Dear Fisher,
Hot weather is coming soon and I have a great back yard with a patio and swimming pool. My humans have it covered with screen that they call a bird cage. I think that’s pretty funny because it keeps the birds out and the cat (me) in. I love to stay out there when the weather is nice, but in the summer it gets pretty hot. How do I know when to yowl at the door before I get overheated?
Plato
Dear Plato,
Precaution is a key issue here. Your people need to know that even though you might choose to sleep all day inside the house in a nice warm sun spot, you are protected from direct sun. It is much different if you are outside for long periods of time with the sun beating down on your favorite nap spot on the patio. A good rule of paw is in a quote from Charles J. Brady, “The real measure of a day’s heat is the length of a sleeping cat.”
Stretching your body as you nap helps you cool off. It is true. Should you get trapped in the “cage” while everyone else is inside with the air conditioning, you need to get pretty creative with keeping your cool. A word of caution: stay out of the pool. A word of precaution: your people should install some sort of ramp in case you wander in for a quick swim and suddenly remember you do not know how to dog paddle!
Heat can cause serious harm to all critters. We all know animals should never have to stay in a hot car. Unfortunately, we still hear horror stories. Some of us know that cats can get sunburn because they do not have enough color pigment to protect their skin. A little sunscreen on the tips of the ears and on the nose will help if you really must be out there.
It is very important to monitor your reactions to the heat. Cats exhibit many of the same symptoms as dogs – or for that matter, humans, when they are over exposed to the heat and sun. Panting, anxiety, increased heartbeat and lethargy are some of the early signs of heat stroke. Often cats will drink less rather than more water. You must drink. Order up a water-on-the-rocks pronto if you start to get overheated. And, of course, get inside!
A few good safety tips for your people from Pets America include:
- • Get to know your pets normal pulse, breathing patterns, etc – it helps you recognize pending emergency situations
• Keep animals out of direct sunlight during the heat of the day – if you are uncomfortable, your pet is uncomfortable
• Know the signs of heat stroke and immediately wrap your cat with cool towels and offer an ice cube to lick for re-hydration
• Test the heat radiating from the sidewalk or street on your own two bare feet
Hot summer is not the time to play “where on earth is the cat?” You know you can disappear in front of your humans and it is a good sport for you – sometimes. If your fun and games cause you to spend a hot day in the bird cage, you are not going to get the last laugh.
Your friend,
Fisher
published in tbt Tampa Bay Out There weekend edition
Dear Fisher,
I love summertime and the road trips I take with my family, but sometimes I cause a few problems for them and I need advice. It’s the same routine every time. We are all excited about the trip. Usually I am the one bouncing up and down and getting the most excited. I am in and out of the house “supervising” the packing of the car and making sure there is no chance I get left behind. I get more pets and scratches because I am pretty much in the way and they don’t seem to care. I love that!
Then, about three or four hours into the trip, it happens. All of a sudden my stomach just turns and “oops and AAAAAAARRF” and now I made a mess in the back seat. I never have this problem on our short trips. What can I do?
Goofy
Dear Goofy,
Thanks to the remarkable description of your problem, I can fully understand your concern. The solution is really quite simple, but you will have to get your family in on it.
It is very common for humans to overcompensate for any possible missed meal times you may encounter while traveling long distances. They only want the best for you – whether you ask for it or not. Their solution is usually to load you up with an extra big breakfast just before that early break away out of town. This process naturally disrupts your own normal intake and output, if you know what I mean. The timing and the excitement add to the problem, although those should not be changed.
Somehow you will need to refrain from eating up everything they put in front of you and concentrate more on preparing for your trip. Here are a few suggestions:
• Check directly with the hotel you are staying at to make sure they accept pets.
• Also check on Emergency Veterinary Clinics in the area to which you are headed.
• Make sure you have all the required vaccinations and take your papers!
• Make arrangements for car travel safety, i.e. sudden stop protection.
• Never EVER let anyone leave you alone in a hot car!
Find out more great information at Pets Welcome. They have lots of ideas on travel and lodging.
Remember now - just a small snack plus all the excitement is plenty to get you through at least the first four hours. Your people will definitely get more involved with your plan when they see the remarkable difference in the back seat.
Your friend,
Fisher
published in tbt Tampa Bay Out There weekend edition
Dear Fisher,
I’m a pretty big dog, and I love to go for car rides. But, now, they are teaching me new rules. I have to keep my head inside the window and I have to sit in the back seat. How can I make them go back to the old habits?
Lou
Dear Lou,
Your humans are absolutely right to change the rules – it is for your own safety. Let’s start with the basics. When you are riding along with your head out of the window, the danger of debris in the air can cause a lot of harm to your eyes and even your ears. Anything that is in the air is going to hit you at the speed the vehicle is moving. Imagine, a small twig aimed at your eye at 50 miles an hour! Riding in the back of a pick-up truck or in a convertible is even more dangerous. Showing the whites of your eyes and looking cute as a ploy to get your humans to give you what you want will not work if your eyes are badly damaged, or even poked out! So, do not feel foolish when the car pulled up next to you sports a little fluffy dog who laughs at you and your confinement.
A small speck of dust or a miniscule bug flying through the air at high speed could cause a serious eye infection. If your folks allow you to stick your head out there, they need to diligently monitor you for any redness, tearing, or any changes to your eyes. If that happens, they should get you to the vet as soon as possible!
Of course it is tough to learn new rules, but the safety for you and your people is important. It is widely known that the safest place for a pet is in the back seat of the car. A sudden stop, or an accident, could throw you right through the front window. Or, if you happened to slip off the front seat and start to tumble, you could fall under the steering wheel, right on top of the gas pedal or get mixed up with the brakes. Even an air bag going off could do a lot of damage. Now there’s an accident waiting to happen!
Our friends at PAW, The Partnership for Animal Welfare, have published an extensive list of good tips for dog car safety:
- * Make sure your collar cannot slip off when entering or exiting the car and keep your I.D.. tag with an easily accessible number, such as your cell phone number, attached to it.
* Airbags can pose hazards to smaller people and pets.
* An unrestrained pet can interfere with driving and become a hazardous projectile in the event of an accident or sudden stop. Your could injure a passenger or even knock out the driver!
* Crates or sturdy pet carriers are an ideal way to restrain pets in cars, and should be secured, or, install a pet barrier to keep pets in the back seat.
* Keep just a small window space open - dogs can make themselves very skinny in order to escape through a window, even in a moving vehicle.
* Secure the dog so that he cannot hit buttons for electric windows, adjustable mirrors, etc. There goes your fun and games!
So, I guess I can’t help you get things back to the old ways, but I sure can give you some things to think about. Humans take great care to keep their little kids in car seats and obey all sorts of auto safety laws. Doesn’t it make you feel pretty good to know you are just as important?
Your friend,
Fisher
