The hot summer temperatures are a source of stress for our cats. It is therefore essential, especially during the hot season, to pay attention to your cat’s health and well-being by making sure he never lacks a bowl of fresh water to drink.
The domestic cat is an independent animal, but as pet parents we must take care of his well-being. Hot temperatures put a strain on your cat’s health that’s why he needs fresh water, a light diet and daily grooming to protect from the summer heat.
Cats suffer from heat
Although cats usually love sunbathing, they also suffer from the heat as temperatures rise. As they do not have sweat glands all over their bodies, but only on their fingertips, they cannot disperse the heat completely and easily reach a temperature of 40°C. In addition to heat stroke, they also risk of sunburning. All cats suffer from heat, but those that suffer more are older, obese, long-haired and Persian cats.
How to keep your cat healthy in summer
Hydration
To safeguard your cat’s health in summer, a few basic precautions are needed. First and foremost, your cat needs fresh water – never ice water – at all times. Water heats up quickly in the summer, and we cannot always be there to change it. The ideal solution to guarantee your cat fresh water is Vega, Ferplast’s drinking fountain with a spring effect for filtered water that is always on the move. The accessory has permanent Sanitized antibacterial protection integrated into the plastic, which reduces the bacteria responsible for bad odours by 99.99%. Water cleanliness is guaranteed by the active carbon filter. It has three drinking points, a capacity of 2 litres and adjustable water flow. Vega is the perfect solution when your cat is left alone during the day in summer.
Feeding
Another factor that prevents health risks for your cat in summer is a light diet. The diet should provide all the macronutrients your kitten needs and the meal can be distributed in two rounds during the day, morning and evening. The bowls should be placed in an accessible, sheltered but at the same time ventilated place. Avoid giving your cat leftovers and alternate dry and wet food, taking care to always wash the bowl to avoid the appearance of bacteria. Ferplast’s stainless steel bowls like Jolie, complete with plastic support in various colours, or glazed ceramic bowls like Venere are ideal for both food and water, they are resistant, solid and long-lasting.
Hair care
Finally, in order to prevent your cat from suffering from the heat, you must take care of his coat every day. If he has long hair, you can take him to the groomer to have it shortened. Generally speaking, however, it is enough to brush your cat’s coat every day to get rid of unwanted hair and freshen it up. Ferplast’s GRO 5767 cord brush, for example, with stainless steel wires to remove dead hair without irritating the skin, has an easy removing system for easy removal of hair from the brush. In addition, grooming prevents the formation of hairballs and allows you to control the possible appearance of fleas. For parasite removal, there’s the effective GRO 5753 Premium flea comb, which leaves the coat soft, clean and healthy.
Safeguarding your cat’s health in the summer involves some care that every pet parent should have. The most important thing of all is that your cat never misses a drink!