I was wondering, in all this oppressive heat is there anyway I can make some sort of ice pack for my cats? They are roasting in this heat and they do not appear to want to hang out in the airconditioned rooms… Odd I know… I was wondering if anyone has done this… has anyone taken say a tupperware container and filled it with ice and froze it… then given it to the cats? Will it even work? What else can we do to help these little fuzzies in this heat?
I put some ice in their water and they lay on the ceramic floor if the air isn’t on.
There are Frosty Paws for dogs – like an ice cream treat only nutritious and good for them. My doggers love it, so maybe cats would like them, too?
i take my cold packs and put them on the tile floor to chill it, gives mr. fuzzy butt a cool(er) place to sprawl.
and ice cubes in the water bowl. he likes to play with them.
I make frozen treats for my dogs on hot days. I water down some broth and put in chunks of chicken and freeze it. They love to gnaw on the cube. I suppose for a cat you could substitute tuna. Considering a cat’s mouth is smaller, I think what you should do is fill an ice tray with water and put a bit of tuna in each cube. (Use the juice off the tuna to flavor the water.)
I strongly suggest, however, that you only let the cat have one of them in the kitchen or bathroom where the floor is easily wiped up afterwards. It tends to make a bit of a mess.
I also put ice cubes in the water bowl. It’s funny to watch them play with them, then shake the water off their feet and glare at me.
Ice in the water and bags of frozen corn on the kitchen floor. The bags conform to their bodies and give them better cooling. Then you eat the corn.
My mom has a great story about riding cross-country with a Siamese in the early '60s without a/c. She would simply wipe kitty down with a wet towel at every opportunity - with no fighting or complaints from kitty.
Yes Yes - our’s are siamese as well. And ironically we went across country with them right after Hurricane Katrina - so no AC needed. But now my wife is attempting to wipe them down with a wet cloth…
…
…
Yep… she loves it.
The cat that is… 
WOW! For a cat who hates water she’s pretty into this wet rag thing…
If the cat has a bed, try lining it with a chilled towel. Change out the towels daily, keeping the spares in the fridge.
I have no idea if that’ll work, but what the heck. At least it shouldn’t create puddles.
Here’s another suggestion:
buy a baby’s plastic bathtub and a small ice pack for freezer. Once the ice pack is frozen, set it at one end of the inside of tub and lay a thin fabric over it… the cooling of the ice pack will chill the floor of the tub and cats like to snuggle inside of spaces that wrap around them.
Odd that they don’t go in the AC if they are suffering…?!?
I don’t think it’s as much of a problem for cats. They come from a hot climate to begin with.
Years ago, and I wish I could find it again, I saw a show about a blacksmith with a cat. The cat’s favorite place to lay down was within inches of the forge. The blacksmith didn’t even get that close to it, and though the cat got singed by an errant spark once in a while, he always came back.
Not that I’d leave any of my cats in a hot car with the windows up, but they are certainly more comfortable in the heat than you will ever be.
My $.02
I agree with putting ice cubes in the water, and let the faucet drip for them.
But I also take small 500ml water bottles after they are empty, refill with filtered tap water (only about 80% full to allow for expansion), then freeze. I keep a half-dozen of these in the freezer all the time, mostly being used as ice packs for the cold bag.
During hot weather I put one down on the floor for the cats. They will play with it, lick the condesation off it , and even lay next to it on scorching days. Please- do not use those soft “blue ice” packs- the soft ones are easy to puncture and the blue ice stuff is bad for the pets.
There is a think called a “Chillow”- got one for myself. A thin pillow filled with foam, which you fill with water then refrigerate, to sleep on during very hot nights. They make a version for pets.
I don’t leave it down, I just use it to cool the floor then pop it back in the freezer.
I have this weird superstition that if I don’t have one ready at all times, I will sprain an ankle or wrist or something.
I like the idea with the water bottles, though. I could leave that out and the chill will last longer. THANKS !
I remember this same show and was thinking the exact same thing before I came in here. Cats like warmth, why do you think they sit on your lap? What you think they liked you?
I’ve noticed the house cat sleeps in a ball, to stay warmer until the house hits 90F. She only stops when it’s way hotter than people like it. They have a much higher comfort level than us or dogs.
At the local 4-H fair in august the rabbits have frozen bottles of water (your basic .5 liter poland spring type) that they curl around.
True. but in an apartment w/o airconditioning, it can get hotter than kitty likes. Mine does come lie in the cool spot when i make one for him, which i only bother to do on exceptionally hot days. or maybe he’s just humoring me ? :dubious:
My cat, Maya, lies stretched out lengthwise, with her front paws over her head, and her rear paws stretched out behind her, and her belly pressed against the 6 inch molding trim in the hallway.
The rabbit, Val, however, had a frozen water bottle and a fan.