Caring For Our Pets

HELPING OUR PETS AVOID HEAT STROKE THIS SUMMER

Many of our pets love the sunshine but that feeling of warmth as they soak in the rays can soon lead to heat stroke and even sunburn if we are not careful. Whether they are guinea pigs, hamsters, fish, birds, cats, dogs, rabbits, donkeys or horses, etc., keeping our animals safe and comfortable in hot weather isn’t always easy but we hope these ideas help.

Keep them cool with this solid, anti-slip, Piscine Dog Pool from €39.99 at www.zooplus.fr. Or how about this stainless steel water fountain for cats and dogs, complete with built-in pump and carbon filters at €48.99? www.zooplus.fr Ear, ear! Your dog or cat will have their heads up with these soft baseball hats and bandanas at €8.75 from www.lightinthebox.com/fr

Water can be even more fun with a floating toy or two. These are both from www.zooplus.fr with prices that start at €9.99 for the KONG Wet Wubba and from €10.99 for the KONG Aqua. Take the ouch out of touch, at least where hot pavements and sand are concerned, with these anti-slip, breathable summer booties for cats and dogs. In four colours from €8.75 at www.lightinthebox.com/fr

This cute Costway Lit can be packed up quickly for use on the beach or in the garden and offers a comfortable respite from the sun with its removable canopy. €49.99, www.amazon.fr Worried about their food warming up on hot days whilst you are out? Help is at hand with this Trixie Distributeur Automatique TX1 that can automatically dispense one, two or three meals a day and has a built-in cool pack. From www.maxizoo.fr at €20.89. An evaporating collar? Incorporating non-toxic polymer beads that absorb four times their volume in water, this Collier Rafraichissant stops them giving off steam by releasing its own refreshing vapour. From €17.09 from www.wanimo.com

Rabbits, hamsters, cats, mice? This could suit any of our smaller pets. The Maisonnette Cool Cico is designed to keep its cool thanks to a granite stone top. €12.29 from www.wanimo.com Lighter coloured fur and bare skin patches can be protected with a petsafe sun cream such as Dermoscent SunFREE for dogs and cats at €18.44 from www.amazon.fr

Going out? Then you might like this cool portable fan! Easily attached to a cat or dog cage, it’s a breath of fresh air at €29.75 from www.francepetshop.com

Cooling down has never been nicer than on this refreshing gel mat designed to reduce your furry friend’s core temperature for up to six hours. Nontoxic, ready to use and no electricity required! Tapis Rafraichissant Doogy, €13.99, www.francepetshop.com

Give your bunny, hamster, guinea pig and cat or dog a break from the heat with this comfy cooling mat by Trixie. Plateau Rafraîchissant from €6.90 at www.lafermedesanimaux.com

Harness their temperature during a hot spell with this refreshing Aqua Coolkeeper vest. From €12.95 at www.lafermedesanimaux.com

Woah! Lightweight and allowing a pony, donkey or horse to move freely, this Couverture Rafraichissante pour Cheval will help to keep them fresh for four to six hours. €99.00 www.technichefrance.com

Sensitive eyes? Not anymore with these Naiyafly UV protection sunglasses for cats and dogs. Ideal if they like to put their head out of the car window, they are windproof and waterproof too! €8.35, www.amazon.fr

Top Tips for Sunny Days

• Provide lots of fresh, cold water • Make sure they have a shaded area • Place ice cubes in their water bowls • Provide damp towels for them to lie on • Keep an eye open for flystrike • Don’t leave them in a car*, even with the windows open • Move fish tanks and bird cages away from window hotspots • Apply sun cream – but make sure it is pet-safe * If you see an animal in a hot car, call the police or, if it’s at a retail outlet, contact security immediately. You could be at risk of a fine if you break a window yourself or act without authorisation. However, it’s not just cars. Conservatories and caravans can be a death trap for any animal. It might be 22°C outside but the temperature inside can quickly rise to around 47°C, and that’s a risk to life.