Every day is Caturday downloadable print.

Every day is Caturday right? So here's a cheeky little picture for you to display your 'Cat Craziness' with pride!

Sized at A4 you can print directly onto normal copy paper then frame or washi tape to your wall and you're good to go. Simply click on the image to be taken to the full sized file page and click on the download option at the top.

Enjoy





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How to keep your house cat cool during a heatwave and hot weather

I'm not a sun lover at all, it just puts me in a bad mood. I'm not one of these 'oh look, the sun's out, let's go crazy' types. I can't function in heat and I do generally look forward to the Autumn and Winter months when I can walk to the shop without getting a sweat on!
I've had this attitude all my life, so of course I now have a Vitamin D deficiency, which means I'm lacking in Calcium and my bones are a bit gammy (that's a genuine medical term).

My two housecats however, are major sun monkeys. They will seek out any slither of sunlight coming through the window and bask in those rays for hours.
I've had the pleasure of owning cats throughout my life but they've always been outdoor cats. With Geoff and Una, I chose to keep them inside as we live on a busy road, which incidentally has a lot of speeders razzing up and down, but that's another matter! All bar one of the cats I've known had their life ended by a car and I didn't want to go through that again. Selfish? I don't know, but these two live like Kings and Queens, and I personally don't think they're missing out on anything.

Heatstroke is not just for dogs

Up until last year I had NO idea that cats can suffer with heatstroke, there's so much publicity, advice and information around dogs over heating but very little on our other furry friends too. Geoff suffers with urinary problems which means he is on a special food that contains more water than regular cat food. This encourages him to 'go' and in simple terms, keep his tubes running smoothly. It's a bit of a balance but we've found the right mix for him now and he has been without problem coming up to a year.
Unfortunately, we were unarmed during last year's hotter days and Geoff, after his sunbathing, became quite ill. He was not his usual perky self, was being sick and was having trouble using his litter tray. He had developed heat stroke which had aggravated his ongoing condition and it was a very scary time for all of us. 
Anyway, Geoff is fit and well now and he has some important lessons, tips and tricks to pass on to you to ensure you keep your cats cool and safe throughout a heatwave or overly hot days.

My cat is cool, I'm going to keep it that way!

A few other tips from me.

• Provide cool areas for cats to sit, not just shade but also think about things they can sit on. A magazine for instance is a nice cool option, maybe a few gel ice packs under a towel or you could even encourage them to sit in the sink if it's ceramic or porcelain.
• As Geoff has mentioned, you can add water to their wet food. But in between main meals, I like to give them a little bit of sliced ham, again, I add water. You only need a couple of millimetres in the dish and this will ensure they are hydrating well. This trick is actually quite amusing to witness, the ham will usually sink to the bottom so they have to lick the water to get to it. Determination is a funny look on a cat!
• If you have the pleasure of spending the day with your cats, check on them as often as you can. It's best to nip this in the bud so just stay on top of things. 
• Cats love icecream! This is a super fast way of cooling and hydration. Whilst not recommended as part of a regular diet it's a nice little treat for your fur baby in this hot weather. Not too much though, I'm pretty sure cats can get brain freeze too.
• Ensure the litter trays are changed and cleaned regularly, ideally one per cat plus an extra one somewhere away from the main 'toilet area'. Cats will hold out if they're not happy with your cleaning efforts and this can cause problems, especially when they've been drinking so much.
• Lastly, you know your cat the best so use Geoff's advice and if you notice they're not acting normally, they're overly hot to the touch, they're vomiting (not the usual hairball stuff) or they're panting and breathing oddly then contact your Vet for advice.

I do hope this is helpful for you and your cats and that you have learnt a few tips from us. Like I said, I wasn't aware this was an issue. I feel a bit stupid about it now but as the saying goes, 'you don't know what you don't know'.

If you have any advice of your own or experience of cat heatstroke then please feel free to share in the comments below.