Protect your cat from health problems this summer

Summer months bring with them a little sunshine and lots of fun! Yet, the warmer weather can also pose problems for our cats. 

Protecting our feline friends is important all year ‘round, though there are certain health conditions that our data indicates tend to appear more often during summer months. 

Remember: Animal Friends cat policyholders can access 24/7 expert (non-emergency) veterinary advice, for free, via the Joii Pet Care app!

Let’s explore some of the top claims processed during the summer months of 2023, and find out how to prevent your pet from needing to see an emergency vet…

Learn more about:

• Grass seeds.
• Heatstroke.
• Bee/wasp sting.
• Toxic ingestion.
• Vomiting and diarrhoea.
• Ear conditions.
• Skin conditions.

Grass seeds

Wandering lazily through long grass or basking in the sun’s warmth on the lawn are activities many cats enjoy throughout the summer. Though did you know there’s danger lurking in the grass? Sharp, arrow-shaped grass seeds could attach themselves to your cat’s coat and cause a range of serious health issues. 

Grass seeds are so sharp that they’re able to burrow into your cat’s skin and travel around inside their body. In fact, grass seeds have been found in eyes, ears, noses, paws, skin, stomachs, and lungs. 

The symptoms your cat could experience if they encounter a grass seed will depend on its location. For example:

• If a grass seed gets into your cat’s paw, you might see signs like limping, swelling between their toes, and licking the affected paw.
• If a grass seed gets into your cat’s ear, you might see signs like shaking their head, scratching at their ear, and redness.
• If a grass seed gets into your cat’s nose, you might see signs like sneezing, nasal discharge, and difficulty breathing.

In 2023, 72% of grass seed-related claims were made in June to August – and the average cost of claims related to grass seeds was £508.87 for cats.

Always take your cat to a vet if they’re showing symptoms of a grass seed injury. Though should you feel concerned about your cat and think they may have encountered a grass seed, Joii could help if:

• Your cat is repeatedly shaking their head and you’re not sure why.
• You’ve found a grass seed on their body that you were able to remove.
• You’re unsure whether your cat has been affected by a grass seed.

Preventing grass seed-related injuries

From growing cat-safe grasses in your garden to thoroughly checking your cat’s coat when they return from spending time outdoors, there are ways to try preventing grass seed injuries. For further advice about grass seeds, visit this article by Joii.

Heatstroke

When a cat’s body temperature reaches above 40°C, they’re at risk of heatstroke – which is life-threatening if not treated quickly enough. Cats can get heatstroke after sitting in the sun or a hot environment for too long; whether outside, inside, in a shed, in a conservatory, or in a vehicle.

Although all cats are at risk of heatstroke during warm weather, those most at risk are flat faced (brachycephalic), overweight, very young, older, or long coated cats.

Symptoms of heatstroke in cats:

• Panting or fast breathing.
• Confusion or disorientation.
• Vomiting and diarrhoea.

Please contact a vet immediately if you think your cat may be suffering from heatstroke.

According to our claims data for heatstroke from 2023, the average claim for cats cost around £662.66.

Providing your cat isn’t suffering from heatstroke, Joii vets should be able to help if:

• Your cat has mild symptoms, e.g. low energy, and you’re unsure what to do.
• Your cat has previously had heatstroke and you have questions about it.
• You need any advice about how to keep your cat cool in the warm weather.
• You have questions about the types of frozen treats that are safe for your cat.
• You’d like weight loss advice for your cat.

Preventing heatstroke

Ways to prevent heatstroke in cats include inspiring them to stay hydrated, keeping them inside where it’s cool during the hottest times of day, and avoiding travelling with them. To find out more about this topic, you can read our article about heatstroke in cats.  

Bee/wasp sting

A signal of summer is dealing with bees and wasps; while these fuzzy, little pollinators are essential for nature, there’s a chance they’ll clash with our curious feline friends! 

Sometimes, a buzzing bee or angry wasp can become a target for our cats to chase – opening them up for a sting if they get too close. Spotting the signs of a bee/wasp sting can be challenging, especially if your cat prefers their own space, though here are some of the symptoms of a sting:

• Swelling or redness.
• Nibbling or pawing at a specific spot.
• Restlessness or vocalising more than usual.

However, there are also cases where cats are allergic to bee and wasp stings, which results in serious symptoms, including breathing difficulties, extreme drowsiness, and hives. 

Please contact a vet straight away if your cat shows symptoms of a bee or wasp sting allergy.

From our claims data, the average cost of a claim for a cat with a bee or wasp sting in 2023 was £301.91.

If your cat has mild symptoms suggesting they might have a bee or wasp sting, Joii may be able to help with advice on what to do next.

Preventing bee/wasp stings

Although it’s near impossible to protect your cat from getting stung, particularly if they venture outside, there are a few things you can do to try preventing bee/wasp stings:  

• Add fly screens to open doors and windows during the summer.
• Avoid using floral scented products on your cat or in your home.
• Distract your cat from chasing bees and wasps using a toy or treat if ever you notice them paying attention to a bee or wasp. 

Check out our article about protecting your cat from bees and wasps for further advice.

Toxic ingestion

Whether it’s a barbeque on a warm, summer’s eve or a garden picnic in the sunshine, our cats are given extra opportunities to swipe snacks they shouldn’t be eating. Unfortunately, eating something that’s poisonous poses serious health risks to our cats, like toxic ingestion.

