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Questions
- How Do Cats Sweat?
- Do Cats Sweat Smell?
- How Do You Know if a Cat is Too Hot?
- How to Know When to Call Your Vet
- Do Cats Pant Like Dogs?
- How to Keep Your Cat Cool
You might catch yourself watching your four-legged friends bathe in the heat of the sun in the middle of a hot day without a care in the world. You’re probably sat in the shade, cooking slowly and covered in a layer of sweat. Many pet parents are curious about why their cats love to sunbathe so much, but another mystery is if they sweat. You never see a cat looking soggy because of the heat and there’s plenty of talk online about how dogs sweat, but you have to dig a little to find out about your pretty kitty.
We’ve done the research and collected together any burning questions you might have, including if cats sweat and how they sweat or manage their body’s temperature.
How Do Cats Sweat?
Cats do have sweat glands but they are only located in the areas of their body that have their skin exposed like their paw pads. While we can sweat all over, cats will only sweat on the underside of their paws, under their chin, their lips and around their anus.
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You will never see a cat sweating through its fur so if their coat is a little damp in the heat, it’s likely it’s a different reason to just sweating. Sometimes, when cats are feeling hot, they will groom their fur to get it damp which cools them down for a short period. You might notice little paw prints on your floors when your feline friend walks across it which will let you know that they’re sweating, but otherwise you’re not likely to even notice.
Do Cats Sweat Smell?
If your cat is a little smelly, it’s not going to be because they’re sweating. They aren’t able to produce enough sweat from their minimal sweat glands to have an obvious smell. If your moggy is carrying around a smell with them, it’s going to be a different cause. Anywhere around their head might indicate they’re suffering from dental disease or an ear infection. If they have flaky or red skin, it could be a yeast infection or if it’s a sweet and unpleasant smell, they may have expressed their anal glands.
Some cats will roll in interesting smells and bring them home so they might just need a groom. If you’re worried about any abnormal smells, you can get them checked over by a vet to be sure.
How Do You Know if a Cat is Too Hot?
Cats are quite good at keeping themselves cool, they’ll often take themselves to a nice cool spot and lie in the shade until they cool off. You might notice that in the summer months, your moggy will prefer to sprawl out on tiles or wooden floors to keep cool. You may also notice that in warmer weather they tend to sleep more during the day and then do most of their activities in the night when it’s much cooler.
If a cat is too hot, their activity will be minimal and they’ll tend to stick to cool areas. If it’s a hot day, sweating won’t be a sufficient enough method of cooling off so you’ll need to keep an eye on your feline friend for symptoms of heat stroke. Signs of heat stroke include:
Lethargy
Red gums
Disoriented walking
Difficulty breathing
Vomiting
Fast heart rate
Glazed eyes
How to Know When to Call Your Vet
If your cat is showing just one of two signs of heatstroke, they may be getting too hot and you still have the opportunity to cool them down. However, if they are showing a number of symptoms and can’t cool down, you should talk to your vet immediately who will more than likely want to see them. A temperature of 39°C or above is a fever, so if their temperature is too high, you should seek veterinary advice.
Do Cats Pant Like Dogs?
Cats can and sometimes will pant as it’s an effective method to cool down that dogs frequently use. When panting, the saliva on their tongue and in their mouth cools quite quickly and can bring their temperature down rapidly, however it’s not a common behaviour in cats. Cats will only usually pant when they are in a condition of extreme stress or very overheated, they won’t just pant after running around. If you see your cat panting then you should contact your vet to discuss what this could mean.
How to Keep Your Cat Cool
Since cats aren’t able to cool themselves off very effectively by sweating, pet parents often take to lending them a little helping hand. There are lots of different ways you can help keep your cat cool during hotter periods to make sure they don’t overheat. Cooling mats aren’t just for dogs, they’re great for cats too. They’re filled with a gel that activates and cools when weight is applied to it. A mat like the Kingdom Fruit Cooling Mat is a great size for a cat so they can keep cool even on the warmest days.
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In hot weather, it’s hard to keep drinking water cool, but fountains are great for keeping water fresh and flowing. The Catit PIXI Cat Drinking Fountain White not only keeps water from getting too hot but cats will often drink more from moving water rather than still water in a bowl. If your moggy will tolerate a bandana, the Pet Brands Cooling Bandanna is small enough for most fully grown cats. You simply soak the material in water which helps to keep their coat nice and cool.
For everything you need to keep your cats cool and all of your other kitten and cat essentials, visit us in store and online.