Keeping Your Cat Cool in Hot Weather

Our pet fountain reservoir must be refilled daily due to evaporation (and cats drinking!).

Our outdoor cat water dish is huge, but it still needs to be re-filled daily and cleaned often.

Charger, our Bengal male, like to have his fur dampened once or twice a day in warm weather. He leads me into the bathroom while talking and jumps up to the sink. I dampen my hands and run them along his back and sides (not neck or belly). This also removes loose fur.

He also likes to drink from a drizzling faucet, even though he has a pet fountain and water dish in different rooms. Our cats have many places they can lie down, depending on their mood or the temperature. Ideally cat resting areas should be free of draft, or sheltered from air conditioning vents, and not in direct sunlight. Some cats prefer secluded spots, where they can see everyone, but not everyone sees them immediately. In hot weather, cool wooden or laminate floors may be preferred by some cats over carpet, cat or human beds.