Cats and heat

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Cheryl - 09 Aug 2007 03:15 GMT

In the mid-Atlantic region of the US, it is sweltering hot, as it is
in many other areas of the US now. The kitties are lucky being indoor
cats as the temp doesn't fluctuate more than about 10 degrees either
way during the summer, thanks to the AC. At night without the heat
of the sun I turn the AC down so I can sleep, and turn it up to about
80 when I leave for work, but yesterday I was rushing and forgot to
turn it down. Ouch for my electric bill. So nearly 100F coming home
from work, it was below 75F in the house when I unlocked the door and
walked in. Brrrr... LOL The cats apparently had a great day, and
were playful, and attacking each other all day with the luxury of
having comfortable temps all day. The tell-tale signs of fur clumps
on the carpet tell on them. Today it was back to normal, and they
were stretched out on the coffee table under the ceiling fan and near
ventilation ducts to try to keep cool.

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Cheryl

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James - 09 Aug 2007 13:12 GMT

> In the mid-Atlantic region of the US, it is sweltering hot, as it is
> in many other areas of the US now. The kitties are lucky being indoor
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> --
> Cheryl

Even with this heat my cat prefers outdoors. She just jumps out into
the heat and humidity and takes off. She wonders why I try to get her
indoors.

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saxrocco - 09 Aug 2007 20:55 GMT

Our cat Molly who died at the end of March loved laying in the sun. Fair to
say that in the UK we do not get the sun like you guys do, but on a good day
it can be lovely at our home!
We have had a lot of rain in the months of June and July but safe to say that
the last couple of weeks have been glorious.
My story of my cat Donny is posted under 'sudden cat death' if you want to
take a look? With pictures of my cats!

Take care
Clare x

>In the mid-Atlantic region of the US, it is sweltering hot, as it is
>in many other areas of the US now. The kitties are lucky being indoor
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>were stretched out on the coffee table under the ceiling fan and near
>ventilation ducts to try to keep cool.

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Cheryl - 11 Aug 2007 01:29 GMT

> Our cat Molly who died at the end of March loved laying in the
> sun. Fair to say that in the UK we do not get the sun like you
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> My story of my cat Donny is posted under 'sudden cat death' if
> you want to take a look? With pictures of my cats!

Clare, I'm so sorry for your loss. I was following the thread but had
nothing to add except the same "I'm so sorry". The pictures you have
posted are lovely. I can tell that Donny was very loved. He had a
good life because of you.

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Cheryl

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saxrocco - 11 Aug 2007 11:47 GMT

Thanks Cheryl.
Yeah he sure was loved :-)
We are going to a cat rescue home tomorrow to look as we want to help more
cats!!!
Plus it will be company for Rover!
Glad you liked the pic.
I bought some flowers yesterday and put them on his grave, Molly has got some
plants around her grave.She was a lovely lady!
I was crying again last night coz I miss Donny (and Molly) so much. Can't
believe it has been a week.

CATS are the greatest and I will never not have any.
take care
Clare x

>> Our cat Molly who died at the end of March loved laying in the
>> sun. Fair to say that in the UK we do not get the sun like you
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>posted are lovely. I can tell that Donny was very loved. He had a
>good life because of you.

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sheelagh - 12 Aug 2007 06:52 GMT

LOl, sorry, but I can just imagine the thinking all their Christmas's had
come at once. It is a huge fluctuation, but then again, we don't have any
type of air conditioning, & it is quite rare to find anyone has at all in
their homes in the UK. Put it this way, I don't know anyone that has it @ all,
only local stores ect.

Presently, it has been up to 32 during the day, & can drop as far as single
figures @ night. about 9 degree's. I suppose that they get used to it, but
sometimes you can see the longer haired cats jostling for places near the
oscillating fan, is because, like Sheep, in the summer I wonder if it
wouldn't be a terrible idea to shave their coats down?

I have never actually shaved a cat before, & I am worride that their coats
might not grow back to what there were. Is this actually the case, or do they
remain pretty odd to look @ for a long?

Sheelagh >"o"< while.

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Sheelagh >"o"<

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sheelagh - 12 Aug 2007 07:52 GMT

>>In the mid-Atlantic region of the US, it is sweltering hot, as it is
>>in many other areas of the US now. The kitties are lucky being indoor
[quoted text clipped - 25 lines]
>their homes in the UK. Put it this way, I don't know anyone that has it @ all,
>only local stores ect.

Presently, it has been up to 32 during the day, & can drop as far as single
figures @ night. about 9 degree's. I suppose that they get used to it, but
sometimes you can see the longer haired cats jostling for places near the
oscillating fan, is because, like Sheep, in the summer I wonder if it
wouldn't be a terrible idea to shave their coats down?

I have never actually shaved a cat before, & I am worride that their coats
might not grow back to what there were. Is this actually the case, or do they
remain pretty odd to look @ for a long?

