Keeping a cat warm in cold weather

Most cats cope with cold weather if they have a dry, draft-free place to sleep, fresh water and enough food. Keep cats indoors in freezing weather if you can. Check cars and engines before starting them, keep antifreeze away from cats, and watch very young, old, thin, ill and hairless cats closely. A cat that is cold, limp and slow needs warming gently and a vet at once.

How cats handle the cold

A cat's coat traps warm air. A thick undercoat gives good insulation. A cat loses heat through the ears, nose, tail, paws and belly, where the fur is thinner. Cats also curl into a ball and tuck their paws to keep warm.

Cats cannot warm themselves forever. In severe cold, wind or wet weather, or when a cat is weak or not eating enough, body temperature can fall and a cat can suffer frostbite or hypothermia. Frostbite most often affects the ear tips, tail tip and toes.

Which cats feel the cold most

• Kittens and senior cats. They hold heat less well. A geriatric cat may have stiff, sore joints that worsen in the cold.
• Thin or ill cats. They have less fat and energy for warmth.
• Hairless and thin-coated cats. A hairless cat such as the Sphynx and thin-coated cats such as the Devon Rex and Cornish Rex feel the cold easily and are best kept in a warm home.
• Short-haired cats that are used to indoor heat.
• Cats with arthritis. osteoarthritis often feels worse in cold weather.
• Cats with long outdoor exposure. Stray, feral and free-roaming cats have fewer places to hide.

Keeping an indoor cat comfortable

1. Provide warm bedding. Choose a bed with high sides, soft blankets and a spot off the floor and away from drafts. Many cats like a covered bed or a box lined with a blanket.
2. Place beds near, not on, heat. Cats like sunny windowsills and warm spots. Keep beds away from open fires and fires without guards.
3. Use heating pads with care. If you use a heated pad, choose one made for pets, with a low, steady temperature and chew-proof cord. Place it so the cat can step off it. Do not leave a heated item unattended with a kitten or a cat that chews. Ask your vet if your cat has a health condition.
4. Watch heaters. Space heaters, radiators, stoves and fireplaces can burn a cat or be knocked over. Use guards. See cat-proofing.
5. Keep water fresh. Cats may drink less in cold weather, and indoor heating dries the air. See hydration.
6. Keep the diet steady. Cats that spend more time in the cold may need more food, while cats lazing indoors may need less. Weigh your cat each month and ask your vet if you need to change portions.
7. Help stiff cats. Add steps or ramps to sofas and beds, and place a litter box with a low entry nearby. Tell your vet if your cat seems stiff or reluctant to jump.
8. Mind the grooming. Brush long coats to prevent mats that reduce insulation.

If your cat goes outside

• Keep cats in on the coldest days and nights. If you can, bring your cat in at dusk and keep it in through freezing nights.
• Offer shelter. If a cat spends time outdoors, provide a dry, insulated shelter with straw or a blanket made to stay dry. Hay or straw insulates better than cloth, which becomes wet and cold.
• Check water. Outdoor bowls can freeze. Refresh them often, or use a heated bowl.
• Dry the cat. If your cat comes in wet, towel it dry and let it warm up.
• Check paws and ears. Look for ice balls, cracks, redness or swelling after outings.
• Wipe paws. Salt, de-icer and other chemicals on paths can irritate paws and make the cat ill if licked off. Wipe or rinse paws after a walk.

Winter hazards

• Car engines. A cat may crawl into the wheel arch or onto the engine of a parked car to get warm. Before you start the engine, bang on the hood and check around the wheels.
• Antifreeze. Antifreeze with ethylene glycol is very poisonous. A very small amount can cause kidney failure. Clean up spills at once, store it where cats cannot reach, and ask about products made with safer ingredients. If you think your cat has had any, call your vet or a poison hotline at once. Do not wait for signs.
• Rat poison and de-icers. More poisons are put out in cold weather.
• Heaters and wood stoves. Burns and carbon monoxide are risks.
• Christmas and holiday plants. Lilies are deadly to cats, even in small amounts of pollen or water from the vase. Other holiday plants and decorations can also harm cats.
• Garages and sheds. Check before closing them.
• Frozen ponds. Cats can fall through thin ice.
• Fireplaces, candles and tinsel. Keep them away from cats.

Signs of cold stress

Look for:

• Shivering.
• Cold ears, paws or tail, which may look pale or gray.
• A cat that hides, curls tightly and does not move.
• Slow, shallow breathing or a slow heart rate.
• Sleepiness or weakness.
• A stiff, wobbly or confused cat.
• Red, swollen or blistered skin, which may be frostbite.

If you find a cold cat, bring it inside and wrap it in dry blankets. Warm it slowly. Do not use direct heat, hot water or a hair dryer, which can burn a cold cat. Call your vet or an emergency clinic at once for instructions. A newborn or tiny kitten that is cold and limp is an emergency. Go to a vet immediately.

Common mistakes

• Leaving a cat outside in severe cold overnight.
• Using blankets or cloth in an outdoor shelter that can freeze solid.
• Starting a car without checking.
• Leaving antifreeze in an open dish or on the ground.
• Warming a cold cat quickly with heat.
• Using a human heating pad or electric blanket.
• Ignoring stiffness. A cat that struggles to jump may need pain relief from a vet.
• Assuming a cat's fur is enough in wet or windy weather.

When to call a vet or get help

Call your vet at once if you see signs of hypothermia, frostbite, or antifreeze exposure. Call the same day if your cat is limping, stiff, losing weight, drinking less or hiding more than usual. Ask your vet about pain relief for arthritis. Do not give human medicine.

Summary

• Provide a dry, warm, draft-free bed and fresh water.
• Keep cats inside in freezing weather, especially kittens, seniors, thin and hairless cats.
• Check cars, keep antifreeze away and watch for chemicals on paws.
• Warm a cold cat slowly and call a vet.
• Ask your vet about stiffness and pain.