Cats handle warmth better than most pets, but Central Valley summers push past comfortable. A few habits keep a cat safe.
What the numbers say
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Vacaville station, about 8 miles from the kennel, show an average of 101.5 days a year with highs of 90 degrees or more, and about 28.4 days at 100 or more. The average July high is 97.3 degrees. These are long-term averages, so some summers are hotter. A closed car or a sunny upper-floor room can be far hotter than the air outside.
Signs a cat is too hot
Look for restlessness, searching for cool spots, damp paws, drooling and open-mouth panting. Cats rarely pant, so treat it as a signal. Rapid breathing, a bright red tongue, vomiting, wobbling or collapse are emergencies. Move the cat to a cooler place, offer water and call a vet right away. The AVMA's hot-weather pet safety page has more on prevention.
Keeping a cat cool at home
Keep indoor temperatures steady, close blinds on sunny windows, and leave water in several spots. Provide a tile floor or a cool surface to lie on. Never leave a cat in a parked car; California Penal Code 597.7 prohibits confining an animal in an unattended vehicle under conditions that endanger it. On a hot day the drive itself needs air conditioning on and a ventilated carrier.
Boarding in summer
Cats at Happy Paws stay in individual four-level condos with their own litter box and blanket ; ask on a tour how the cattery is kept comfortable in summer. Drop-off windows are 7:30 to 11:30 AM and 2:00 to 5:00 PM; a morning drop-off avoids the hottest part of the day. The 2026 rate is $35 a night. For the dog side of this, see how hot is too hot for dogs. For the cat service page, go to cat boarding.
Older and flat-faced cats
Senior cats, overweight cats and flat-faced breeds such as Persians often handle heat less well, so keep them in the coolest room and check them more often. Make water easy to reach on every floor of the home. If a trip is planned in the hottest weeks, early or late drop-offs are gentler on any cat.