Felines can only sweat in two places: on their paw pads and between their toes. The surface area of their paws is so small that sweating doesn’t do much to cool them down.
If you notice your cat leaving a trail of wet paw prints, that means that their sweat glands are working overtime to deal with heat, stress, anxiety or overexertion.
Cats have developed other strategies to keep cool in the heat, including being motivated to find shady spots, limiting the amount of moving around they do and lying on cold surfaces to maximize the area of their body that is touching a cool, tiled kitchen floor, for example.
Your cat will probably be washing themselves more in hot weather, a cooling strategy that works in a similar way to sweating. When a cat’s saliva evaporates off their fur, it lowers body temperature.
Cats can start panting if the heat gets too much for them, so if you notice this in your cat, give them a dish of cool water to drink from or drop some ice cubes in their water bowl.
You can also pat cats down with a flannel or cloth soaked in cold water.
Sam Watson, RSPCA cat welfare expert says: ‘Although cats usually like their environment to be a degree or two warmer than us, some of the hot temperatures we are experiencing at the moment will push them out of their comfort zone. If you have noticed your cat seems more lethargic than usual, and needs to cool down, there are some simple steps you can take to keep them cool.’
‘Cats do not sweat as much as we do. In fact, they can only sweat on their paws and between their toes. This means they need to be able to make choices on where to spend their time, and this helps them regulate their temperature.
‘Therefore, it is very important that they have a range of places to spend time in the hot weather. They might choose to sunbathe, especially in the cooler parts of the day, but they will also want to find some cooler places to spend time.
‘Not only do cats need to drink more often in the hot weather but water evaporates faster so providing extra sources of water with them, with some ice cubes in to keep it cool is a good idea. Some cats also prefer to drink running water so providing a pet fountain could be a good investment.’
‘Panting, restlessness, lots of grooming, red or purple gums, sweaty feet, lethargy, vomiting and staggering are among the signs that your cat is uncomfortable, and at risk of heat exhaustion. If you notice any of these, it’s very important to call your vet for advice.’
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