Making Summer Cool for Cats

It's easy to assume that your cat has a wonderful life in the summer. After all, it's a time when they can stretch out in the grass and bask in the sun. But there are reasons why summer might not be all that great for your cat.

You wake up in the morning and the sun is beaming through the curtains. Your cat is probably already outside, settling down in a comfortable position for a spot of sunbathing. You may think she'll be happy there for the rest of the day, but you'd be wrong. She may look okay, but cats really aren't very sensible when it comes to heat. In fact, your cat will probably stay in the sun for far longer than is safe for her and hurt herself. For instance, patios can get really hot and cause a thinly furred belly to burn.

Greenhouses can also be a real hazard to your cat in the summer. If she gets stuck in a hot greenhouse, she could suffer from heat exhaustion or worse. Or she might decide that sunning herself on top of a glass frame is a good idea. It isn't - she could find herself in trouble if the added weight and the heat cause the glass to smash.

If your cat is a light colour, especially white with a pink nose or skin, you'll have to be particularly careful. Vets regularly see white cats suffering from sunburn caused by too much sun.

So what can we do to stop our cats being frazzled by the sun? First, take a look at your garden and note your cat's favourite sunspots. Then you can try to provide some more shade in these places. Cats love cardboard boxes and will happily sleep in them. A cardboard box turned on its side makes an inexpensive shelter that will give your cat a warm sleeping place and keep her out of direct sunlight. If your cat seems to love finding the hottest patch in the garden, then you may have to keep her in during the times when the sun is at its strongest - usually between 11am and 2pm.

If you have a greenhouse in your garden, make sure that she isn't in there and the doors are shut, to prevent her getting locked in.

Just like you use sunscreen to protect yourself from harmful rays, you can use sunscreen on the parts of her that are prone to sunburn. Make sure you use a non-toxic cream, as cats have an inclination to lick it off. She probably won't be very happy about it at first and you may have to apply it several times over the course of the day, but that's preferable to skin cancer.

Summer can be fun for your cat; you just have to make sure she's as well protected from too much sun as you are.