badasszombiespinster:

As summer in some places of the world, like here in the U.K., is now in full swing, many people are coming up with interesting and creative ways to keep themselves and objects/food/drinks cool. A popular one is using delightful ice-cubes like wine-cubes, coffee-cubes and, of course, flower-cubes. And while this may seem like a little treat limited to people, there are ice-cubes that your cat would also appreciate!

Cats, especially thick furred ones and pale coloured ones, will likely need higher maintenance in summer - more thorough brushing, suncream, tea-tree cream and maybe even a shave if they have an impressive mane! They will also need to consume more water, and while cats get most of their moisture from their food, they’d probably appreciate a nice cool drink (so please make sure you keep their water bowls clean and fresh, changing more often now that its summer!). While plain ice-cubes are fine and can both entertain a cat and keep a drink cool for the thirsty, here are a few plants you could provide in ice-cubes for both people and cats that are nice herbal treat to soothe the dehydrated:
- Thyme; has a dry, subtlety aromatic flavour, vaguely similar to mint, and, although it has a more weak flavour, its quite refreshing
-  Rosemary; very resin-like in scent and flavour, roughly similar to pine trees (which might sound unappealing, but is better for those looking for a stronger flavour)
- Catnip; musty and definitely not in most peoples flavour but certainly appealing to feline friends! furthermore, its very very mildly sedative in nature, and if your cat is particularly stressed from the heat, this is a recommended one

Furthermore, PLEASE don’t leave out your cats food for hours on end, especially in the heat. The food goes stale faster, the smell will attract flies, and could give your kitty worms (vets bills!). A simple method would be to place a small china or plastic plate over your cats bowl - which will also put off most other cats who are too lazy to try shoving a plate off a bowl - but another method, and slightly more herbal, would be to find a bunch of tansy - a yellow-flowered, frothy, dark-green foliaged plant often found in the herb sections of garden centres, but can also be found commonly around as its totally unfussy about growing conditions - and to tie it so it hangs above the cats bowl. Its not the most potent ward, but it can put off an unwary fly. And please do not leave your cats food bowl anywhere near its litter tray or water bowl (and try to provide more then one water bowl and/or litter tray through out the house so they can have options). You probably wouldn’t want to eat your dinner with your face above the toilet.

Elderly cats also appreciate the soothing scent of lavender, particularly in the summer. A simple pot of lavender, large enough for them to sit in or near, in a shady spot would be most beneficial to them in the summer and give them somewhere to rest. Lavender can also be maintained indoors, so even if you have an indoor cat, lavender could benefit them too (though please don’t do anything like put lavender oil right in their favourite spots. Lavender oil is very concentrated and could put your cat off resting there. Its much wiser just to keep a pot of lavender somewhere away from their normal resting places). You can also grow them a lavender and thyme bed if you feel so inclined, though it takes a bit more work! (if anyone wants to know how, send me an ask and I’ll post the information).

Just some more pointers:
- if your cat is pale-furred, please invest in some cat-friendly suncream and cover their ears and the top (not the entire) nose with it? If you fear your cat is already sunburnt, or has irritation from pollen or some other plant that has caused inflammation, check with a vet that its not too severe, and look into getting some cat-friendly tea-tree cream, which can help soothe inflammation, rashes and irritation.
- if your cat is thick or long furred, please make sure you groom them more regularly as they moult (they may not like it, but they’ll be more comfortable in the long run, and that’ll also mean less moulted cat hairs!), and if it seems too uncomfortable for them, talk to your vet about getting their fur trimmed or even shaved. Though your cat may look a bit silly its better then them over-heating!
- with the heat, its probable that squabbles are more likely to ensue between felines. If you have a multi-cat household, please try and remember that cats don’t like sharing, and if you only have one litter tray or water bowl, there are going to be more squabbles. Please adjust to this accordingly and try to buy/get them some more litter trays/water bowls (in terms of litter trays, I always say one per cat, and then one extra). Make sure cats also have an opportunity for privacy, both with you and occasionally on their own, to try to prevent fighting
- please provide your cat with scratch posts - otherwise they might take out their frustration on furniture or clothes
- try not to leave cats out for more then twelve hours at a time, and very little (preferably never) at night. Contrary to popular opinion, cats would just as eagerly be indoors as out at night, and they can do damage to the already existing nocturnal wildlife if you leave them out all night. It can also encourage daylight laziness, meaning you get to see them (and provide food for them) less and irregularly 
- maybe see if you can make up some little resting areas, with thin blankets, cushions or toys in shady spots

I hope everyone and their cats has a fantastic summer!

p.s. I don’t know how much of the above applies to dogs, as I’m not a dog-owner and never have been, but feel free to look into it!

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