Summer Hydration and Heat Safety for Cats

Cats tolerate heat better than dogs but hide distress more completely, so heat stress in cats is often noticed late.

Signs of heat stress

Panting — which is never normal in a cat — restlessness, drooling, lethargy, and lying flat on cool surfaces. Open-mouth breathing in a cat is an emergency.

Cooling

Cool floors, a fan with room to move in and out of the airflow, damp towels to lie on, and a wet hand stroked over the coat. Never immerse a distressed cat in cold water.

Hydration

Add water to wet food, keep several bowls, and consider a fountain. Dehydration in summer worsens existing kidney disease in older cats.

Watch flat-faced breeds

Persians and other brachycephalic cats have the same airway limitations as Pugs and are far more heat-sensitive.