too cold for cats?

pauliewallie

we usually keep our cat outside at night, but at what temperature is it uncomfortable for a cat? he has a little cat cabin with an opening for shelter.

boomerang

All I can tell you is that the minimum ambient temperature requirement in a cattery is 10 degrees celsius.

You can help keep him warm by providing vet bed (best invention ever - way warmer than any other bedding and a doddle to wash and dry) plus a snugglesafe heat pad on the very cold nights. (Available from Maxi Zoo and also www.zooplus.ie - heat in the microwave for six minutes and it stays warm for up to ten hours.) Ideally you'd have a basket for him within the kennel. It wouldn't be an ideal situation for an older cat to be breathing in such cold air, but if he's young and healthy he should be ok... The poor ferals have to tough it out over winter without any such comforts, but then at least they tend to sleep together for warmth.

pauliewallie

thanks have brought him in tonight - the shelter is small and not well insulated so probably best for him as this is the coldnest night in ages.

will check out the blanket you suggest. any suggestions where I could get a cat/dog kennel with a door flap? have been on the look out but no joy.

cheers

JuliusCaesar

Why do you put your cats out at night? I've never understood this.

Zapperzy

pauliewallie wrote: »

thanks have brought him in tonight - the shelter is small and not well insulated so probably best for him as this is the coldnest night in ages.

will check out the blanket you suggest. any suggestions where I could get a cat/dog kennel with a door flap? have been on the look out but no joy.

cheers

I got a flap with heavy, thick plastic strips that you just nail onto the inside or outside of the door pretty cheap in a petshop, it keeps out most of the breeze and stops rain blowing in. Or do you mean a proper catflap like the ones you fit on doors? This is like what I have http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dog_houses_flaps/dog_houses/natura/129922 If you have a look around that site you might see what you were thinking of.

Sassy58

I got a kennel with a cat flap in it from Breffin Petshop in Dundrum it was for the feral that was hanging around.

But then we did get a dog kennel purpose built for the dogs for during the day with 2 layers of vet bedding, individual beds, walls insulated - that they haven't set foot in since Oct 10 so 4 feral cats have moved into it lol lol - I just hope they appreciate the solar light :rolleyes: and the fact that we have a metal bar at the door to keep it open slightly and a shelter over the door so the rain doesn't go into the kennel .......but I am a sucker and I put the snugglepads in it when its really cold so they are extra warm

fatmammycat

Ours sleep outside in a shed at night too, we bought them 'igloos' fully enclosed beds with only a small opening and they LOVE them– so much so the tabby asks to go out during the day now to snore in his igloo. Keeps them very warm at night. We never keep our cats in at night, they go to the shed at about midnight, out again at about 6/7 am.

seamus

JuliusCaesar wrote: »

Why do you put your cats out at night? I've never understood this.

There's a long-persisting myth that because cats appear to sleep all day, they are nocturnal and if you leave them in at night they will only walk around the house howling and keeping you awake.

Most cats, including the big saharan cats are simple lazy creatures who like to sleep a lot regardless of time of day.
"Crepuscular" is usually the term used to describe cats' habits (meaning they're most active during dawn and dusk), but a cat which spends most of its time indoors will typically adjust its behaviour such that it wakes and sleeps at roughly the same times that its owner does.

angelfire9

seamus wrote: »

JuliusCaesar wrote: »

Why do you put your cats out at night? I've never understood this.

There's a long-persisting myth that because cats appear to sleep all day, they are nocturnal and if you leave them in at night they will only walk around the house howling and keeping you awake.

Most cats, including the big saharan cats are simple lazy creatures who like to sleep a lot regardless of time of day.
"Crepuscular" is usually the term used to describe cats' habits (meaning they're most active during dawn and dusk), but a cat which spends most of its time indoors will typically adjust its behaviour such that it wakes and sleeps at roughly the same times that its owner does.

My cat refuses to leave the house when it's cold he sits at the back door watching the world go by.

As Seamus says he sleeps pretty much at the same time as we do but he wakes 30 mins or so before my alarm goes off just so he can jump on my face to wake me first

fatmammycat

I wish ours were like that, they're in and out all day long, in out in out in out. The big black and white fellow hates closed doors and will wail to get out, then change his mind two strides outside and want to come back in again. They'd drive a person crazy sometimes. Roll on warm weather so the office door can be open all day (That's not to say he won't find something else to complain about).

planetX

seamus wrote: »

There's a long-persisting myth that because cats appear to sleep all day, they are nocturnal and if you leave them in at night they will only walk around the house howling and keeping you awake.

Most cats, including the big saharan cats are simple lazy creatures who like to sleep a lot regardless of time of day.
"Crepuscular" is usually the term used to describe cats' habits (meaning they're most active during dawn and dusk), but a cat which spends most of its time indoors will typically adjust its behaviour such that it wakes and sleeps at roughly the same times that its owner does.

