Top Four Ways to Keep Your Pets Cool in Summer

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Feb 24, 2019

Top Four Ways to Keep Your Pets Cool in Summer

We’re well and truly into the summer months, the overwhelming heat has turned up a notch or two, sleeping is a little harder and keeping cool during the day seems next to impossible without air conditioning – now imagine all of this with an extra layer of fur on your body.

If you’ve got dogs and cats at home, it’s important to make sure that your furry friends are well looked after and kept cool under the smouldering sunshine that comes hand and hand with a New Zealand summer.

Here are a few simple ways that you can help your pets cool off, without adding any extra bills to your monthly costs.

 

1.  Protect the Paws

When keeping your four-legged friend active and healthy amidst the hot summer heat, there are a few key things to keep in mind.

We’ve all experienced the classic kiwi scamper across the sand dunes on our way to a quick dip in the ocean – and believe it or not, so has your dog. Just like our feet, dogs (and cats, if your fur-baby is of the feline variety) are subject to burning their paws on any hot surfaces, from pavement to sand. On hot days in the high 20’s, the pavement can heat up to over 60°C. That’s enough to send anyone on a trip to the freezer for a pack of frozen peas. Fortunately, there’s an easy way to test if it’s too hot to take your pet for a walk - a five-second rule formulated by a US dog-training centre: "Place the back of your hand on the pavement. If you cannot hold it for five seconds, it's too hot to walk your dog."

It sounds simple, but we can’t stress enough, the best times to take your furry friend for a walk are early in the morning or later in the evening. This gives the surface temperatures a little time to cool off, and your dog the best chance at enjoying their daily exercises without injury.

 

2.  Keep the Water Flowing

From a gigantic Great Dane to a backyard Lop Eared bunny, pets of all shapes and sizes need water as much as we do to get through the hot season comfortably. There are a plenty of ways to keep your pets cool this summer simply by making use of a little extra water in the back garden.

First thing’s first, always (and we mean always) ensure that your pet has a full bowl of fresh, clean and cold water available to them, so they can nip back and rehydrate whenever they need. If you’ve been wondering why Spot keeps returning to the toilet bowl, or Peter the rabbit has been lapping at the empty water bottle on the side of his hutch, it’s probably time to top up their water supply.

An outdoor paddling pool is also a great idea for the back lawn, offering an easy option for your pup to take a quick dip and cool off when they need to. There’s no need to worry about muddy paw prints being traipsed throughout the house post paddling, we have you covered with our fantastic and comprehensive guide to getting rid of those pesky pet stains. Go fourth and let your pets splash about, hassle-free.

 

3.  A Few Cool Accessories

Besides the obvious necessities, there are a few fantastic accessories out there to wrap your paws around and cool off with.

Rather than a regular pet bed, there are plenty of cooling mats available, that give your cat or dog a colder option to lay down and stretch out on after a long day of play. If you don’t want to spend any extra money on a pet bed, no problem – simply take an old towel and saturate it in cold water. If you lay this out on the grass outside, you have a DIY cooling pet bed.

There are also some fantastic frozen toy ideas out there, especially if your four-legged friend happens to be a dog. Grab an old tennis ball, make a small hole and fill it with a few dog treats and a little water, now pop it in the freezer for a few hours (make sure the hole is facing upright!), and you’ll have an excellent brand-new toy that’ll keep your dog simultaneously entertained and cool.

Get creative with what you have around your house, and your pets will thank you for it.

 

4.  Supply the Shade

Our pets are as susceptible to sun burn and skin conditions as we are, and they need as much help as they can get to keep out of the harmful UV rays throughout the day – for this, shade is their best friend.

Take a quick look around your garden and check for shade. Trees are the best option as they allow for the most airflow and protection, but if you aren’t lucky enough to have a large garden sporting a whopping willow, making sure you have an outdoor kennel, shade sail or even an umbrella will do the trick.

If none of these things are readily available to you, it’s always best to allow your pets indoors over the summer months. Make sure you leave a door open for your dog, or install a cat door for your cat, so they always have the option to come in if it gets too hot outdoors. While some homeowners can be a little concerned about the pet hair on carpets that this might encourage, we are confident that Rug Doctor’s brilliant range of affordable products and easy-to-use carpet cleaning machine will keep your carpet and upholstery staying fresh and clean. Check it out here.

  

When you’re feeling the effects of heat and humidity this summer, make sure to keep your pets in mind as they’ll be suffering too. Don’t hesitate to get creative, use water where you can and let the furry friends inside when they need a bit of shelter. If things get a little messy – no problem! Rug Doctor has you covered. You can download our FREE stain removal guide below!

Make sure to also check out our Ultimate Guide to Owning a Pet: Everything you need to know.