SWharton Posted February 14, 2016 Report Share Posted February 14, 2016 We have a diabetic cat and would like to boondock in a NP. We can only run our generator for AC 2 hours in AM and 2 hours in PM. The outside temp will be in the 80s so the MH will be getting hot. We will able to run our 12v fans and have a few windows cracked while we are gone. Once the sun goes down it will be in the 40s and 50s. We are concerned about the cat getting overheated and the impact on his diabetes. We could stay at a park 25 miles away with electricity but would rather stay in the NP. Does anyone have input on our concern? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skp51443 Posted February 15, 2016 Report Share Posted February 15, 2016 I'm not sure about how sensitive to heat the diabetes will make your cat, someone else will have to answer that. On the temperature in your rig, you can easily keep that to within a couple degrees of the outside temp.Running a good quality vent fan that moves a fair amount of air will be a big help,leaving a window cracked a couple inches at the other end of the rig will do a good job of cross ventilating. Adding sun screen material to the front window will also help a lot, a light color mounted outside will do the most for heat reduction but it will impact your view more than a darker material. Sunscreen on any side windows that will be getting sun will help, not usually as much as fixing the windshield but enough to make doing that worth it unless you have awnings to shade them. If you want maximum heat rejection use Reflectrix to line the inside of the windows but it will completely block your view while it is installed. Good news is it is easy to put up and remove so doing so daily isn't unreasonable. If you find the cat suffering you can toss him in a carrier with a couple ice packs under a layer of towel, that will cool him down and get some relief from the heat. We have cooled a cat with towels dipped in ice water before, the cat won't like it but if he is suffering he will usually tolerate it. The dry ice packs are better but do need to be protected from sharp claws. We use these for several things, not the cat though, and they work quite well and need minimal space to cool. http://smile.amazon.com/Ace-Reusable-Cold-Compress-Large/dp/B00717YEO8/ref=sr_1_1 First rule of computer consulting: Sell a customer a Linux computer and you'll eat for a day. Sell a customer a Windows computer and you'll eat for a lifetime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWharton Posted February 15, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2016 Thanks Stan for the info. We are in Phoenix right now and hot weather came on fast to our surprise. I am going to try to call our vet today and ask but they are probably closed but I can hope. I was hoping we had a retired vet in our population but I guess not. If I get an answer I will post back to the forum for everyone's education. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
remoandiris Posted February 15, 2016 Report Share Posted February 15, 2016 I also have a diabetic cat. Mine is going on 14 yrs old and has been on insulin for about 2 yrs. As long as water is available, the heat will likely not be an issue for the cat. Just make sure the insulin is kept cool, if your cat is on insulin. But asking your vet is the best thing to be sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWharton Posted February 15, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2016 Thanks for the input. Our cat is 16 and has been on insulin for 3 years. We keep the insulin in the refrig so that should be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.