How Do Cats Keep Themselves Cool in Summer?

夏天喵星人是怎么给自己降温的？

When temperatures rise， humans sweat， dogs pant， and cats... don’t move enough to overheat? Well， partially. Cats， who need to maintain an internal body temperature of 38.3℃ to 38.9℃， have several methods for keeping cool in extremely hot weather.

It’s a misconception that cats sweat through their paws to cool themselves off. As summer wears on you might see moist paw prints， but as veterinarian Kimberly May told The Washington Post， “Any secretions there or from their nose， mouth， or tongue are not for sweating; they’re for protection and moisture and are insufficient to cool the blood.”

Instead， cats recreate the sweating process—which works to cool humans via evaporation—by grooming themselves regularly. The saliva from their tongues acts like sweat that cools their body when it evaporates—which is why you can help cool your cat down by using a damp washcloth to lightly wet their fur. In extreme weather， cats will also pant， but unlike dogs who pant regularly to keep themselves cool， a panting cat is a sign of more dangerous over-heating or other serious disease.

气温上升时，人会流汗，狗会呼哧呼哧地喘气，猫呢？好像对高温没啥反应？其实，并不是完全没反应。猫需要保持38.3℃到38.9℃的体内温度，在极端炎热的天气里也有几种给自己降温的方式。

有一种错误观念认为猫通过爪子流汗来给自己降温。在夏日里你可能会看到湿润的猫爪印，但是兽医金柏莉·梅在接受《华盛顿邮报》采访时表示：“不论是猫爪子的分泌物还是猫的鼻子、嘴或舌头的分泌物都不是流汗产生的。那些分泌物是起防护和保湿的作用，不足以给血液降温。”

事实上，猫通过定期舔自己的毛发来达到流汗般的散热效果。人类通过汗液蒸发来给自己降温，猫的舌头分泌出的唾液在蒸发时也可以给身体降温。因此你可以用湿毛巾擦一擦猫的身体，轻微润湿它们的毛发，来帮助它们降温。在极端炎热的天气里，猫也会大声地喘气，但和狗不同，狗经常大声地喘气是为了降温，而猫大声喘气则是更为危险的过热或其他严重疾病的征兆。

And if you’re tempted to shave your feline friend to help keep him cool—don’t!

“Fur acts as a thermal regulator to slow down the process of heat absorption，” James H. Jones， an expert in comparative animal exercise physiology and thermoregulation at the University of California at Davis， told The Washington Post.

Fur coats are highly evolved—in the winter they keep animals warm， but in the summer， they work both to protect delicate skin from the sun and slow dehydration. Jones notes that， according to research， shaved camels fared worse in the deserts than those with their fur intact.

Even though cats evolved from wild ancestors and are able to tough it out， make sure your cats stay in a comfortable environment and leave them plenty of water when you go out.

如果你有给猫剃毛降温的冲动，千万别这么做！

美国加州大学戴维斯分校比较动物运动生理学和体温调节系的专家詹姆斯·H.琼斯在接受《华盛顿邮报》采访时表示：“毛发相当于减缓吸热过程的体温调节器。”

动物的皮毛经过了高度进化，冬天给动物保暖，夏天则保护脆弱的皮肤不被晒伤，并减慢脱水速度。琼斯指出，研究发现，被剃毛的骆驼在沙漠里没有毛发完好的骆驼表现好。

尽管猫是从野生祖先进化而来，也能够忍受炎热，但是在你出门时还是要确保你的猫待在舒适的室内环境里，并给它们留下充足的水。

Word Bank

pant /pænt/ v. 气喘；喘息

She could hear him panting up the stairs.

moist /mɔɪst/ adj. 湿润的；微湿的

Water the plants regularly to keep the soil moist.