# Do cats feel the cold?



## coy (Sep 2, 2012)

Might be a silly question, but do cats feel the cold. My cousin has a collection of little wooly jumpers for the winter time. I thought that was a little overboard, but she insists her cat is always cold.


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## scottd (Jun 28, 2011)

Tina doesn't get under blankets when it's warm but she does in the winter. She won't wear clothes. Our chihuahuas on the other hand love their sweaters and the attention they get from them.


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## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

Of course they feel the cold, they're warm blooded animals. Short haired cats would be more likely to, and I certainly notice cats are more often under covers in the winter. Blacky spends the winters on my bed, as soon as spring hits she's back outdoors most of the time. 

As far as getting a sweater for the cat, that does seem overkill unless you have a Sphynx, Devon or Cornish Rex. Most cats detest clothing.


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## Cat-Daddy (Jun 16, 2012)

They definitely do. Cats are notorious for sleeping next to warm fires, heaters, udner blankets, cuddled up together, curled up to retain body heat etc.

I remember reading somewhere online that during their sleep their body temperatures actually drop so they need extra warmth, and seeing how most cats sleep at 16 hours daily, it isn't difficult to see why they seek out warm places.

As for knitted cat-clothes I couldn't say. I always have an electric heater on for my babies :-D


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## phoebs1992 (Sep 18, 2012)

I'm pretty sure mines does -- I always catch curled up to the crock pot when I use it. I have never heard a cat doing that before but she is pretty unique.


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## orrymain (Dec 9, 2011)

Oh they feel cold. Example, in the summer when I pull the sheets, towels and blankets out of the dryer, Orry just watches me fold and put them away. But on cold winter days & nights as soon as I fold the first blanket and put it in the basket, in goes Orry ready for a warm nap. He especially loves when I place his fluffy blanket on our bed straight out of the dryer and "wrap" him in it.


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## builder (Sep 2, 2012)

I always bang on my truck in the winter before starting it up because I’ve seen cats running out of my engine compartment where they were trying to keep warm. I have one cat that was discovered by my neighbor in his engine when it was a kitten. It was a good thing he had checked his oil that day before leaving because the kitten would have been killed in the fan.


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## Amy83 (Sep 19, 2012)

For sure they do. Granted that question has all ready been answered  . My guys hardly sleep with me during the summer. It's just starting to get chilly, cesar sleeps between us and Zoey has been cuddling on my side  ...Spot he's a big furry boy, he's gotta be really chilly to stay long during the night.


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## Straysmommy (Dec 23, 2010)

The winters here are very mild, but my cats all adore being wrapped up in their fleece blankets (pink for the girls and sky blue for Prince, see my avatar, hehe). They feel protected and warm. On the coldest days in January they love to sleep inside the caves I make them with the duvets. I put 2 duvets on my bed, fluff them up so they'll be bulky and light, and Prince sleeps at his best because this is a very hot country and he's a Norwegian Forest mix so he's too hot most of the year. I can't wait for winter, here it's too hot until November.


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## OSCARSMOM (Jul 6, 2012)

And, yes, I am hoarding 100 watt incandescent light bulbs because Oscar likes to curl up under his favorite lamp. I got a very strange look from him when I tried to put a CFL bulb in there. He also has his very own fleece blanket.


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## jusjim (Jun 30, 2009)

Although Missy has been with me over two years, this past week was the first time she got under the covers, but then in previous years I've had the heat higher.. The weather turned cold at night. Last night was a problem because she started to claw, but I got up and put the heat higher and we worked things out. She's sort of exploring what's allowed and what isn't. What isn't is settling down where I lie while I'm fixing the heat. She's a big lump and hard to move.


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

In the wintertime, Muffs has a nasty habit of sleeping right on top of the floor register in my bedroom, thus "stealing" all of the heat that would otherwise come into the room. When I awake in the morning, I'm freezing! So, does Muffs feel the cold? Nope. She's nice and warm. I'm the one who feels the cold! :wink:


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## LakotaWolf (Aug 10, 2012)

I try to tell my cat that I am clothing her for her own good, since she is old now and gets the chills sometimes...


