Tips for Caring for Outdoor and Indoor Cats During a Heatwave

Rising temperatures certainly require more attention to cat care.

Both food and water need to be handled differently, and it’s crucial to ensure that both outdoor and indoor cats have places to retreat from the heat. Let’s go over some easily implemented but effective practical tips for cats in heatwave.

Things to Watch for in Outdoor and Indoor Cats During a Heatwave

Water

Let’s start with the most important thing! If you don’t have air conditioning at home, you need to pay special attention to the temperature and freshness of the water you put out for your indoor cat. Try to place it where it won’t be in the sun, and change it several times a day. You can even add ice cubes to the water or freeze unsalted broth in ice cube trays to add flavor and texture, making drinking more appealing. (Of course, make sure your cat appreciates the effort. If the ice cubes bother them, don’t force it.)

If you have trouble getting your feline friend to drink enough, consider investing in a drinking fountain made for cats. Cats prefer flowing water because their instincts tell them it’s likely fresher and less likely to harbor contaminants.

For outdoor or free-roaming cats, provide drinking water in several shady spots around the yard. Also, make sure to change the water multiple times a day. You can use ice cubes here too, if you want to add a bit of excitement.

Food

Neither in winter nor in summer is it advisable to leave food out indoors or outdoors. In cold weather, it can freeze or attract other animals, leaving your cat hungry; in summer, it can spoil, and your cat won’t eat it. It can also attract bugs or snails, or lose significant nutritional value and palatability, which means your cat won’t eat it either. They go hungry, and you waste money.

Whether your purring friend eats indoors or outdoors, we recommend controlled feeding. That is, give your cat small portions at least three times a day, wait for them to eat it, and then wash the bowl. This method spares you any inconvenience, regardless of where your cat lives. Moreover, you can still feed them wet food in summer. You already know that it’s generally healthier for cats to eat mostly wet food. This is even more important in summer because our pets lose more water then. You can read more about the pros and cons of dry and wet food here.

Shelter

Our feline friends are no fools, so during a heatwave, they move much less and hide in cool places during the critical hours. However, they need shady, well-ventilated spots for this, both indoors and outdoors!

Indoors, you can cool your pet in several ways, such as with a fan or air conditioning or cooling mats.