90+ degrees, boarded up house, can a cat survive the heat??

Question

To the person who said its too early to say, actually, where I live, is not even 20 miles from the Texas border. So where they are predicting it will hit, is where we are. I'm not panicing, I'm trying to prepare, and theres much more to prepare for than just the animals.

Answer 1

What a terrible position for you to be in. Hope Gustav will fizzle out and miss all land areas.

Yes, if you leave lots of water to prevent dehydration, they will probably be OK.

Answer 2

First of all, it is a little too early to panic about Gustav as we will not know where it will be going until it passes over Cuba (you may not actually need to evacuate). The latest models released at 4pm have shifted Gustav closer to Texas and Houston; the Houston Chronicle (www.chron.com) has some of the best coverage of the storm's progress/possible tracks and has resources on how to prepare pets for a storm. While the cats probably will survive, they will not be happy. It would be best if you can find a way to bring the cats with you as it will be much safer for them.

I strongly suggest you wait until Sunday before you decide whether you need to evacuate. Give the variance in the available models you may end up evacuating into the storm's path if you leave too early.

Answer 3

I really feel for you.  I grew up in tornado alley (Kansas) and plenty of times, we had to leave our home, sometimes on only a moment's notice, to go to a shelter in our town, since our house didn't have a basement.  During those times, we had to leave our pets behind since there wasn't time to gather them into carriers -- sometimes we barely had time to get OURSELVES into the car to race to safety.  I always hated that, but luckily, our pets always managed to survive.

As for your situation, I agree with one of the people who posted above me who said that you should leave plenty of water and ice in sinks and the bathtub.  I think your cats should probably be OK, even in the heat.  After all, cats managed to live in hot climates before air conditioning and even electric fans were invented.  

Answer 4

You need to take the cat with you. you can drop it off at a shelter until the potential is over.

Remember the poor animals dying during Katrina.

Would you leave the child? This is not out of your hands. Not like you have 4 big dogs.

Answer 5

You need to figure out some way to take your cats. Get a pet carriers and just take them with you. I can't imagine leaving behind a member of the family like that.

I would love to say that they will be OK, but I don't think anyone can know for sure. You have no idea what may happen.  

Answer 6

Survive?  Probably.  Be comfortable?  No.

If you have an older child, you could put them in charge of the cats during the trip, so you don't have to manage everything.  

If you really can't find any way to take the animals with you, then fill up every sink and bathtub with ice and water.  This will at least give the cats access to something cool for awhile.

Post a sign alerting emergency personnel to the fact that there are pets stranded in your home.  Be specific about the number and identity of the cats, and a way to contact you.  If they need to rescue the cats for some reason, at least they will be able to track the correct owner.  Talk with your neighbors and ask them to take care of the cats if they return before you do.

Answer 7

If you really, really have to, you have to.  It's better then letting them outside to be killed.  In the future, as you plan for hurricanes, purchase a box for each of them to travel in, and take them with you - they can sty in your car outside the shelter, if it is not above 70 degrees outside.

Answer 8

Yes they can survive if there's some ventilation and LOTS AND LOTS of water to drink so they don't get dehydrated. Assuming, that is, we're talking about youngish cats and not elderly ones.