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## Goldtanker (Jan 9, 2011)

Past couple of nights have been about 30 degrees. Midnight, the wild cat, always leaves and travels the woods at night, even in deep snow and below zero temps. He still hasn't started to use his insulated and heated house in the garage, but prefers his round bed.










When he is laying out in the sun on a cold day, I bring him a bed and he does this: 



















BTW, that's him in the avatar, sunning himself on the recycle bin when is was 6 degrees below zero!


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## Huge2 (Jan 28, 2008)

LakotaWolf said:


> I try to tell my cat that I am clothing her for her own good, since she is old now and gets the chills sometimes...


If looks could kill.... Wow. Are _you_ in trouble...

Yes cats feel the cold, but the nice ones have this stuff called fur.


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## gosha (Oct 16, 2011)

I think they feel cold, but they don't need sweaters like we do. We had a farm house where cats can go outside and would come home as they pleased, so our cat stayed out in the winter and snow and came home to eat and sleep and went back to roam the farm. He had regular fur, not long not short, so he chose to spend all day in the snow rather than nap inside.


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## Straysmommy (Dec 23, 2010)

Awww those photos are beautiful! Thank you for posting!


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## lausa (Sep 23, 2012)

My kitten really does feel the cold! He'll join us in the bed, on our pillows and let us put the blanket over him. When he sleeps in his own basket, we put a blanket over him and he loves it.
Today has been freezing cold, so he's slept all day, obviously to conserve energy in the weather, and slept under his blanket all day!


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## snowy (Aug 23, 2012)

On the contrary, does kitty feel warm? given they have such thick coat. (sorry if I am hijacking, pls delete my post if I am). Weather in singapore is really damp and hot. ET's room is pretty warm, whenever I stayed in there with him, I perspire, I have been wondering if it is good for ET actually. The window is half open all the time to allow air in, but it is meshed up, so not much wind or rain will come in. I am feeling the heat, but looking at ET everyday, I thought he seemed ok with it, I can't really tell.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

They definitely feel hot and cold. My stray really wants to come inside when it's ridiculously hot and humid out or when it's really cold (or raining, for that matter). And of course indoor-only cats are going to be more sensitive to variations in weather. Margaux will sit on the deck all day when it's nice out. Right now it's around 50 - much colder than it has been - she pestered me to go out on the deck, did a quick tour and came back in immediately.


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## snowy (Aug 23, 2012)

spirite said:


> They definitely feel hot and cold. My stray really wants to come inside when it's ridiculously hot and humid out or when it's really cold (or raining, for that matter). And of course indoor-only cats are going to be more sensitive to variations in weather. Margaux will sit on the deck all day when it's nice out. Right now it's around 50 - much colder than it has been - she pestered me to go out on the deck, did a quick tour and came back in immediately.


Thx, spirite, I thought kitties don't feel the heat and I get the impression that they actually enjoy being kept warm cos I always see stray cats sun-tanning or go under the car while the engine is still hot.


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## coy (Sep 2, 2012)

Thanks all for the answers. I live in an old drafty house that needs a lot of heating. I was worried about him getting cold during the night. I've bought a bed that is off of the floor
http://









I'm thinking of adding a cat sleeping bag too just in case. Thanks again for all the answers and the cute pictures.


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## bluemilk (Oct 3, 2005)

I think cats deal with temperature adjustment,the same way humans do. If the cooling is gradual,(Indian Summer,Fall) kitty can cope a lot better,than if there's a sudden drop in temperature. You may know someone who went to Florida,stayed awhile,and when they came back were chilled to the bone-in 65 degree weather. Later they adjust to the cooler temps. 

?,is thinning/thickening blood responsible?


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## Straysmommy (Dec 23, 2010)

Wow, that bed is awesome! Kitty surely is sooo loved!


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