Cats in winter: how much cold they can take and the dangers of the season
Most healthy cats with a normal coat cope well with the cold, but there are exceptions, and winter brings some dangers of its own: car engines, antifreeze, heaters and drinking less water. With a few adjustments at home, and a little attention to street cats, winter can pass without any scares.
How much cold can a cat take?
A healthy adult cat with a normal coat tolerates low temperatures fairly well, especially if it has somewhere to shelter. Its normal body temperature is higher than ours, around 38 to 39°C (100 to 102°F), and its coat, with its undercoat, insulates very well. Forest breeds such as the Maine Coon, Norwegian Forest Cat and Siberian are especially well equipped for the cold. But some cats find it harder: hairless breeds such as the Sphynx, Peterbald and Donskoy, and very short-coated breeds with no undercoat, like the Devon Rex and Cornish Rex; kittens, older cats, very thin cats and those with a chronic illness, such as kidney disease or hyperthyroidism.
Signs your cat is cold
A cold cat actively seeks out heat: the radiator, the sun, your lap, under the blankets. It sleeps curled into a tight ball, tail over its nose and paws tucked in, and its ears and paw pads may feel cold to the touch. If the cold is more severe, it may shiver, seem listless or move slowly. Hypothermia, when body temperature drops too low, is dangerous and can happen to cats exposed to the cold for a long time, especially if they’re wet, very young, old or ill. If a cat is cold, very subdued and struggling to move, wrap it in a blanket and take it to the vet.
Keeping warm at home
Offer several beds in warm spots, raised off the floor and away from draughts, doors and windows. Igloo or cave-style beds hold the heat well, and radiator hammocks are a favourite with many cats. Self-heating blankets, which reflect the cat’s own body heat, are safe and need no electricity. If you use an electric blanket or heated bed, make sure it’s designed for pets, low-powered, with a protected cable, and that the cat can move away if it gets too hot. For hairless cats, a jumper or cotton T-shirt helps indoors, as long as they accept it. And don’t clip a long-haired cat in winter unless your vet advises it.
The engine danger
In winter, cats that live outdoors or are allowed out look for warm places to shelter, and the engine of a recently parked car is one of their favourites. If the driver starts the car without knowing a cat is inside, the animal can suffer very serious injuries or die. It’s a real and common risk, especially in areas with feral colonies or where cats roam freely. Before starting the car in winter, bang firmly on the bonnet, sound the horn or slam the door and wait a few seconds, to give any hidden cat time to get out. And check between the wheels and under the car too.
Antifreeze
Car antifreeze usually contains ethylene glycol, a sweet-tasting substance that attracts animals and is extremely toxic to cats: a tiny amount, licked from a puddle or from their paws, can cause acute kidney failure and death. The first symptoms appear within a few hours and look like drunkenness: the cat staggers, vomits and seems disorientated; it may then appear to improve while the kidney damage progresses. It’s an extreme emergency: if you suspect your cat has been in contact with antifreeze, go to the vet immediately, without waiting for symptoms. Store it tightly closed, clean up any spills and choose less toxic products when you can.
Heaters, braziers and fireplaces
Cats get very close to heat sources and don’t always judge the distance well. They can singe their fur, whiskers or paw pads, or knock a heater over. Use guards on fireplaces and stoves, don’t leave your cat alone with a lit brazier or open-flame heater, and be wary of butane heaters or poorly ventilated fireplaces, because of the risk of carbon monoxide, which affects small animals first. Electric blankets and heat pads meant for people aren’t safe for cats, which can chew the cable or get burnt. And before running the washing machine or tumble dryer, check that your cat hasn’t climbed inside looking for warmth.
Drinking less, and why it matters
In winter many cats drink even less than usual, which raises the risk of urinary problems such as cystitis or bladder stones, and makes things worse for cats with kidney disease. On top of that, if they go out less or move less, they urinate less often. To encourage your cat to drink, offer several bowls around the house, a water fountain, lukewarm rather than cold water, and more wet food in its diet. If your cat is prone to cystitis, winter and the changes in routine at this time of year are a good moment to be extra watchful. And if you see it going to the litter tray often and passing very little, or crying when it pees, especially if it’s a male, it’s an emergency.
Less exercise, more weight and more pain
In the cold, cats tend to move less and sleep more, and if they keep eating the same amount, they put on weight. Keep up daily play sessions, even short ones, and adjust portions if you notice your cat getting heavier. Cats with arthritis often feel joint pain more in winter: if your cat is older and seems stiffer, jumps less or struggles to get up, mention it to your vet, who can adjust its pain treatment. Make it easier for your cat to reach its favourite spots with ramps or steps, and give it a warm, well-padded bed. Warmth eases joint pain, and many older cats are very grateful for it.
Colony cats
Cats in feral colonies spend the winter outdoors, and the cold and rain take their toll, especially on the youngest, the oldest and the sick. If you help look after a colony, or want to help the cats in your neighbourhood, you can offer them shelters: plastic or expanded polystyrene boxes with a small entrance, raised off the ground and filled with straw, which insulates and doesn’t hold moisture, unlike blankets and towels, which get soaked and freeze. Make sure they have water that won’t freeze and a little extra food, because they burn more energy keeping warm. Ideally, coordinate with the person or association that manages the colony, and with your local council.
Cats that go outdoors
If your cat goes out onto the street or into the garden, in winter it’s a good idea to limit its outings, especially at night and on very cold or rainy days, and to make sure it can always get back inside, through a cat flap or a sheltered entrance. Check it over when it comes in: dry it if it’s wet, look at its paw pads for any injuries from ice or road salt, and clean its paws if it has walked through anything it might lick off. Bear in mind too that it gets dark earlier in winter and drivers can see less. And remember that winter also means Christmas, with its own dangers for cats: tinsel, toxic plants, food and lights.
Most healthy cats cope well with the cold, but hairless cats, kittens, older cats and those with health problems need extra warmth. Offer warm, raised beds, encourage drinking, keep up play and watch for arthritis. Bang on the bonnet before starting the car, store antifreeze safely and guard heaters and braziers. For colony cats, shelters filled with straw.
Educational content from Michipedia, translated from the Spanish original. It does not replace the advice of a vet or a feline behaviour specialist. Every cat is an individual.