4 Frozen Treats That Keep Cats Cool When Summer Turns Up the Heat

Adapted from a Rover.com feature by Kate Barrington on DIY frozen cat treats.

Watch a cat on a hot afternoon and you'll usually find it doing the opposite of what you'd expect: stretched out in the brightest, warmest patch of sunlight it can find, soaking up heat like a lizard on a rock. It's an endearing habit, but it comes with a real downside. Cats don't cool down as efficiently as we do, and that love of sunbathing can tip over into overheating faster than most owners realise.

Because cats can't sweat their way back to a comfortable temperature, they depend on their environment to help them out — shade, airflow, and a constant supply of fresh water are non-negotiable on warm days. Beyond those basics, though, there's a fun, low-effort way to help your cat beat the heat: frozen treats you can make at home in a few minutes and keep stocked in the freezer for whenever the temperature climbs.

Which ingredients actually work?

Before freezing anything, it's worth reminding yourself of the foods that are always off-limits for cats — chocolate, onions, and garlic top that list, frozen or not. Dairy is a greyer area. Cats don't produce much of the lactase enzyme needed to break down milk sugar, so a classic dish of ice cream is a bad idea. Plain yogurt, on the other hand, is tolerated by a surprising number of cats — just steer clear of versions with artificial sweeteners (xylitol especially) or heavy added sugar.

Yogurt makes a solid base for a frozen treat, but if your cat can't handle dairy at all, you have other options: plain water, unsalted broth, or even goat's milk, mixed with cat-approved extras like flaked tuna, a pinch of catnip, or a spoonful of wet food.

Four easy recipes to try

None of these require special equipment, and you've probably already got the ingredients for at least one sitting in your kitchen. If you'd rather skip the prep entirely, a lickable cat treat popped in the freezer for an hour works just as well.

Tuna ice cubes: Empty a can of tuna packed in water into a food processor, add roughly half a cup of water, and blend until smooth, adding a splash more water if it needs it. Pour into silicone ice-cube trays, freeze for a couple of hours, then pop the cubes out and store them in a freezer bag. Canned salmon works just as well if your cat prefers it.

Pâté cubes: Scoop a can of your cat's favourite pâté-style wet food into a bowl and stir in a few of their favourite soft treats or a sprinkle of dried catnip. Spoon the mixture into small paper cups or an ice-cube tray and freeze solid. Pop out of the tray, or peel away the paper, to serve.

Goat's milk drops: Goat's milk carries natural digestive enzymes and probiotics, which makes it a gentle, nourishing option, and it freezes beautifully. Mix an instant goat's-milk supplement according to the packet directions, pour into small silicone molds, and freeze until firm. Store any extras in a freezer bag.

Frozen yogurt drops: For the cats who do fine with dairy, stir some smooth canned food into a container of plain Greek yogurt (you may need to blitz the wet food first so it mixes evenly). Spoon the mixture into a sandwich bag, snip off a corner, and pipe small drops onto a parchment-lined tray before freezing.

If none of that appeals and you'd rather buy something ready-made, a bag of frozen raw cat food kept in the freezer works as an instant treat too — just hand over a few bites at a time.

The next time the heat starts to climb, whip up a batch, settle into the shade with your cat, and enjoy watching them cool off — you might even score a taste-test bite for your trouble.

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