CATS

FROZEN HOTTIES – may sound daft, but one of our experienced fosterers uses these with kittens in extremely hot conditions.  Fill them half-full, freeze, then when frozen, wrap in a blanket or cloth of some sort, and the cats/kittens can lie on them.  FROZEN PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES work as well – you can roll them in a towel and put by their favourite sleeping places.

FROZEN TREATS – you can make up your own recipes as you know what your cat likes, but this is a great example – Drain canned tuna juice into a container and add a little water – then pour into an ice-cube tray or small mould of some sort – pop into the freezer.  You could leave some chunks of tuna in too for extra taste.  Once frozen, pop into your cats feed bowls – only a very small amount at a time.

COOLING MATS –  Place a cat cooling mat in your feline’s favourite sleeping area. You can also use it in a cat carrier if you need to move them around in hot weather.

HYDRATION – obvious but please make sure you have plenty of fresh water both inside the house and out.  Water fountains are good but the water should be topped up to make sure it isn’t too warm.  Put ice-cubes in a large water bowl in the house.

SUN SCREEN – yes you can get this!   If your feline has lighter-coloured fur, they are more likely to be at risk of getting sunburn. Apply animal-friendly sun screen to areas most exposed to the sun, such as the end of the nose and tips of the ears.  The sun screen should be titanium dioxide-based; avoid any that contain zinc oxide. If in doubt, always consult with your vet.

ICE-CUBE TOY – just put some ice cubes on the floor the let cats and kittens bat them around – good for cooling paws and noses!

💦 Whilst it is generally advised to keep cats in when there is extreme heat, our lot won’t hear of it.  But we are lucky – there are plenty of shady places for them.  If you don’t have shade, then please try to keep them in during the hottest part of the day.  If your garden has room, try a cloth stretched over poles or a sail cloth – anything to give them something cool to lie under.

DOGS

FROZEN FRUIT/VEG – I have been putting carrots in the freezer and using them as a cooling treat.  You can do this with any fruit or veg that they will eat

FROZEN TREATS & TOYS – I can’t wait to try this one.  Get a metal water or feeding bowl – appropriate to the size of your dog.  Put some treats and/or little toys in the bottom – just cover with water, then put in freezer for 20-30 minutes.  Take back out and add another layer of treats/toys then cover those with water.  Then freeze for 2 hours or so – turn out and let them play!

FROZEN LOLLIES/KONGS – there is a great article on this at www.bluecross.org.uk – some excellent recipe ideas but this one from one of our Conseil team sounds great ..

💦 Home-made Dog Ice Cream  Made with 3 Simple ingredients and no sugar added! Ingredients: 2 cups plain Greek yogurt 1 ripe banana 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (WITHOUT xylitol).  Blend all together then freeze

ICE-CUBES – in water is great – some like to play with them.  You can also make up treats like pate in cubes, or perhaps cooked chicken or ham.

FROZEN HOTTIES OR WATER BOTTLES – as for the cats, you can place these wrapped in something, on beds or where dogs prefer to lie.  Cooling mats are available too

COOLING FAN – may sound obvious, but if you don’t have air-conditioning or a cool house, then this is really a boon.  Most dogs love to lay where they can feel the breeze.

HOSE/MISTER – if it won’t traumatise your pet completely, then you can have fun with a mister or hose – just a gentle spray to cool them down

PADDLING POOL – most dogs will love this as dogs release heat through their paws.  Throw in some favourite toys to encourage them in.

💦 Fairly obvious to one and all but please make sure you don’t walk your dog(s) in extreme heat.  Better not to go at all than have a problem with burnt paws or heatstroke.  There is always another day!