Heat Stroke 

Cats love stretching out in a sunny spot for a summertime siesta. But hot sunny days, poor air flow and dehydration all increase the risk of heatstroke in summer. Cats who are overweight, have thicker, longer coats or belong to a brachycephalic (short-faced) breed are most at risk. 

• Warning signs: panting, difficulty breathing, drooling, pale or bright red gums, weakness, trembling.
• What to do: stay calm and move your cat somewhere cool; lightly spray or wipe your cat with cool (not freezing) water; call a vet.
• How to reduce the risks: provide lots of cool, fresh drinking water and a safe, shady place to snooze out of the sun. Cooling mats help prevent overheating. A damp towel is an inexpensive alternative.

Special precautions!

Never leave your cat alone in the car on a warm day. Not even in the shade, with the windows open. For unavoidable journeys, find your cat the shadiest, coolest spot in the car. Keep the air conditioning or fan on.

Sunburn

It’s not just us humans who can have too much sun for our own good. Cats also get sunburn. It can happen to any cat, but white cats, pale-skinned and hairless cats are at greatest risk. Repeated sunburn may even trigger skin cancer. Without opposable thumbs, it’s tricky for cats to apply sunscreen, so it’s up to us humans to help out. 

• Warning signs: often affects ear tips and nose; red, weeping, crusty or swollen skin; ear twitching or rubbing.
• What to do: bring your cat indoors and out of the sun. Call a vet for advice. 
• How to reduce the risks: limit your cat’s time in the sun if they sun worship to a burning level! Apply a cat-friendly sunblock to exposed or pale skin likely to burn.

Caution! Do not use human sun creams on cats. Many contain zinc or salicylates — ingredients poisonous to cats. Stick to the available cat-specific sunblock for safety!

Biting bugs

The summer months see a big rise in the numbers of bugs like fleas and ticks, and the problems they cause. Problems include allergic skin disease, overgrooming and ear infections. 

Ticks: The most common tick found on cats is the hedgehog tick. City cats are just as likely to pick up ticks as country dwellers. Ticks latch onto your cat to feed. They can grow from the size of a millet seed to a coffee bean in a few days. Ticks carry Lyme disease, which is increasingly common in the UK but very rare in cats.

Fleas are small, reddish-brown and hard to see because they jump so well! Fleas cause or worsen skin allergies in summer. Hunting cats are particularly likely to pick up parasites in summer months. Any cat not receiving regular preventive treatments for fleas and ticks is at risk. 

• What to look out for: visible ticks or fleas on your cat; scratching, overgrooming and hair loss. Flea bites on your own legs and ankles.
• What to do: check your cat every evening for ticks or other visible parasites. Remove ticks promptly with a special tick-removing tool. Bathe red or oozing skin with warm salt water and use a cone collar or body suit to prevent self-trauma. Treat your cat for parasites; treat the house to kill flea larvae and stop eggs hatching; wash all bedding in as hot a wash as possible!
• Preventing fleas and ticks: treat your cat monthly with an approved flea and tick preventive. Prescription treatments are also available from vets.

Worms 

Cats who hunt small prey are more likely to get worms than indoor cats or non-hunters. Larger prey numbers and longer, warmer evenings for hunting mean the summer months are most likely to bring worm problems for cats.

• Warning signs: diarrhoea and vomiting; weight loss and a poor scurfy coat; spaghetti-like roundworms; white moving ‘grains of rice’ (tapeworm segments!) in your cat’s poo or near their bottom.
• What to do: worm your cat with a safe and effective wormer. Wash all bedding; clean all food bowls and grooming tools. 
• Reducing the risks: worm your cat regularly as part of their routine preventive health care. Worm indoor cats as well. Many carry worm burdens from kittenhood. And their people can carry worm eggs into the house on their feet after stepping on contaminated soil. 

Eating things they shouldn’t 

Barbecue leftovers, garden plants, garden chemicals, slug pellets and more. There’s no shortage of potential hazards for curious cats this summer.

Particular risks 

• Plant toxins: The biggest risk are lilies. Beautiful flowers, but any part of the plant is deadly to cats who ingest it. Cats don’t have to actually eat lilies to be poisoned. Grooming pollen off their coats or drinking from the water of cut flowers is enough! Oleander, begonia and chrysanthemum also look pretty but cause tummy upset if eaten or chewed.
• Slug pellets contain a substance called metaldehyde, which is extremely toxic to cats, even in small amounts. Cats that have eaten slug pellets need urgent veterinary care.
• Barbecue cast-offs, including chicken bones and packaging, risk vomiting, diarrhoea and intestinal blockages.
• Compost contains decaying plant matter that can include harmful mycotoxins. Some varieties of wild mushroom or toadstool also contain life-threatening fungal toxins.

