25/06/2026
Heard something utterly bizarre this week...that we don't need to worry about cats in the heat.
Guess what?
⚠️ ALL animals are susceptible to heatstroke ⚠️
Most of our pets aren't built for prolonged periods of extreme temperatures, especially in a country where air conditioning isn't common.
There's a huge emphasis on protecting dogs from the heat, largely because people insist on taking them out for walks in sweltering temperatures. But dogs are far from the only animals at risk.
Cats, rats, hamsters, gerbils, rabbits, guinea pigs, birds, and other small pets can all suffer from heat stress and heatstroke.
Some simple ways to help your smaller pets stay cool include:
🐀 Providing plenty of fresh, cool water and checking it regularly throughout the day. You can keep frozen water bottles and rotate them during the day. As the frozen bottles melt, the water stays cooled for longer.
❄️ Offering cooling mats, frozen water bottles wrapped in towels, ceramic tiles, or stone slabs for them to lie against.
Frozen water bottles can also be placed on top of small pet cages with a plastic storage box on top to filter the cold air down through the cage.
🏠 Keeping blinds and curtains closed during the hottest parts of the day and ensuring pets have access to shaded areas.
💨 Using fans to improve air circulation (while ensuring small animals can move away if they choose. Fans ideally shouldn't be pointing at cages). You can also position fans in front of frozen water bottles to push cold air around the room.
🍉 Offering water rich treats where appropriate for the species, such as small amounts of suitable fruits and vegetables. Frozen lick e lix for cats is fab, either in the tube like an ice pop or on a licky mat. Frozen veg in water for smaller pets (if suitable) to fish for helps cool them down.
🚫 Avoiding unnecessary handling, exercise, transport, or stressful activities during the hottest hours.
🌡️ Monitoring for signs of heat stress, including lethargy, rapid breathing, panting, weakness, drooling, loss of coordination, or collapse.
Please don't assume your pet is fine just because they're indoors. Heatstroke can happen surprisingly fast, and prevention is always best!
What have you been doing to keep your pets cool this week?
