The air conditioning in my home broke last night and it may be several days before we can get it repaired. The weather is forecasted to be 95F this week in my area.
How can I tell if my cats are overheated?
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Related cross species question– James JenkinsCommented Sep 2, 2014 at 16:25
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See also: How should I refresh an overheated cat or prevent him from overheating in the first place?– SpidercatCommented Sep 2, 2014 at 17:37
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1 Answer
A cat will excessively bathe when it is overheated. Cats lack the ability to regulate body temperature through sweating on their body, so they lick themselves excessively so that their saliva will simulate sweat.
However, cats DO sweat - just through the pads on their paws. If you see wet paw prints, but no spilled water, it means the cat is sweating through its paws.
Finally, cats will pant if they become extremely overheated.
Make sure your cat has plenty of ice water, and feed it wet food for a while. Cats often don't know they're becoming dehydrated, and so they won't drink water when they need it. Feeding them wet food helps avoid this.
Give your cat a shaded, non-carpeted surface (tile, laminate, wood) to lay on during the day. The hard surface won't insulate heat, and will provide a cool area for the cat to lay on (reducing its body temperature). It will prefer to be in the shade as opposed to 'tanning' in direct sunlight.
