As Summer arrives and the temperature dramatically shifts warmer, how can you care best for your kitty during these times?
Before I proceed I would like to remind any reader that I am not a professional veterinarian and encourage you to bring any data you consider implementing to an established veterinarian to get their professional opinion about your unique situation before changes are made. I’m just an overprotective cat guardian on the internet who wants to help share what I have learned.
A Fun Fact is a cat’s normal body temperature will change depending on their age and will adjust as they enter into their first few months of life.
- The normal body temperature in a newborn kitten or puppy ranges from 95-99°F.
- The normal body temperature in a kitten or puppy between 2-3 weeks old ranges from 97-100°F.
- The normal body temperature of a 4-week old kitten or puppy ranges from 99-101°F.
- After 4 weeks, the normal body temperature of a kitten or puppy starts to reach a normal adult cat or dog temperature range of 100.5-102.5°F
You can read more about this on Maddiesfund.org:
I found this out when I took Bandit to the vet for a check up early in his time home with us. The vet had explained that their age would affect how they read the temperature! Cool right?
But what does this mean for my cat’s ideal temperature at home?
To help bring some perspective, human adults is normally have a temperature in the range of 97 F - 99 F, so when you compare this to an adult cat’s temperature (100.5-102.5°F) you’ll notice that they run a lot warmer than we do! about 3° higher! This means that when we find comfort in a nice 68 - 76°F room, our cat(s) might find it a bit too chilly! This is another reason why cats find so much comfort in hidey-holes and boxes since they can generate a nice level of warmth in your home.
It is estimated that cats enjoy the temperature of 86°F - 100°F, as cited by The Scientific World Journal.
So you shouldn’t have to worry too much about crankin' up the AC too much in Summer. However please note that this is a generalized range of temperature and your exact cat’s ideal level of warmth would vary depending on the thickness of your cat’s fur coat, and the day’s humidity too!
If you're working in the office and worry if your feline fam is feeling fe-ine, it might be good to just set your AC to turn on at around 90 to prevent your kitty from overheating, and make sure to create an area in the house that can also provide some coolness. Bathtubs and tile floors are great sources of coolness to help lower your cats temperature casually. You can also leave a fan running low to create a nice breeze if you know that your cat won't get into mischief with your appliance.
What if I want to walk my cat during the summer? Is that okay?
Generally yes, but it is also good to be mindful of your environment. A good rule of thumb when walking any pet is if you cannot put the back of your hand on the ground/pavement for longer than 5 seconds, it’s too hot for your pet to walk on!
Make sure if you do walk your pet or on extremely warm days, you keep an eye out for overheating or heatstroke. This is a lot less common with cats, but according to hillspet.com, the most common signs of overheating are:
- Panting
- Salivating or drooling excessively
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Bright red gums, tongue, or mouth
- Trembling
- Seizures
- Wobbly walking or disorientation
If you see these signs, actions you can immediately take are:
- Bring your kitty to a cooler area
- Make sure they have cool water to drink by adding an ice cube or two to their bowl.
- You can also wet their fur with a damp, cold cloth.
- Wrap a frozen water bottle in a towel and place it beside where they are resting.
And of course, call your vet right away if you suspect heatstroke. Make notes of all your findings as well to help make sure that the vet knows the fullest picture possible about the kitty’s condition.
Summer is a great time for fun in the sun and the warmer activities, and I hope that these details will help keep you and your cat family experience the best this season!
