Mary Allen
Cats can manage on their own, even on hot days. Nevertheless, they gladly accept one or the other amenity that their owner makes available to them in the summer.
Cat owners sometimes wish their pet was a little more like a dog. A little more affectionate, a little more playful, a little more dependent on their mistress or master. But cats are idiosyncratic and independent. In this way, they can generally cope well with the hot summer days themselves (see text on page 12). Nevertheless, cat owners can do something good for their protégés in midsummer – or at least try to do so, the cat will then show whether it agrees or not.
One area where even the most self-reliant cats can use a little help at times is drinking. As original savannah and desert dwellers, they naturally have a rather low need for liquids. But just like us, humans, there are cats that don’t drink enough fluids – it’s not clear whether they’re bored by the endless water or whether they forget to drink because they’re so sleepy.
A Thawed Chicken Ice Cream
To encourage a cat to drink in the summer heat, you can try the following tricks:
- Set up several drinking bowls: Cats love variety. The more opportunities they have to stay hydrated, the better.
- Give more wet food: Cats naturally absorb a large part of their liquid from food. Since wet food contains much more liquid than dry food, it is the better form of nutrition for the cat in summer.
- Add unsalted chicken broth to the water: This addition makes the water tastier and therefore more interesting.
- Set up a drinking fountain: Some cats prefer freshwater, while others prefer stagnant water. There are so-called cat fountains in specialist shops, in which a pump moves the water in a circuit through drinking containers. Many an animal can be tempted to take more fluids.
- Ice cubes in the drinking bowl: With this, you kill two birds with one stone on a hot day: On the one hand, the drinking water cools down, on the other hand, it becomes more interesting for the cat; it must, of course, immediately investigate what this innovation means.
- Making cat ice cream: There are different recipes for cat ice cream, but this
Hardly any four-legged friend can resist the poultry variant: finely chop a can of cat food with chicken or chicken breast fillets and puree with a little water or unsalted chicken broth. Pour into molds and place in the freezer. Important: Allow the ice cream to thaw before feeding – and only serve in small portions.
An Ice-Cold Lounger
The cold drinks are just one way to keep the cats from overheating. Depending on your mood and the situation, other, external cool-downs can also be welcome.
- Towels from the fridge: Many cats have a favorite place to lie – often a towel that has been worn out from everyday use. It’s worth trying to put it in the fridge for a few hours on a hot summer’s day and then offer it back to the cat. The favorite place with a difference.
- Be careful with fans: On the one hand, curious animals can injure themselves when they fiddle with such a device. On the other hand, there is a risk that the draft will cause conjunctivitis and colds. Therefore, the following applies: Do not direct the fans towards the cat’s favorite spot.