Warning signs

• Vary depending on what your cat ate and how much. Common warning signs include drooling, vomiting, diarrhoea, weakness or tremors.

What to do

• Remove your cat from the risk of further risk. Rinse their tongue and coat free of surface contamination using clean water. Mild symptoms can often be treated with fluids and a bland diet.
• Call a vet immediately if your cat shows signs of poisoning, especially confusion, weakness, collapse or difficulty breathing.

Prevention

• Check there are no poisonous cut flowers or plants in the house at any time of year. If your cat goes outdoors, check your garden for toxic summer flowers and remove any culprits. Ask your neighbours to consider doing likewise. 
• Keep pets closely supervised during and after parties or barbecues. 
• Keep chemicals and gardening products out of sight, smell and reach of cats.

Bee and wasp stings

Bees and wasps are an annual summer hazard for cats. Stalking, pouncing or batting with a paw are natural hunting behaviours triggered by tempting moving targets. Cats’ curiosity or sense of play often gets the better of them around these buzzing tormentors.  

• What to look out for: Stings are usually around the face, mouth and paws. They hurt for an hour or so and cause some swelling. Some cats are allergic to stings. Allergic reactions range from mild hives to life-threatening anaphylaxis. Stings on the mouth or tongue can cause dangerous swelling and breathing problems. 
• What to do: Call a vet immediately if your cat develops swelling around their mouth, drooling, gagging or breathing difficulties. Remove any visible stings and apply a cool compress to swollen areas. Keep your cat indoors, rested and cool; monitor carefully until symptoms resolve.
• Reducing the risks: Remove wasps and bees from indoors as quickly as possible.

Holiday stress

Cats like routine. Changes can be stressful. Especially changes that involve cat baskets, catteries, noisy car journeys, visitors or all of the above! Stress can affect your cat in different ways, both in their behaviour and in their physical health. Understanding the risks and warning signs of stress helps with planning how to minimise the impact of change.

• What to look out for: Change in daily habits, coming home less or not at all: becoming quiet or withdrawn; overgrooming, urinary problems, peeing or pooing outside the litter box, diarrhoea; vomiting.
• What to do: Provide your cat with a safe and quiet spot to escape from visitors – both the 2- and 4-legged varieties. Provide fresh water and feed wet food to increase fluid intake and reduce urinary upsets. Be patient and reassuring. Avoid moving trays around and make sure they have one in a private and ‘safe’ place. Call a vet if your cat is struggling to pass urine or if you notice blood in their urine. Call a vet without delay if your cat cannot pass any urine at all. A blocked bladder is a veterinary emergency.
• Reducing the risks: Minimise changes to your cat’s routine if you know it’s stressful for them. Plan ahead if travelling with your cat. Talk to a vet for expert advice. Plug in a calming diffuser several weeks before any planned ‘change’. A calming supplement can help your cat feel calmer and more secure.

Snake Bites

Bees and wasps aren’t the only dangerous encounters for cats. Snakes are more active in the warm summer months. Of the 3 types of UK snakes, only adders are venomous. 

• What to look out for: Signs depend on where your cat is bitten, plus how far and how quickly the venom gets into their bloodstream. Puncture marks and swelling at the bite site; difficulty eating, drinking or even breathing if the bite is on the face or muzzle. You might also see limping, vomiting, diarrhoea, lethargy, weakness, abnormal bleeding, or collapse.
• What to do: Call a vet immediately. Snake bites are an emergency. Stay calm; keep your cat calm and quiet. Try to give the vet a clear description of the snake. A photo will help with identification and confirming whether antivenom is needed.
• Reducing the risks: Snake bites are extremely rare in cats, so the risk is tiny. Keep your cat indoors wherever there’s a higher risk of snake bites.

Blue Green Algae

In summertime, stagnant pools and shallow lakes can grow poisonous blue-green algae. The pets most at risk are dogs who swim in contaminated water. But poisoning can happen in outdoor cats who drink from contaminated streams or garden ponds.   

• Warning signs: drooling, vomiting, diarrhoea, difficulty breathing, twitching, wobbly legs, seizures and collapse.
• What to do: Call a vet without delay if you think your cat has blue-green algae poisoning.
• Reducing the risks: Cats are unlikely to drink from stagnant water and even less likely to swim in it. But as a precaution, remove standing water from your garden, including ponds and bird baths. Keep your cat indoors when and where unavoidable risks are greatest.

Whatever your plans this summer, take a few moments to consider which summer hazards pose a risk to your cat. Plan ahead with preventive care and the expert help of a vet.

The team at Joii are on hand 24/7 to support you and your cat throughout the summer and all year long!