# How hot is too hot for a cat?



## WhiteKitties (Dec 22, 2008)

As it finally starts to warm up here in the Chicagoland area, I got to thinking about my girls and hot summer days. (This is my first summer with cats.) If hubby and I are gone all day and it's hot outside, it can get to the upper 80's in the house with the windows shut and no A/C on. We'll turn the A/C on if it's going to be 90 degrees or more, but usually not before that. I can't leave the first floor windows open, too much risk of a break-in, but I do leave the second floor windows open. However, since heat rises, it's often just as hot upstairs as it is downstairs. Are the girls okay in the house like this as long as they have plenty of water? And if the temperature outside is in the 90's but I'm okay in the house with the windows open, should they be okay as well?


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

As long as they aren't panting or in distress, they should be fine. When we've had summer AC problems our cats did just fine. They did much better than us, that is for sure! They had access to cool floors to lay on and we used fans to blow the air around. Sometimes, they'd be sleeping on a cool surface in front of a fan, sometimes they'd be on the carpet or furniture. I've even seen Boo on top of the bookcases, near the ceiling where it is certainly warmer. In addition, I've seen Louie slip under the insulated Roman shade and lay on the sunny window sill.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

I actually think they deal with it better than we do. Cats were originally desert animals and had no nice air conditioned house to live in. They will often seek cooler spots...tubs and sinks come to mind. You can leave a fan on. And you could always sandwich an ice pack or two between some towels.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

It's been up to 99 degrees in my house before and the cats are fine. I'M the one wilting away. They hang out in the kitchen on the cool tile floor, but they also sit in the windows where the sun is shining in! 8O They're less active and they eat less, but they're fine.


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## WhiteKitties (Dec 22, 2008)

<Phew!> Okay, that's what I figured, but wanted to be sure that they were fine. I'm already noticing that they spread themselves out a lot more - this is how I found Fern asleep this afternoon, where she normally curls up in a cute little ball for her nap!


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

:lol: :lol: :lol: 

Yes, they definitely sprawl out more.


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## nanook (Jun 12, 2005)

I didn't have air conditioning at all until recently. Both in the stinking hot NYC summers and LA "dry" heat, the cats were fine. If it was REALLY hot, like in the high 90's or over 100, I would try to keep their ears and paws wet. It helps keep them cool. Of course, that's assuming you're home. I usually am because I work outside so, when it gets that hot, I don't go to work. Oh ,and I make sure all the curtains are closed too!
As others have said, they handle it _way_ better than I do!


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## OctoberinMaine (Sep 12, 2006)

Now that's a funny sleeping pose!


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## Mom of 4 (Jul 29, 2006)

Though decorators cringe, ceiling fans are "in" in the Sunbelt. They help in both cold and hot seasons. The circulating air helps keep us comfortable at a reasonable cost.

My stepfather used to freeze 1- and 2-litter plastic bottles of water, then set them on the tile floor for the dogs and cats. Sometimes they would lay up against them, sometimes they would just move them around and lay on the cold spots.


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