Summer is here and so is the heat. The Problems & Solutions committee kitties have given us their tips on keeping cool. Thanks and keep cool!

Drac

Where I live, we get cold winters and warm summers. Our fur
challenged meowmie only has ceiling fans for summer cooling, so it gets warmer than I like in the house, sometimes. I like to go out in the yard,where meowmie has thick stands of lilac and elderberry bushes. In the heat of the day, I like to get right in the middle of those bushes and sleep right through the heat. It's especially nice if meowmie has watered the night before and the earth is damp and cool. It's, also, important to drink lots of fresh water during the summer... and remember to tell your fur challenged family members to do the same!

Mewsette

My best advice for keeping cool in summer is to stay indoors out of the heat! If cats do go outside, it's important to stay in shady places and on cooler surfaces during the hot summer. We can easily get overheated in hot weather, like I did when I lived in Texas. If a cat is panting, she is dangerously overheated. Cats do not pant, and it means trouble. Cool her down as fast as possible by rubbing a cold damp cloth over her fur until she breathes more normally, giving water to drink, and providing ventilation like a fan. We must have access to plenty of cool, clean water in summer heat.

Also, if your human has to take you to the vet, be sure they start the car and run the air conditioner until it's cool inside before they put you in it. And be extra sure they never, never leave you alone in a closed car.

Lucille

The way I keep cool all summer is to sit on the coldest surfaces I can find, like the kitchen floor, our glass-top dining room table, or right in front of the fan. I also am sure to drink plenty of water and I try not to overexert myself (not that I overexert myself any other time of year, but nevermind!). Mommy makes sure we have lots of fresh water in our dishes and that a fan is on, and if it's really hot, the air conditioning is on, too.

Scraps

The best way to stay cool in the summer is to drink lots of water and put mew paws in it too! Another way is to stay close to one of them holes in da floor where da cold air comes out. But mew haff to be careful cuz sometimes that gets just too cold! Sitting under one them fans in the ceiling can help mew too.

Hongse XinXin

When it is hot outside, in my apartement it is even hotter. My meowmie goes outside and takes me with her. I am an indoor-only cat, but she takes me out in my carrier and, sometimes, on a leash. But when meowmie is home, I beg her to let me out on our 3dt-floor balcony. However, sometimes it is even hotter out there. But I, like most Siamese cats, love to lie under the sun when it is very hot. So, in fact, I don't want to keep cool - I love to be hot. My extra-thin fur just doesn't keep me from having cold even under
the sun. What's more, meowmie tells me when I spend much time under the sun, my fur lightens (a Siamese cat phenonmenon) - and this gives me more chances to win cat shows.