Cat question during hot weather?

Question

I Know that I will need to get in touch with a vet but here in oregon it is 99 degrees right now and my cat is home alone with no a/c the window is opened and the fans are on but I am worried because she has fleas right now and this morning she threw up a little bit and I am not sure if it could be heat related or flea related, has anyone come across before in the past? any input would be SO helpful.

I Know that I will need to get in touch with a vet but here in oregon it is 99 degrees right now and my cat is home alone with no a/c the window is opened and the fans are on but I am worried because she has fleas right now and this morning she threw up a little bit and I am not sure if it could be heat related or flea related, has anyone come across before in the past? any input would be SO helpful and yes I do plan on getting rid of the fleas, I just found out two days ago that they were there.

Answer 1

i am having cat problems myself so i sympathize.
my cat LOVES laying in our upstairs (that does not have a/c) where it is LITERALLY impossible for me to be because it is so hot. it is like a sauna!! she also had a fit of fleas last summer. she vomited a lot. the vet said it was because she licks herself and ingests the fleas as well as the larvae. it upsets their belly so they have to vomit it up. make sure she has more than ample fresh water and maybe you can get one of those window beds that she can lay in and catch a breeze. you could even point a fan at a chair or spot she likes to lay in. think about the cats outside in the summer. they adapt! just make sure you get her in for oral and topical flea treatment. sounds like she'll need the pills to clean out her GI tract.
good luck!

Answer 2

I am also in Oregon (it is over 100 here today). Both of my cats are inside, but don't move around much. I have the fans going and keep the windows and blinds closed during the day and open at night, which helps. My cats have fleas too, but one of my cats is VERY pregnant and due to have the babies any day/hour, so I can't treat for flreas yet. She is the one that lays on the linoleum in the bathroom, kitchen, or front entry way because it is cooler for her and the babies. She isn't eating much because it is so hot, but I make sure that there is plenty of fresh water for them so they won't dehydrate. My pg cat did throw up the other night, but I think it is a mixture of things: put on a kitten food different than other foods that she had been having, the heat, and the fact that she is pg in this horrible heat. She hasn't done it since then, tho. I am constantly checking to be sure the babies are moving around, and they are, so I know they are fine.

So, just do as I do: keep the blinds and windows shut during the day with the fans going; keep the windows open and fans in the windows during the night to cool it off; and keep plenty of fresh water out for the cat (change it daily so it stays fresh). The cat will know what to do and will stay cooler by not moving too much.

Answer 3

First things first, the heat can kill the cat. Try using some Ice packs like the jell kind and put them under a towel or under the cats bed were ever its favorite place to lay is. Now the fleas if there's not a lot a flea collar will work. If there is more then a few like enough to were you see them on your self time to time. Try the spray flea killer that you put on the cat and around the house. If your cat looks infested like ten fleas in one spot then get to the vet. Fleas drink the blood so for the cat its like a cut that never stops bleeding. The blood less can be very damaging.

Answer 4

Go to your vet and get a pill called "CapStar". It's only $5 and this is the safest flea treatment on the market...they even use it on small kittens. This will kill off ALL of the fleas on your cat immediately, but will be out of your cat's system after 24 hours, so 10 hours after giving it to your cat, apply Advantage or some other flea treatment for your cat to keep more fleas from getting on your cat. Feas don't just bite, causing horrible itching, they are also the cause of tape worms and other horrible things that can affect your cat.
As for the heat, only take Stevio3k's advice if your WHOLE house is in the shade of trees all day. I tried his method one day and my appartment got much hotter, much faster than it does with the windows open and fans blowing. However, he's right about leaving the blinds closed to keep sun out, but don't leave the windows closed and keep the fans running. Think about it: what happens to your car when you leave it in the sun all day with the windows up? It turns into an oven!!!
Also, get your cat one of those water bowls with the big jug attached to the top of it that keeps feeding down into the bowl. Then, each morning, fill the bottle about 1/3 of the way up with ice and then fill it the rest of the way with water before you put it on top of the bowl. This will keep the water cool all day for your cat. DO NOT put the ice directly in your cat's bowl. This will make the water too cold and your cat will avoid it and not drink at all.

Answer 5

Hmm, well let's cover a few things first: having your windows open while the A/C is on kind of defeats the purpose. You need to shut the windows so the cool air stays inside. However, if all you have are box fans, then you really need to look into getting at least a window unit. Box fans aren't efficient enough when you have 1 inch (or more) of fur all over your body.

As for the fleas, you need to go to PetsMart and purchase some flea dip thats specially made for cats as soon as possible, and make sure it's not the Hertz brand! Hertz stuff is dangerous for animals. I don't even know why they even stock their stuff anymore. Also, make sure kitty is eating and not losing weight. Fleas almost always create worms if they're not taken care of properly. And yes, please take kitty to the vet as soon as possible.

Cats, even though they're independent, are still lots of work and need to have the appropriate care. I suggest you pick up a few "How to take car of cats" books at either Barns & Noble or Borders.

Answer 6

It could be that she has a flea allergy. And those little boogars will breed like CRAZY in hot weather, so you're going to need to have her flea dipped or give her a bath in some good flea shampoo... often.

She may just have an upset stomach, too. Heat makes people feel unwell, so why not animals, too? It's summer, and cats shed, so she might have also just had to hack up a hairball.

Make sure she has plenty of cold water when you leave her in the morning, and she'll be fine. Cats are highly adaptable.

If she continues to throw up, however, you should take her to the vet just to make sure she doesn't have something wrong with her stomach.

Answer 7

If you go to your local vet there is a pill you can give your cat to get rid of fleas but this will only last a couple of days . As for the heat try and block of Ice and put it in a pan deep enough to hold the melting water and set the fan behind it.
This wont last all day but will help keep kitty cool. Good Luck

Answer 8

The cat shouldn't throw up because of fleas...

Heat may be an issue, but make sure the cat gets tons of water, and has water available at all hours of the day. Make sure you keep your blinds closed and the sun out.

It would actually be better for your windows to be open during the night, and then shut during the day with the blinds closed. Cool air enters at night, and heat doesn't come in during the day.

Answer 9

You need to call a vet asap. Also go buy a ac put it in the window and have the fans running with the ac. The cat also needs to get dipped to make the fleas go away. My cat throws up once in a while (probably because their stomachs are upset) But please do whatever you can to take care of your cat. Animals are very important and deserve the best.

Answer 10

I think you are taking a whole bunch of un-related issues and making them into something. Yes, the house is hot, but the cat does know what to do to keep cool. They've been doing it for thousands of years. The fleas are because of going outside and being exposed to fleas out there. The throw up could just be a hair ball. It could be heat issues, but I doubt it.
Don't worry, the cat knows how to take care of itself.

Answer 11

I believe the heat will be fine. But for the poor cat's sanity get your cat some flea treatment like Advantage or something. And fleas cause worms so get her to the vet and get her treated.