Cats love to sleep in the sun and enjoy the warmth of the sun’s rays, especially in spring and summer. This situation is so common that if you have a kitty at home, you will undoubtedly have noticed it. Why do cats like being in the sun? Can excessive exposure to sunlight be harmful to our four-legged friend?
Why do cats love being in the sun?
Whether outside or inside the house, cats prefer sunny spaces, because they instinctively know that the sun has several health benefits. The thing that particularly makes them feel so content is the heat… nothing is more satisfying to a feline than letting himself go and enjoying long naps in the warmth. Siesta and Sun: the perfect combination!
Cats and Benefits of the sun
The sun is good for cats, as long as they bask in it with moderation. There are two main benefits:
1. IT BALANCES THE BODY TEMPERATURE
The body temperature of cats drops when they sleep, because when the body is calm and relaxed it does not use energy and energy consumption decreases. Therefore, cats compensate the difference in temperature by sleeping in warm areas or where the sun’s rays enter directly: it isn’t hard to find our furry friends lying in front of a window, on the balcony or on the floor inside the house. For this reason, it is important not to place kitty’s bed in dark or damp places inside the house.
2. SOURCE OF VITAMIN D
How many times have you happened to see your cat running and rolling around in a tiny area of sun? The sun’s rays are also very important for cats, just like they are for us humans, because they stimulate the production of vitamin D, excellent for the bones and effective against rheumatism, a very common illness in cats.
Cats and sun: Precautions to take
Cats would stay in the sun for hours, but despite the countless benefits of this activity, it is nevertheless true that there can also be some disadvantages.
One of main the problems that can occur if a cat stays in the sun for too many hours is the risk of sunstroke, la bit like what happens to us humans, consequently leading to heat stroke. Dehydration should not be underestimated: an excessive loss of fluids and minerals manifests itself with symptoms such as tiredness, dry gums and mouth, loss of appetite, breathlessness and sunken eyes. Prevention is always better than cure, but in case this happens, always contact the vet.
A special case that deserves extra attention in that of white cats: the fur of these cats does not offer sufficient protection to the non-pigmented skin and the sun’s rays could seriously damage it, causing inflammation and skin lesions that, in the long run, could lead to the onset of serious illnesses.