It's that time of year when we turn up the heat and the temperature drops. We wonder how low we can turn our thermostats without making our feline friends' lives miserable as the cost of heating our homes rises and our budgets shrink. In an effort to cut costs, how can we keep our indoor cats warm in the winter? Here are some helpful hints.
How frigid is too frigid?
In general, if it is too cold to be comfortable for you, it is also too cold for your cat. Little cats, senior felines, and debilitated felines will feel the chilly in excess of a sound, mature feline.
Hypothermia occurs when a cat's temperature falls below 99F and remains there for an extended period of time, as opposed to our 98F. Indoor cats are at risk from air temperatures below 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cats are most at ease in temperatures around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, so if you want to keep your home cooler than that, you should give them ways to get warm.
Food and Water
Offer Kitty additional food when it's colder. Those calories will be used to keep him warm. Adding warm broth or water to wet food or microwaving it for a few seconds will warm it up for him in the same way that a bowl of hot soup warms us up on a cold day.
Kitty will also benefit from eating wet food in the dry winter by staying hydrated and remaining comfortable. You can also provide products like Purina HydraCare or KittyRade.
Playing with your cat keeps her active and warm, so keep her moving. She stays warm and her blood circulates thanks to this. Additionally, it will stop her from gaining those winter pounds. Therefore, gather your wand toys and send Kitty scurrying and bouncing.
Find a warm place for Kitty to sleep.
If your heating system is zoned, you can lower the temperature in the rest of the house while keeping one or two rooms at the 70°F temperature that cats prefer. Ensure Kitty's #1 regions are without draft. Weather stripping and draft dodgers can help keep the cold air out of her space. To take advantage of the sun, raise and lower the blinds.
Kitty can curl up in a den and stay warm by strategically placing a carrier, a cardboard box, or an enclosed bed in her sleeping spot. She will remain warmer due to the confinement of her body heat in the small space. Include some cozy fleece blankets for her to cuddle up in. Utilizing a carrier mat or self-warming bed can further enhance this.
Another choice is to buy an electric bed. Avoid using a human-made heating pad. They are not made to withstand Kitty's teeth and claws and run too hot for her. Choose low-wattage pet beds instead. Treeno loves his Sleepypod portable pet bed regardless of what season it is, yet the fluffy winter liner and adding the intensity pack make it the widely adored in the cool a long time of the year.
Kitty stays more comfortable by using heating devices like snuggle safe discs that you can microwave and slide into their beds when it gets really cold. You can make your own rice sock and warm it in the microwave before putting it in his bed for less money.
Put on a Sweater When the temperature dropped and I complained of being cold, my mother always told me to put on a sweater. That piece of advice hasn't changed. Cats don't like to wear clothes. The majority despise dressing up because they aren't used to it.
If it's really cold in your house, a soft, warm fleece sweater might be appreciated by your cat. But don't make Kitty wear clothes if she doesn't like it. Cats with no hair or cats with lion cuts should be encouraged to wear sweaters in cold places.
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