As you pack away summer shorts and reach for a snuggly jumper, spare a thought for your cat. As the temperatures plummet she doesn’t have the luxury of donning extra layers and still pads around on bare paws.
Just as we suffer more sniffles and colds in bad weather so can our feline friends. The chilly weather is a sap to the immune system that leaves two and four-leggers alike struggling to stay well.
Fair enough, most cats are heat-seeking devices at the best of times, and can detect a warm spot from ten paces. But if you have a kitten, or a sick or elderly cat then it’s best to provide ways for her to stay warm and reserve her energy to ensure she remains well.
Food for Warmth
It’s easy to forget that food is fuel. Indeed, calories are a measurement of energy, in this case the energy to stay warm. If your cat is thin or underweight, there’s a risk she’ll burn valuable body fat in cold weather. In this scenario, increase her food allowance a little and encourage her to eat by warming the food or offering ultra-tasty treats she doesn’t normally have.
Indeed, if you feed feral cats or those who live outside, consider warming the food before you put it outdoors. This provides ‘central heating’ for the cat and can also prevent the food from freezing. In severe cold weather a heated food bowl is a good idea.
Of course, if your cat is already a ‘cuddly’ size, there’s no need to increase her rations. Those layers of love already provide insulation and encouraging her to gain yet more weight could put her at risk of diabetes.
Coat Care
There’s a reason people used to wear fur coats in winter, because hair is a fabulous insulator. Help your cat to make the most of her assets, by combing and brushing her daily. Not only does this condition the coat by spreading natural oils over the surface (and making it more waterproof) but it prevents knots and tangles. A nice, soft fluffy coat that isn’t matted is a great insulator that traps the air more effectively, and simple coat care can make a big difference.
Hot Spots
You don’t need to heat the entire house in order to keep your cat warm. Indeed, there’s a strong argument against doing this so that your cat acclimates better to cold weather extremes. Instead, provide cosy hot spots where your cat can curl up in comfort and conserve warmth and energy.
The most obvious solution is a radiator bed, the firm favourite of many felines. These hammock type beds simply hook over a radiator and allow Kitty to sleep up against the heat.
If you don’t have radiators then the premium alternative is a heated cat-bed. These are ultra-cosy as the fleece-lined beds have a pet-safe heating element that makes it the equivalent of sleeping wrapped in an electric blanket.
Your cat may already has a favourite spot and if you doubt she’ll adopt a bed, then consider a pet heat mat. Again pet-safe, these are often activated by the cat’s body weight, so you can slip it under a favourite cushion to provide gentle warmth when she curls up for a catnap.
For the older, arthritic cat the cold weather can aggravate sore joints. Applying gentle heat to the worst joints can stop your cat stiffening up and make a real difference. Try heating a wheat-bag in the microwave (until is is just warm) and then gently place it over the joint. Most cats learn to enjoy the soothing warmth and look forward to a bit of pampering.
Providing a hot water bottle wrapped up in a towel, or any of the number of microwaveable pet-warmers available on the market, will also give your cat a welcome source of warmth to cuddle up to.
Warm Beds
On the subject of cosy catnaps, a cat-igloo or an insulated bed make a great refuge where your cat can curl up and conserve heat. If your cat turns her nose up then try placing an item of your clothing inside, so that your scent reassures her and makes it more welcoming. If that doesn’t do the trick then up the ante by spritzing it with Feliway spray, the feline “welcome” hormone that helps a cat feel safe and content.
It’s worth nothing too, that some bedding materials are better insulators than others. The synthetic sheepskin called Vetbed helps hold onto warmth and wicks moisture away. Also look for synthetic beds that are backed with foil, to conserve and reflect heat back up to the cat.
Drafts
In the summer we welcome breezes because they cool, but for the same reason we avoid them in winter. Remember you cat lives mostly on floor level, so a draft whistling under a door will impact her more. Use draft excluders and insulate your home.
You can also lift the cat bed up off the floor and insulate underneath with newspapers and bubble wrap. This prevents loss of heat by conduction to the floor underneath.
A Special Mention for the Outdoor Cat
Being cold is one thing, but wet and cold is quite another. If your cat goes outside (or there are feral cats in the area) then provide a shelter from the rain. Face the entrance away from the prevailing winds, and if possible have a porch leading into the shelter so it keeps driving rain out.
Be wary of using bedding that could trap moisture, such as towels or blankets. Instead, a deep layer of straw is a good insulator that doesn’t ‘trap’ water. If your cat toilets outside, then consider erecting a shelter over the toilet spot, so that she doesn’t have to perform in the pouring rain (or snow.) Even better… provide the option of an indoor tray.
