Keeping Your Outdoor Cats Safe During the Summer Months

Your cats love to explore the outdoors. You want to give them freedom to roam and play, but you also want to keep them safe and healthy. Is this possible? Yes! By following a few tips from a cat clinic in Alexandria, VA, you can give your feline friends the freedom they desire and protect them from the dangers of the outside world. Here’s how.

Proper Protection

If your cats venture into the outdoors, they are more likely to encounter ticks and fleas and bring them home with them. Heartworms are also a possibility. To protect your cats from these invaders, keep them current on monthly medications that prevent fleas, ticks and heartworms. Visit your cat clinic in Alexandria, VA to pick up the recommended doses.

Healthy Harnesses

Keeping your cat in a harness while outdoors can allow them to experience nature while maintaining control of their wanderings. Choose a harness with proper straps: one part goes around the neck, another under the arms and a third along the chest. This three-part collar allows you to leash your cat and take them for safe walks or allow them to explore your yard while tethered.

Specialized Strollers

If you’d like to take your cat for a walk, but a harness or leash doesn’t sound appealing, consider a cat stroller. These specialized strollers are similar to baby strollers, but offer an enclosed seating area. Your cat can stroll the neighborhood with you while remaining safe from neighborhood dogs, traffic and any other dangers you may encounter on your walk.

Sufficient Supplies

If your cats will be outdoors, they will need sufficient shade and water. Always be sure to provide plenty of water in an easily accessible container. If your cat will be in your yard, be sure there is a place they can rest in the shade. Without these accommodations, your cats can become overheated, sunburned and/or dehydrated.

Creative Catios

A catio is a cat enclosure, or “cat patio,” which you can add to your window, porch, patio, deck or yard. The cats can access their catio through a cat door in a door, wall or window. It offers a place for your furry friends to enjoy the pleasures of the outdoors without encountering the dangers. You can even create one large enough for humans, so you can sit outside with your cat!

Cat Curfews

Use treats to entice your cat back indoors during the most dangerous times. Don’t let them prowl freely at night, and bring them in during heavy traffic times. This will help protect them from cars and nocturnal predators.

Keep Them Safe

Of course, regular visits to your cat clinic in Alexandria, VA will also help keep your cats safe this summer and year-round. Don’t hesitate to contact the team at Kingstowne Cat Clinic if you have any concerns about the health of your cats. We offer in-depth knowledge and experience to answer questions, offer advice and provide treatment for a full range of feline concerns. Reach out to us today!

Categorised in: Cat Clinic

This post was written by Writer