Summer in Greece is officially in full swing, with temperatures expected to reach 40 degrees and more. Helping cats in the heat can make all the difference to their surviving the coming temperatures. To beat the heat, most people choose to cool down with a swim, or remain indoors where the AC is working overtime. Unfortunately, for the many street cats of Greece, these cooling options aren’t available. The increasing temperatures add increased risks to many cats.
Naturally cool
The average human body temperature ranges around 37 degrees Celsius. Although many people have a slightly higher or lower average temperature.
Cats normal body temperature is significantly higher than that of humans, with 37.5 degrees being the low end of their scale. Normal body temperatures in cats can reach all the way up to around 39 degrees. This in humans is considered a pretty high fever.
Thanks to this increased core temperature, cats can comfortably withstand much higher external temperatures than humans. This thankfully allows them to tolerate the summer heats easier than us.
Adding to this built in tolerance, cats are smart. They know how to cool themselves down. Cats sweat through their paws, so when it gets very hot you may notice more cute little wet footprints around.
Also, as the heat rises, so does the level of grooming cats do. When cats lick their fur, the saliva evaporates and has a cooling effect, much like taking a swim.
That’s not to say the heat does not bring risk to cats though.
(De)Hydration
From what we know of cats, we know they are not big water drinkers. Of course, diet plays a role in this. Cats tend to have a lower natural urge to drink water. It’s believed that this is due to wild cats being carnivores, who get most of their hydration from their prey.
Many street cats in Greece are not hunters. They do not catch prey to feed on, so they are not getting hydration through their food sources. Most street cats rely on scraps, while the lucky ones are fed a dry food diet due to costs. Unfortunately, dry food adds to the need for cats to consume more water.
Due to the reduced natural intake of water and with the addition of dehydrated foods, these street cats are at increased risk of dehydration themselves. Dehydrated cats will become lethargic and their will to eat or drink will decrease, which in turn increases their level of dehydration.
While dehydration on its own is bad, if cats become very dehydrated, they may suffer heat stroke. This is very dangerous to cats, as it is to humans. If left untreated for too long, heatstroke can have long term effects on a cats health and it can be fatal. This is why helping cats in the heat is so important.
Risks and symptoms
At 40 degrees external temperature, all cats are at risk of dehydration and heatstroke, although some more than others. Cats with longer fur, cats who are overweight, and the young or old are more likely to suffer in the increasing temperatures. Of course, cats who are sick are also at increased risk.
Symptoms of dehydration and heat stroke are usually easy to identify. They include (but are not limited to) panting excessively, lethargy or restlessness (pacing), drooling or foaming around the mouth, lack of appetite, vomiting, disorientation, seizures, etc.
The ways of water when helping cats in the heat
If you know anything about cats, you know they can be super fussy. This is no different when it comes to street cats, even they are self-proclaimed royalty.
Cats can be very sensitive to various factors that may cause them to reject a water source. It may smell bad to them, be in the wrong location, be too big, be too deep, be too small.
Cats will also often reject water sources that are in close proximity to their food source. Much like their low natural urge to drink water, their distaste of water near their food is also believed to be linked to the nature of wild cats. Wild cats will keep their prey away from their sources of water in order to ensure the decaying prey does not contaminate the water and cause them to become ill (did we already mention how smart cats are?)
When helping cats in the heat, these are a few things to keep in mind. Try to:
- Keep the water bowls clean
- Empty and refill with fresh water regularly
- Keep water bowls a good distance from feeding locations
- Try to ensure the water is in the shade.
There are also food options to help cats keep hydrated. While most tinned cat food is rather costly, there are many options available at reasonable prices. In many stores, even many supermarkets, you can find tin food for under 1€. Adding some wet food to the street cats diet is another small way you can help them stay hydrated.
IF YOU NOTICE A CAT AND SUSPECT DEHYDRATION OR HEAT STROKE, PLEASE ACT FAST AND GET THEM TO A VET; IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO TRANSPORT THEM YOURSELF, PLEASE REACH OUT FOR HELP FROM A NEARBY RESCUE