Can I give my kittens water since it is so hot in my house?

Question

I have 6, 3 week old kittens and unfortunately I do not have air conditioning in my house and I was wondering if it is ok to give them some cold water if they will drink it to cool them off. I notice them panting a lot also, I have fans blowing around them but not on them, so please let me know if it is alright to do this

Answer 1

I gather the mother is still with them seeing as to how they are only 3 weeks old? She will need the water and the kittens will get their fluid intake from her at 3 weeks they are still dependent on the mother. Panting is normal as that is their 'personal' air conditioning working to help keep their body temperature regulated. Unlike us they do not perspire for cooling, they pant.
Just keep them in the coolest place possible and contact a Vet or Pet Store for additional advice.

Answer 2

It's VERY unusual for cats to pant. (Dogs do this to cool off, but when a cat does it, it means the cat is in extreme distress.) I'm assuming that at 3 weeks these babies are still being bottle fed. (Their insides can't handle solid food yet.) Adding water to help keep them hydrated is fine, but keep the water at room temperature; NOT COLD. Cold water may give them cramps or cause their little insides to go into convulsions.

Usually, when a cat is overheated you cool it off by putting cold compresses in its "armpits" and "groin". You have to be careful with kittens, though, because they can't take too much cold.

To cool the kittens off, try setting bags or blocks of ice in a tray and have the fans blow over the ice toward the kittens. Or set them in a crate with damp (not wet) towels over it, and have the fans blow on the cloths. The evaporation will cool off the air around the kittens.

Answer 3

Try taking a large bowl of ice water and putting it right behind the fan (make sure the kittens can't get into it and drowned!). As the water evaporates, it will cool the air going through the fan.

I'm not sure about giving 3 week old kittens water, but perhaps you could give them ice cubes to lick. It will help cool them off and hydrate them at the same time.

Good luck!

Answer 4

I'm sure they can, but I don't know how you're going to get them to drink it, being they're so young. Yo can put some water in your hands and rub them with it. They'll cool them off. Try to get a fan going near them, but not directly on them. They could catch a cold.

Answer 5

Yes, you may give the kittens some water. You may want to put a bit of evaporated milk in it so it taste good. That's the best way to teach kittens about water. Best of luck;^)

Answer 6

YES! You need to give the babies (and all animals) water. It will help cool them, but it also helps keep kidney problems at bay. For some reason, cats have a tendancy to get kidney infections unless they drink enough clean water. Just don't try feeding them cranberry juice - no matter how tempted you may be! :-)

Answer 7

They definitely need water. Milk might not be a good idea. It will give kittens diarrhea and they can also get an intestinal virus from it. You should really call your vet or local SPCA.

Answer 8

You should always have fresh water available for them to drink if they want it.

Answer 9

I'm pretty sure. If you still aren't very sure, call a pet store, or maybe even possibly the vet. They could most likely give you answers.
Hope I helped!
-Lil' Princess

Answer 10

of course! they should always have a bowl of clean fresh water available at all times!