A myth? My cats are most definitely nocturnal - and if you leave them in at night they do walk around the house howling to go out.:p
They want to hunt mice, and they want to do it at night... Mine were very keen to get going last night despite the cold, I think the frost excites them.

pauliewallie

JuliusCaesar wrote: »

Why do you put your cats out at night? I've never understood this.

our cat is an outdoor cat - he does be out day (while we are in work) and usually looks to get out at night, he seems to enjoy being out and about in the dark and its unusual to find him looking to get back in until the morning, for his breakfast

he enjoys his indoor hours aswell, he sleeps on the couch in the evening and on the weekend. but in the main he likes it outside .... mixing it up with the other neigbourhood cats.

he toilets outside, we no longer keep a litter tray, and a couple times we have kept him inside he has poohed on the kitchen floor - so that is another reason he goes out at night.

pauliewallie

boomerang wrote: »

All I can tell you is that the minimum ambient temperature requirement in a cattery is 10 degrees celsius.

You can help keep him warm by providing vet bed (best invention ever - way warmer than any other bedding and a doddle to wash and dry) plus a snugglesafe heat pad on the very cold nights. (Available from Maxi Zoo and also www.zooplus.ie - heat in the microwave for six minutes and it stays warm for up to ten hours.) Ideally you'd have a basket for him within the kennel. It wouldn't be an ideal situation for an older cat to be breathing in such cold air, but if he's young and healthy he should be ok... The poor ferals have to tough it out over winter without any such comforts, but then at least they tend to sleep together for warmth.

the only vet bed I could find on zooplus is for a dog

http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dog_beds_baskets/dog_blankets/vetbed/251997#more

is this the same oen you are referring to?

barbiegirl

That's vetbed ok, and it's fantastic stuff.

Whispered

seamus wrote: »

but a cat which spends most of its time indoors will typically adjust its behaviour such that it wakes and sleeps at roughly the same times that its owner does.

If mine is anything to go by they adjust their behaviour so that they wake up just as their owner is drifting off to sleep and they spend the next ten minutes "kneading" said owner into a suitably comfortable lump. They then sleep on the owner, sometimes drooling on them.

I'd think it's too cold to leave them out overnight now. It's very dangerous too. Better off bringing them in and giving them an indoor bed.

boomerang

pauliewallie wrote: »

the only vet bed I could find on zooplus is for a dog

http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dog_beds_baskets/dog_blankets/vetbed/251997#more

is this the same oen you are referring to?

Sorry Paulie, might have confused you there,

The only two places I know of where you'll get the snugglesafe heat pad is Maxi Zoo petshops or else the Zooplus website - and they are cheaper from Zooplus.

Vetbed on the other hand you can buy pretty much anywhere so have a look around and find the best price. I got the best value from www.k9komforts.ie but others will be able to suggest good websites for vetbed too.

(I got a piece of the good, rubber-backed vetbed big enough to fit both my collies' beds for €18 from k9komforts at a dog show. They might charge higher prices to buy through their website.)

fatmammycat

Paulie, Amazon are selling some brilliant igloo/cave beds at the moment for not huge sums, extremely practical for colder weather, and easy to care for/washable. Plus you can put what you like in them, my two have sheepskin pads inside as well as padding.

serenacat

I think everyone should keep a litter tray in their house even if they have a inside-outside cat so the cat can use it if the weather is bad or if you leave him/her inside for too long while you are out. my cat often meows to go out last thing at night but i ignore it as he has a litter tray which he can use and I feel it's safer for him to be inside at night, from 6am until 11pm he can go outside all he likes.

ziggy23

My 2 quite enjoy being out at night too they do come in the odd night but after a few hours they are sitting on the windowsill meowing to go out:rolleyes: They have a couple of cosy beds in the shed...so cosy infact that I've spotted a couple of the locals plonked in them!

Serena I agree with the litter tray thing if my 2 are in I put their big litter tray with the hood in the bathroom.

Mo60

It must be too cold for cats, mine came knocking at the door to come back in last night.

Full house - 3 cats, 6 dogs all snug and warm inside.

PrincessLola

JuliusCaesar wrote: »

Why do you put your cats out at night? I've never understood this.

To be fair, some houses are heavily burglary alarmed at night, even a little cat walking around would set them off. Also some cats don't use a litter tray, they just go outside.

Sigma Force

Cats outside in the dark can be at risk from road traffic accidents and all sorts but if a garden is cat proof-able it's worth considering esp. for cats that might not like being in that way they are safe while outside.

I second the vet bed and snuggle safe heat pads both are great indoors or outdoors.

Also second the idea of keeping a litter tray even a small on in a corner of the house just in case. My oulds cats are getting on in years and they generally end up going in the bath or sink (gross but in a way better than the floor.. I keep telling them to get a litter tray).

Highly recommend petcosy.ie if considering a fully insulated cat kennel if thinking of replacing the outdoor shelter. Or moving a cat kennel into a shed and using cat flaps in it is another option to minimise draughts. But probably cheaper just to get a litter tray and ensure the cat is in once it starts to get dark, zooplus have loads of fun cat trees to keep a cat occupied at night.

serenacat

PrincessLola wrote: »

To be fair, some houses are heavily burglary alarmed at night, even a little cat walking around would set them off. Also some cats don't use a litter tray, they just go outside.

I never heard of a cat not using a litter tray when it is the only option.