There are many food types that are toxic to cats, including chocolate, xylitol, and grapes. However, cats can also get toxic ingestion when they swallow a foreign object (e.g. a piece of string or a small toy). 

Signs your cat could have eaten something toxic include:

• Vomiting and diarrhoea.
• Lethargy (quieter than usual).
• Trembling.

Please contact a vet as quickly as possible if you think your cat might have eaten something toxic or poisonous. 

According to our data, claims for toxic ingestion increased by a whopping 62% in August 2023! Additionally, the average cost for toxic ingestion claims for cats was £986.17 in 2023. 

As long as your cat isn’t suffering from obvious toxic ingestion symptoms, Joii can help if:

• Your cat seems off-colour or unwell, and you aren’t sure whether it’s linked to toxic ingestion.
• You need to know which dental products are safe for cats (to avoid xylitol poisoning).
•  You’d like advice as to whether a specific type of food is toxic to cats.
• Your cat is showing no signs of toxic ingestion, but you think they’ve eaten something that might be poisonous.

Preventing toxic ingestion

Thankfully, you can protect your cat from most cases of toxic ingestion! To discover how to keep your cat from getting toxic ingestion, read our articles about plants to avoid and a guide to poisons in the home for further advice. 

Vomiting and diarrhoea

An upset stomach isn’t something anyone wants to encounter – though as cat owners, we expect to deal with our feline friend’s vomiting and diarrhoea at some point in their life. Common causes of vomiting and diarrhoea in cats tend to be eating something they shouldn’t, dietary changes, food intolerances, and worms. 

Since summertime brings hot weather, our cats are put at greater risk of health issues that can lead to vomiting and diarrhoea, like heatstroke.

Our data suggests claims for vomiting and diarrhoea saw a spike in August 2023, with the average cost of vomiting and diarrhoea claims being around £808.64 across the year. 

You’re able to ask Joii for support when your cat suffers from vomiting and/or diarrhoea if:

• You notice your cat isn’t interested in eating and/or drinking.
• You’d like to discuss a one-off episode of vomiting or diarrhoea.
• You need advice about feeding your cat safely after they vomited or had diarrhoea. 
• Your cat has suffered several episodes of occasional vomiting and/or diarrhoea over time.
• You think your cat might have eaten something poisonous.
• You see worms in your cat’s poo.
• You require advice about worming treatments.
• You’d appreciate some advice about your cat’s behaviour (e.g. to prevent them from chewing or swallowing things they shouldn’t be eating).

Prevent vomiting and diarrhoea

Constant access to fresh, cool drinking water is vital to protect your cat from dehydration. 

Top tip: We’ve created a guide packed with pumpkin facts to help your cat deal with diarrhoea in an unexpected way!

Explore this topic further by visiting our Diarrhoea and Vomiting Hub, or by reading articles about vomiting in cats and diarrhoea in cats.

Ear conditions

Ear conditions can cause our cats a lot of discomfort. So, if your feline friend ends up suffering from an ear condition over the summer, it could ruin their fun – and yours.

Potential causes of ear conditions include bacterial infections, allergies (e.g. pollen), foreign bodies (e.g. grass seeds), and ear mites. Understanding the reason your cat has an ear condition is essential to make sure they get the right treatment, which is where Joii or your vet can help. 

Symptoms of ear conditions include:

• Scratching their ears.
• Head shaking.
• Smelly ears, with or without discharge (e.g. ear wax).

To access support and save the stress of travelling your cat to a local vet when the weather’s warm, you can speak to a Joii vet if:

• You want to know which ear cleaners are safe to use for your cat.
• You’d like advice on how to safely clean your cat’s ears.
• Your cat suffers from repeated ear infections and you’re unsure what to do next.

Preventing ear conditions

Steps you can take to lower the risk of your cat developing an ear condition include:

• Keeping their ears as dry as possible.
• Training your cat to feel comfortable with having their ears cleaned (yet be careful not to clean their ears too often!).
• Check your cat’s ears for grass seeds when they return from being outdoors.

Visit our article about ear infections in cats for more information.

Skin conditions

Owing to the many reasons cats can suffer from skin conditions, there are countless symptoms they could encounter, including:

• Itchiness.
• Sores and scabs.
• Excessive grooming.

While each cat’s individual experience of a skin condition will depend on the cause of their symptoms, some of the major causes behind skin issues in cats are:

• Food intolerances.
• Flea bites.
• Allergies (e.g. pollen).

We saw claims for skin conditions start to rise towards the end of summer 2023, with 43% of claims made between August and October. Our data also shows that the average cost of a claim to treat a cat’s skin condition was £523.47 in 2023.

Have a chat to the vet experts over at Joii if:

• You want to find out how to do a food trial (testing specific ingredients in food that could be causing an intolerance/allergy that’s leading to your cat’s skin problems).
• You want to know which supplements are best for your itchy cat.
• You’ve got questions about parasite control.

Preventing skin conditions

Uncovering the reason for your feline friend’s skin condition is the only way to help them overcome it. Though to prevent your cat developing a skin condition in the first place, it’s recommended that you routinely use vet-approved flea treatments and avoid potential allergens, where possible. 

To make the most out of summer with your cat, you can learn more about avoiding, diagnosing, and treating skin conditions by visiting our article on seasonal allergies.