she lathered them up first (snicker)

[CathyW]

mine are all hanging out in the bedroom, coolest room in the hse
i went back to bed this morning and i had ronnie *shouting* at me cause i was in HIS spot :shock:

[yola]

I understand the 'lion cut' is quite popular in the US and other hot countries, especially for long-haired cats and that it does go some way to keeping them cool.

I seriously considered it for Fifi back in 2003 as she's got a VERY thick coat and suffers in the heat. Vet said the stress it would cause wasn't worth it.

One word of warning, unlike a dog - if a cat starts panting it's usually a danger sign that the animal is becoming potentially dehydrated and overheated and you should take remedial action.

Poor Fifi just lays all day by the front door. It's in shade and there's a draught that blows from under the door so I suppose she like it there. The boys mope around and wail a lot - I really do think they don't like this weather very much at all :(

[CJK]

can you imagine princess with a lion cut? She looks miserable enough as it is lol.

My lot just find a corner each and sleep, alisha fits behind the sofa and seems to like it there. MD likes it near the PC towers as we ahve three fans blowing cool air out of it.

[Kim]

One word of warning, unlike a dog - if a cat starts panting it's usually a danger sign that the animal is becoming potentially dehydrated and overheated and you should take remedial action.


I agree with this Yola, which was why I didn't mention it as one of the ways cats keep cool. I learnt this the hard way...... I have mentioned in previous posts that many years ago we hand reared 3 kittens when mum died in an RTA. One of them got colic and had to go to the vets, to keep her warm (it was winter) I put her on a hot water bottle, it was only lukewarm, but enough to make her very overheated and pant. The vet had to cool her down gradually. Bless her I was trying to help and nearly lost her in the process! I have never seen a cat pant since!

[Rosie]

I read somewhere that cats are far more efficient at controlling their body temperature than dogs and really need no assistance at all.

[dinahsmum]

If you look to nature and lions, tigers etc or even domestic cat ancestors in Egypt, you would think they should be good at 'heat'.

[logoes]

I was watching the Goodmorning show on the beeb today, there was an interview with a lady with two sheep at the Royal Show who said the sheep in their full coats are cooler than the shorn sheep because of the insulation the wool provides, against the heat in the summer , I reckon it is probably the same for cats, but definately NOT dogs,where the heavily coated breeds suffer so in this sort of weather, although my Belgian Shepherd used to pant all year round!!! Logoes.

[Kim]

I read somewhere that cats are far more efficient at controlling their body temperature than dogs and really need no assistance at all.

That could well be right! My cats seems to enjoy the sun and Rosie mostly sleeps in the box in her climbing tree thingy which has a fleece blanket it it!! Whereas Caleb, our dog really struggles with the heat.

[dandysmom]

All of my cats spend hours of their time in the Winter sleeping on the radiator covers which get quite hot...never seemed to bother them in the least....