Imagine going all through the sweltering summer months wearing a brisk winter day’s attire. That’s essentially how life is for your feline friends, who endure the hot months with their fur coats. There are many ways to keep your cat cool while you’re away from home during the day. Here’s five tips to help your cat weather the weather.
Keep the fans going
If you don’t want to keep your air conditioning system running all day long while you’re not home, an alternative is to keep fans blowing and circulating air throughout your home. The continuous flow of fresh air can help wick away heat from a pet lying in front of the fan and help them stay cool. You can also use box fans or window fans to blow hot air out of your home during the day, which can help keep your interior nice and cool.
Open the basement
If your home has access to a basement, keeping the door open is another great option. You can position fans to blow the cooler air from below your home into the living space, or simply leave the access open for your cat to trot down. Basements tend to keep a cooler temperature naturally, making them a convenient and simple option for your cat. Place a comfortable bed or blankets downstairs, and your cat will have it made in the shade.
Draw the shades
Speaking of shades, keeping your window curtains and blinds drawn during the day will help diminish the effect of the summer sun’s heat inside your home. If the sunlight isn’t pouring in through your windows, it’s not warming surfaces inside and making the temps rise. Some curtains, like specialized thermal curtains that have become very popular in recent years, help even further as the reflective backing and thick material deters light more completely. Plus, in cold months, these curtains help keep your interior warm by working in reverse to insulate the areas around your windows.
Keep the water on
Another key to keeping your kitty comfortable is ensuring they have continuous access to water throughout the day. As the temps rise, your cat will need to stay hydrated, so be sure to check the bowl every morning before you leave. You can also add some ice to the dish to keep the water temperature cooler at the start of the day. If you have multiple cats – or an exceptionally thirsty companion – an automatic refilling system may be a better option, as you can fill a tank for the day and it will continuously refill the dish as needed.
Ice, ice baby
A final option is using ice to keep your cat’s favorite areas cool. One option is freezing bags of water or filling a resealable bag with ice cubes and placing them beneath or around your cat’s sleeping spots. This will slowly melt as the day goes on, but will provide a cool spot to lay for part of the day. You can also easily refreeze these bags every night or refill the bag each day to keep your cat cool all summer long.
At The Cat’s Inn, our full line of cat townhouses offers our patented ventilation system with an inline fan that not only helps remove odors and airborne diseases, but also can keep cool air flowing during the warm months, making them a fantastic option for keeping cats cool in the summer time. Take a look at the options we have available, or contact us today for more information!