Sheelagh >"o"< while

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Sheelagh >"o"<

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mariib - 12 Aug 2007 14:45 GMT

>Presently, it has been up to 32 during the day, & can drop as far as single
>figures @ night. about 9 degree's. I suppose that they get used to it, but
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>
>Sheelagh >"o"< while

Years ago, I had Tommy an all white long-haired cat, who was always very calm,
sweet-natured & loved interacting with people. He was probably part Maine
Coon & could be easily handled - he could be picked up by any part of his
body without protest including a leg or tail. I used to shave him down every
couple months using small animal clippers & I did this throughout his life
from 1970-1985. I wasn't doing it because of the heat but because his hair
was everywhere otherwise & shaving seemed to control the flying white fur. I
was never able to do a *beautiful* job cutting down his hair - after shaving,
his coat always looked uneven & wavy-looking & Tommy looked a little strange
for a couple weeks each time, but as the hair re-grew he'd quickly look like
any other short-haired cat. His coat always grew back to his usual bushy soft
long white fur as if nothing had ever been done to it. When shaving, I was
trying to cut his hair evenly to a length of about an inch maximum & it
wasn't easy to control. The main reason this worked for Tommy was because of
his gentle easy-going personality. He allowed us to do whatever we wanted
with him & he wasn't afraid of the sound of the clippers. In fact, he wasn't
afraid of anything or anybody. This was the cat who used to lie upside on the
sidewalk in front of our house waiting for the kids to pass by on their way
to & from the nearby elementary school & play with him early in the morning,
lunchtime & after school, every day in the warm weather April-May through the
end of October when the cats were allowed out (back then! not now in 2007).
Here's a picture of him after being shaved
http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2425497350050028271GAZjTw
and another when it had grown partly back
http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2608888580050028271ZMvdoj
M.

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saxrocco - 12 Aug 2007 18:24 GMT

Hi Mariib
What gorgeous cats. Tommy was sooooo lovely.
Nice that he let you shave him. The week before Donny died my Mum got some
clippers on him, but we decided that is would be best a professional do it.
I do miss him but I am smiling now coz he was our cat and we looked after him
the best we could.
He will always be known as the lion round here and everyone loved him.
Take care
Clare x

>>Presently, it has been up to 32 during the day, & can drop as far as single
>>figures @ night. about 9 degree's. I suppose that they get used to it, but
[quoted text clipped - 28 lines]
>http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2608888580050028271ZMvdoj
>M.

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sheelagh - 12 Aug 2007 23:12 GMT

What a handsome chap Marri!

I think Tommy looks gorgeous, just like Clare does. I would also say that he
was amazingly intelligent & also very smart too, Lol...
It's not every cat that has the intelligence to play the dying fly in the
middle of the path of kids walking home from school, just in order to get a
tummy rubs.. very intuitive indeed!
I'd say he had his priorities in line there & was probably far more
intelligent that most people gave him credit for, wouldn't you?

( makes me giggle just thinking about it. It's also the sort of thing that
Ringo would do, given half a chance of course!)

Thanks for sharing the story / info regarding shaving fur too BTW. It is ever
so helpful. I have often thought of shaving mainly Lilly because she has the
thickest, plushest coat out of all of them. In fact all of them wilt @ times,
especially when it is *really hot* Hot for us. That is around the 30 degree+
mark. I notice that you can now buy animal clippers by Whal, specially made
so that they don't generate much noise when activated, so they don't frighten
the cat in the process.

Thinking, earlier, in another thread, I noticed that -L mentioned that she
had worked I a grooming Establishment, so she would be the person to ask how
to go about it, for the first time. It might be an idea to go to a grooming
place, to watch how they go about it, so that I have some idea where to start
& go about it I guess.

As you say Marri, I know it is not going to be an excellent job, but the main
thing is that we allow the cats to cool down a bit without their coats on in
the summer when it is @ it's hottest. Another question that springs to mind
is: Without their coat's on, do we need to be aware of Sun- stroke, or
similar problems?

I have never heard of a cat having sun -stroke, but that doesn't mean to say
that it doesn't happen, does it? It is something that I am going to have to
research, before I go rushing out to buy a pair of clippers & have a go @ it
myself. I just feel for them sometimes when it is sooo hot that I can't bare
it. imagine how it must feel for a cat, hey? As long as it grows back the
same again, I don't mind having a go, in due course. Thanks for that one,
Sheelagh >"o"<

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mariib - 13 Aug 2007 02:13 GMT

>>>Presently, it has been up to 32 during the day, & can drop as far as single
>>>figures @ night. about 9 degree's. I suppose that they get used to it, but
[quoted text clipped - 42 lines]
>same again, I don't mind having a go, in due course. Thanks for that one,
>Sheelagh >"o"<

Heatstroke or sunstroke? Tommy's fur was all white & he had pale pink skin,
but I *never* shaved to the skin as would be done for surgery. Although I
never was able to shave/ cut down his coat completely evenly, there always
was at least an inch all over of hair everywhere on his body, legs, tail etc
& no bare patches of skin to be seen.

Maybe your vet will let you borrow a pair of clippers to try out the hair
trimming process whenever you're ready? I'd imagine the practice will have
more than 1 pair of animal clippers & ask for clippers with #10 blades (if I
remember correctly, it's been 22 years now). You've got nothing to lose in
asking, all they might say is no.
M.

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Sheelagh >o< - 13 Aug 2007 13:03 GMT

> >>>Presently, it has been up to 32 during the day, & can drop as far as single
> >>>figures @ night. about 9 degree's. I suppose that they get used to it, but
[quoted text clipped - 60 lines]
>
> - Show quoted text -

Lol, I can just imagine what Lilly will look like. Your right, I have
nothing to loose, & if they can't lend me a pair, I can always get
myself some from Argos (shop!). Number 10#. I will let you know how we
got on.
Thanks Marri,
Sheelagh >"o"<

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