Do Cats Get Cold?

Cats always feel so warm to the touch when we stroke them, but do they feel the winter weather like we do, or do they ever get cold? The answers are yes and yes.

 

One of the reasons a cat feels lovely and warm when it's being stroked is because cats' regular body temperatures are two degrees higher than a human's. But this hotter natural temperature doesn't mean cats are impervious to the cold, far from it.

The Reasons Cats Love Heat
Even at the height of summer you'll see cats lying in a patch of sunlight on the patio or in a ray of light through a window, and during the winter months you'll always find a cat curled contentedly in front of the fire.

 

There are two reasons cats love warmth so much. Firstly, cats are born with temperature receptors around their faces which enable newborn kittens to locate and feed from the mother even before their eyes have opened. As they grow older these receptors become more sensitive and the pre-programmed natural urge to search out warmth becomes an everyday instinct. The second reason is that cats are better at tolerating heat than we are, so laying in the sunshine or next to an open fire isn't as uncomfortable to them as it is to us. However, despite their seeming resistance to heat, cats are not resistant to cold.

 

Cold Cats in the Winter
Like many animals, cats are capable of growing winter undercoats which they will shed once the cold weather has passed, but this alone is not enough to keep a cat warm in winter. Even indoor cats feel the cold, particularly when the owners are out of the house and the heating is switched off, and of course outdoor cats feel the icy chill in the air just as much as we do.

 

Like humans some cats feel the cold more than others, particularly older cats, very young cats or cats suffering from illness. High winds or rain and snow will also keep a cat colder because it can't retain the warmth trapped in its fur in those conditions.

 

Keeping Cold Cats Warm
The simplest way to keep cats warm over the winter is to make sure they are safely indoors and out of the wind and rain. But if you're out of the house for much of the day and don't want to waste money keeping the heating permanently on perhaps a Heated Cat Bed is the answer. Energy efficient and cheap to run, a heated cat bed will keep your cat warm while you're away, and if she's happy on her heated bed she'll be less likely to climb all over the rest of the furniture.

If yours is an outside cat and you want it to stay that way during the winter, then an Outdoor Heated Kitty House will keep the wind and snow at bay and let your cat enjoy the great outdoors while getting warmth when it needs it.

Another great idea is the Heated Kitty Sill which attaches to a window sill so an indoor cat can keep watch over the outside. The kitty sill also doubles as a regular cat window perch during the rest of the year once the heater is removed.

By John Bone