"When you're hot, you're hot."
I have no idea who dreamed up that line, but it certainly makes a lot of sense, in several ways.
Huge chunks of North America have been suffering through temperatures in the 90s (F) or above. (That's 30+ for those of us who count temperature in degrees Celsius.) Even up here on the Canadian Prairies (north of the Plains States) I've seen video of people cooking eggs on sidewalks and on the dashboards of cars in the last few days. I kid you not.
One of the managers of our SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) was on tv, and surprised me. We might think it's OK to leave the family pup in the car for a bit, while we go sun and surf. Park in the shade if you can, leave some water, roll down the windows. Apparently not. There is no safe period of time that you can leave your pet in a car, unattended, on a hot day, said the bright young woman. Our dogs feel the heat as much as we do. I assume that would be the same for cats. (Yes, this is one time I worry even about cats. Dogs have owners; cats have staff — you can tell the difference in attitude pretty quickly.)
I was talking to an SPCA's Board member a few days later, and told her how good her employee was. And I got some additional info about hot weather care, because people underestimated how sick their animals could get, and how quickly.
So, what to do as the heat wave continues?
1. Head for the local swimming pool.
2. Get into an air-conditioned building — library, mall, whatever.
3. Drink lots of water, especially if you're working outside. Your body is going to put out a lot of liquid trying to keep you cool, so you need to keep filling up the internal water reservoir.
4. Crawl under a rock, and don't come out until September.
5. Keep your pet in the shade, out of the car, with lots to drink.
I'm serious about this! You people are so sweet, you'd probably melt in about ten minutes. I'd hate to lose any of you. My blog depends on you!
11 comments:
it amazes me people will keep their pets in their cars in the heat. sad.
Dogs and cats don't sweat, so they heat up quickly. I remember my dogs looking so very miserable in the heat, tongue hanging out, slurping of gallons of water, just sacked out in the shade. Dogs just can't take this weather! And then the firecrackers go off in July and really make them crazy.
We definitely headed to the south just in time to miss the tornado, then the flooding, and now the unBEARable heat.
And the next time I see a dog in a car, in a parking lot, and he's still there when I come out of the store...I told Joe he'll have to be the look-out, cuz one of those windows will be broken by none other than yours truly.
I don't understand why someone would take their dog or cat in the car in the first place, and then to leave it there--I don't get that.
Right. We don't want any of our gang melting. And not any of their precious pets, either. Another thing to remember in the heat is water for birds. Keep the birdbath filled with fresh water, because they both splash anddrink from that source. I have also been filling it at night for the deer who wander the neighborhood.
We've been lucky here in the Pacific NW and have not been affected by the horrid heat wave. I feel for everyone who is suffering in it.
Our 3 cats have been very slow and a bit on the immobile side for the last 3 days. They are wiser than I am.
Still the heath feeling is relative, last week, at 28C, MoR was at my place and he felt cold used as he is to Rome's 35 to 40C this time of year.
And here in the UK the temperature is struggling to reach 20C (70F).
Whatever the temperature people should not leave pets or babies in cars but they do!
Oh Bear it has been just horrible here. Factoring in the heat index it's been in the 100's!
I have two little dogs but they stay indoors with me in the AC. However when I walk them, several times a day, it is just hard to breath out there!!!
One of my dogs is a Pug so we have to be especially careful that she doesn't get overheated.
From what I hear it's not supposed to cool off here, anytime soon.
Love Di ♥
i'm one of those idiots who goes out running in 95 above and 25 below. must have been a marine in a past life.
but agree completely about the pets. don't let them stay outside too long. keep water bowls filled. and maybe, sometime, i'll take a tip from my smarter than me airedale and stretch out and lie on the cool kitchen floor ;-)
Gets up to 44C + here, and people leave pets AND babies in cars. :(
Thanks, friends. I don't know about pets in hot cars. I guess people want to take their animals with them when they go, but don't think through the consequences, and don't really understand their pets. Even more, I don;t understand about babies left in hot cars. (Bear shakes head.)
I appreciate all your thoughts and suggestions.
In this regard I seem to remember somebody writing about being guided by his dog in hot weather: drink lots, lie on the grass, in the shade. Stuff like that.
Thanks for sharing your wisdom, friends.
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