Surely, one of the most attractive things about cats, apart from their independent personality, is the beauty of their fur and the multiple color combinations, which makes each feline unique thanks to every little spot and every line.
When seeing them lying down towards the sun, or in very hot weather, it is usual to wonder how they can withstand the high weather temperatures with all that hair covering them, and one may have wondered if they have any way to sweat.
That is why this time in Animal Expert we explain how this mechanism works in your pet, because we know that in more than one Occasionally, faced with the high temperatures that make humans suffer, have you ever wondered How do cats sweat?
Feline sweat glands
First of all, let me clarify that, in fact, cats do sweat, although they do so to a lesser extent than human beings. You may be surprised to know this, because at no time have you seen your feline covered in anything resembling sweat, much less considering that it is covered by a layer of fur.
The cat's sweat glands are scarce, and are concentrated in only a few specific points of its body, contrary to humans, which have them on the entire surface of the skin. As is known, the body generates sweat to release the heat it feels and at the same time cool the skin.
In the cat the mechanism works the same, but it sweats only through some very specific areas: the pads of its paws, the chin, the anus and the lips.
The feline's fur can withstand a temperature of up to 50 degrees Celsius without suffering any damage, although this does not mean that the animal does not feel hot. They simply have other mechanisms to alleviate the sensation.
In the same way, it is necessary to keep in mind that the cat not only sweats when temperatures rise, but this is also its way of reacting to certain situations that cause stress, fear and nervousness. In these cases, the cat leaves a trail of sweat from its pads, which emits a sweetish odor that humans are able to perceive.
How does the cat cool off?
Despite having the aforementioned sweat glands, these are usually not enough to cool the animal in hot weather, especially if you take into account that the fur does not contribute much to keeping it cool.
Therefore, the cat has developed other mechanisms to release heat and maintain a stable temperature in summer, so it is very common that on excessively dry days you see them doing these things:
First, the frequency of grooming increases. The cat licks its entire body, and the saliva that remains on the fur evaporates, helping the body cool down.
In addition, on warm days it will avoid making any unnecessary effort, so it will be much more inactive than at other times, so it is usual to find it taking a nap with its body stretched out in a ventilated and shady place.
Also, will drink more water and want to play less,to try to stay cool. You could add an ice cube to your water container to keep it cold longer.
Another way that it uses to refresh its body is panting, although you should be careful as this mechanism is more common in dogs, as they perform more physical activity.
How does panting work? When the cat pants, the inner thorax, part of the body that is warmer, expels the heat through the humidity that is produced in the mucous membranes of the throat, tongue and mouth. Thus, the cat can exhale this air that is expelled from its body and take advantage of the steam to cool itself.
However, the method panting is not common in cats,so if yours does then it means it's feeling an excessive amount of heat, and you should help him by doing the following:
- Moisten his fur with cold water, wetting the armpits, groin and neck area.
- Wet his lips with cool water and let him drink on his own if he wants.
- Take it to a more ventilated place; if you can place it near a fan or air conditioner, much better.
- Consult your veterinarian immediately.
Why should you take these measures? If, even after following the steps described above, your cat continues to pant, you should contact your veterinarian, as it is very likely that the feline is suffering from heat stroke caused by high temperatures, a condition that could kill it if you do not act quickly.
Why does heat stroke occur? In high temperatures, the brain tells the cat's body to release heat body, so the sweating process begins, during which the blood vessels in the skin dilate to allow heat to be expelled.
However, when this process fails, or if this and none of the other mechanisms used by the cat are sufficient, then the body overheats and is exposed to heat stroke, whose consequences could be lethal.
