Hot Weather
One of the most life-threatening mistakes people can make is to leave an animal in a vehicle during hot weather. Cats can't perspire, as humans do, to cool themselves off via evaporation, so they have to pant to cool themselves. If the air that they are taking in is too hot (as it is in a parked car in hot weather), then panting has little cooling effect and the cat quickly overheats.
Many people think their cat will be okay if they leave the windows open, but even with the windows wide open, the car can quickly become hot enough to cause heatstroke, brain damage, and even death. Please leave your cat at home during hot weather.
Over-exposure to heat causes many of the same symptoms as shock. You will see rapid, shallow breathing, weakness, and a very high body temperature. Cool the animal as quickly as possible by spraying him with cool (not cold) water or wrapping him in cool, moist towels. Because of the many problems caused by an elevated body temperature, seek professional help immediately.
Cats, of course, need plenty of clean, cool water during hot weather.
White cats can become sunburned if they lay in the sun too long. Even if they're indoor cats, they can get sunburned through a sunny window.
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