Many people think that because cats don’t have sweat glands all over their bodies like humans do, this means that cats can’t sweat. However, though the process may be different, cats definitely do sweat.
How Do Cats Sweat?
Cats sweat from their nose and the pads of their feet. While there are sweat glands in other parts of a cat’s skin, these eccrine sweat glands produce an oily substances that acts as a pheromone.
Cats usually leave wet footprints behind when they walk on hard surfaces such as tables or floors. This is more likely to occur during warmer months or if the cat is under stress.
Why Do Cats Sweat?
Cats sweat to keep their body temperature normal. When they get too hot, they sweat to cool down. Sweat evaporates and provides a cooling sensation on their paw pads. However, because cats have small paw pads, the evaporating sweat does not provide much relief from heat. So cats use other ways to stay cool.
Cats sweating is common when they experience stress. If you see your cat leaving damp paw prints while at the vet or traveling, this means they’re experiencing high levels of stress.
Why Do Cats Pant?
Panting is not a way that cats cool their body off, unless they are very stressed, cannot breathe or are extremely overheated. If your cat is panting it may need help with regulating its temperature, calming down or breathing. A panting cat usually needs immediate veterinary attention and should not be ignored.
What is a Normal Cat Temperature?
A cat’s average body temperature is 100-102.5 degrees Fahrenheit. If their temperature reaches over 102.5, they may start to sweat from their paw pads or even begin panting. Therefore, it’s crucial to know these signs since taking a cat’s temperature with a thermometer can be challenging.
How to Cool Your Cat Down
Cats often lick themselves to cool down because it is more efficient than panting and sweating through the paw pads. This happens more in warmer months when a cat’s body temperature tends to be higher. Licking provides a cooling effect by lowering the body temperature.
If you want to help your cat cool down, there are a few things you can do. Provide a cool breeze with a fan or give it cold water to drink. Place your cat in the shade, air conditioning, or on a cool surface like tile flooring. If your cat doesn’t hate water, rinse it off with cool water or give it a bowl full of fresh cold water to play in and keep cool. If you want to help your cat stay cool during summer, encourage it to play at night rather than during the day. Also, if your cat has long hair, consider having it shaved short for the season.
Do not wait to cool your cat down if you think it is overheating. Seizures, permanent brain and organ damage, and even death can occur in cats if their body temperature gets too high for too long of a period of time.
