16 Cat Cooling Tips to Beat the Heat

Laurent Shinar • Writer and Editor

Jul 17, 2026 8:45 AM EDT

As the summer sun comes down on us harder and harder each and every day it is tougher than ever to keep your cat cool, especially if you weren't prepawed for the heat yourself. So assuming you do not have a nice AC unit keeping you cool we figured you might enjoy these simple suggestions to help your feline friend cool off.

Reddit's r/CatsUK subreddit is where we found these terrific tips to keep your cat cool, and while itis not the first place most of us would look for this kind of information, it was particularly important to UK residents of late as they saw temps rise past 100 degrees. So the concerned cat pawrents of Great Britain took to Reddit to share their best tips and tricks to ensure a cool and calm catto during the hottest days of the year. Now, we will say that this is a place with less than 5% of households having AC and most of them having carpets from wall to wall. So the heat factor is extra intense so your cat child might not need all of these tricks and might not need them all the time either. But it is always handy to have a few tricks up your sleeve when you are in a jam.

We would also like to take a moment to mention that cats, while full of fur, are not necessarily going to suffer in high heat. The original species of feline that we know today actually came from the middle east and cats who live in the region today are very well off and enjoy their lives outdoors without any issues. So before you go shaving any fur or even trying these techniques, try to take note of whether your cat is actually hot or if you think they are. Are they showing actual signs of overheating like panting or drinking excessively? If not you might just want to keep these tricks for a sweltering day.

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Black cat lying in garden reaching front paw over paddling pool
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Honestly, I am not sure how I feel about this light blocking strategy, especially as it works. Whether it is a reflective sheet or curtain, blocking light works very well at keeping a room cool. The problem being that you will live in darkness for most of summer and summer days are long. Meaning you will live in darkness for most of the day of most of summer and so will your cats. Creatures that as it is love waking up in the middle of the night to zoom and scream at 4 in the morning. So one can only imagine what might happen if they were to have their circadian rhythm messed up.
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As it always is with cats, there is an exception to the rule. Now a cat who has been raised in Dubai should very much be acquainted with the scorching summer temps of the rest of the world seeing as the UAE has some of the hottest days on record in the world. But even such a hardened kitten eventually gives in to the luxuries and comforts of modern life eventually. So even if your cat looks like they might be dealing with the heat with no issue, take extra precautions and have cooling stations at the ready. Cats can be really stubborn and wait until it is too late and then they need immediate help.
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