And finally, don’t forget that your lap is the ultimate cat-warmer, so take advantage of the colder weather to make settle down with a good book in one hand, a coffee mug in the other, and your cat on your lap.
How do you keep your cat warm during the cold winter months? Share your tips in the comments below.
Mr. N cuddles with me and steals my warmth lol. I’m thinking about getting him a heated pad though.
I think that food for warmth is a really great tip and not one that folks think about for cats. I also remember putting out fresh water for outdoor cats and making sure it doesn’t freeze over but is swapped out regularly. Keeping towels by door openings to keep drafts out is key too – great tips!
We don’t have a kitty, but I’m looking to put together some sort of shelter for the cats in our neighborhood. I can’t tell if they’re feral (is there a way to tell?), but I’d like them to have some place regardless. Hey, maybe one will even want to come inside 😉
Great ideas! Truffle and Brulee snuggle up on the blankets next to me when they are cold. They help keep me warm, too.
Great ideas andwe LOVE the heated bed – Dusty gives it four paws up!!!
Brrr! Great post with some really helpful ideas for ways we can help ensure cats are kept comfortable during the colder months. Many of these points are also useful for dog owners as well and I plan on sharing on twittter/pinterest to our followers. Stay warm, my friend!
Really nice ideas on how to help our kitties stay warm. Nobody likes to be cold. Nutter The Cat loves to sit on the arm of the sofa right by the fire place. That’s his winter spot. 🙂
It gets VERY cold here in the winter. Temperatures are well below freezing for the better part of 4-5 months every year. The most important thing that I do for my kitties to keep them warm is to keep them indoors. Since I am home most of the time, the heat is turned up comfortably for me and the cats are fine. It is kind of nice that the cats suddenly want to cuddle too! 🙂
My cat is an inside only cat In the warmer months, he prefers the wood floor, but when it is chilly, he cuddles up with the dogs or whatever empty lap he can find.
These are great tips. Our Mom makes sure we’re nice and warm in the colder months. We have lots of blankies and warm places to nap.
Here in AZ, it is still warm as ever and I cant even fathom a jacket right now haha. But come December/Jan, these tips will definitely come in handy for my cat, Bruce! He is a long haired cat, so I think he stays warmer than most. His favorite place to sleep is the sink lol
Some lovely ideas. I wish Nala was still with us. She loved curling up on the top of the couch and in other strategic sunny cosy spots next to or above the radiators.
I don’t have my kitties anymore, but Maggie cat used to love sleeping close to the heat. We had a super sunny window w/ a radiator under it. She’d sleep on top of the radiator in the sunny window – doubly heavenly for her!
In our previous home, we had radiator heating. The cats just loved to snuggle up on the radiators – we had them covered with beds and blankets. Our current home has forced air and the vents are above cat level. We have had to get creative with placing furniture near the vents to give Rosie access.
Great post – so important to make sure that all of know enough about how cats are sensitive to the temps in the house! Now that our pups have long coats we often forget that little breezes may affect our neighbor’s cat when she’s over visiting us!
Wonderful post! When my mom grew up on the farm here in Minnesota this was something they thought about all winter! Making sure the outside animals had a warm place to live and making sure their water didn’t freeze!!!
So many excellent tips. I know from casual conversations many people are surprised to learn cats can feel the cold. They assume their coat is enough, but who wouldn’t like to snuggle in a heated bed or in front of a hot radiator. My cats loved lying near any heat source.
Great post and tips for cat parents. We live in a fairly mild winter climate, but we still do have to turn on the heat every once in a while. Our kitties do tend to cuddle more with each other in the cooler months. I wish they’d cuddle with us more, but none are lap cats.
This is all good to know! Especially since my human and I are moving to a colder climate in January.
Awesome post, pals. Gracie and Zoe like to keep warm by laying on top of us whenever possible. Ha.
We have 2 heating pads and 2 heated throws that the kitties use. I put another blanket over them to protect from burns and I keep them on low.
I never gave much thought to keeping my cats warm, because they had each other. This winter, Cosmo will be a solo cat for the first time. I’ll have to make sure he stays warm.
Thanks for the tips.
Great post ! We can go in and out as we want, and we have plenty of blankies for going on them or under them. Zorro applies the “Food for Warmth” concept strictly, and seems to forget that he’s not a feral or an outdoor cat : Claire and I have to be super alert because he’s always begging for more food and trying to steal mine ! Claire says he’s going to be a roly-poly. Purrs, Pixie