Cat owners urgent heatwave warning by Pets at Home vets

With more hot weather on the horizon, experts at Pets at Home are warning cat owners to take extra steps to keep their pets hydrated.

Dr Karlien Heyrman, Head of Pets at the store, said: “We all know the importance of keeping ourselves hydrated in hot weather, but many pet owners don’t realise how dangerous dehydration can be for cats – particularly elderly cats.

“Cats are also more prone to bladder and kidney problems than other pets, so it’s particularly important to make sure they are staying hydrated to support kidney function.

Pets at Home are warning cat owners to take extra steps to keep their pets hydrated (Image: Getty/Nils Jacobi)

“Thankfully, there are some easy tips pet owners can follow to encourage their cats to drink more – in fact, one of the main reasons they don’t tend to drink enough is simply because they can be very particular about the way they drink.”

These are Dr Heyrman’s top tips for keeping your cat safe during the hot weather.

Put their water bowl in a different spot

Most cats don’t like having their water bowl right next to their food bowl, so try to separate them if you can.

And find your cat a quiet space where they can take their time to drink away from distractions such as children and other pets.

It’s best to use ceramic or stainless steel water bowls and most cats prefer their bowl to be wide, shallow and filled to the brim.

Give them options

Putting several water bowls throughout your home and garden will give cats plenty of opportunity to keep themselves hydrated, and it’s worth experimenting with different types of bowls to find your cat’s preference too.

Ideally, cats should have at least two water bowls in different areas of the home as some pets don’t like to always drink in the same spot.

This is especially important if you’ve got more than one cat as they can be possessive over both their food and their drink.

Add water to their food

If you’re struggling to get your cat to drink, you can try offering wet food if you aren’t already, or adding some water to their food to increase their intake.

The natural spring water from a tin of tuna also makes a tasty treat for cats to encourage them to drink more – you can even try freezing the spring water into ice cubes. Avoid giving them the liquid from tuna in brine or oil though as this is too salty for them.

Try running water

Some cats prefer to drink from running water, so it’s worth considering getting them a water fountain to drink from, so you can be sure they always have plenty of filtered water available.