Content
- Cats are more sensitive to temperature changes
- Tips to prevent your cat from feeling cold
- Cats can also get colds
When we humans are cold, we have several options to shelter us and warm the environment where we are, but have you ever thought about what happens to our pets when temperatures reach lower temperatures? And especially in cats, which unlike other furry animals, don't have such abundant fur nor of double layer, like the one of the dogs for example.
Do the cats feel cold too? In this article by PeritoAnimal we will answer this and other questions, to know what you should do to make your feline feel warm when the cold starts.
Cats are more sensitive to temperature changes
The first thing to take into account is that cats are more sensitive to temperature changes than us, especially if they are used to living only indoors. Despite the change in the fur they do in autumn, which prepares them better for winter, and which can withstand contact with surfaces of up to 50°C in temperature (which is why we often see cats on top of heaters or radiators), cats feel the cold as or even more than us, so you should be especially careful with:
- Breeds with little or no hair: Some of the cat breeds such as the Ukrainian Levkoy, the Sphynx or the Peterbald, or the Siamese cat that has very little or no fur, are prone to feel more cold and so you should watch them more in winter and provide them extra protection against the cold.
- the sick cats: As with humans, cats suffering from a disease tend to have low defenses and are more likely to get cold in low temperatures.
- Small or old cats: Baby or young cats do not have a fully developed immune system, and older cats that are already over 7 years old have weakened it, so their defenses are also lower and they are more susceptible to suffering from illness when there are changes in temperature and the cats are cold.
Tips to prevent your cat from feeling cold
- Although it is obvious, a proper and balanced diet it will make the cat much healthier and withstand the cold better. But you should bear in mind that during the winter, cats tend to exercise less and be less active than at other times of the year, so if they are always indoors you don't have to provide them with more food or food supplements because they won't burn them. and they may even suffer from a problem that leads to feline obesity. On the other hand, if your feline usually walks outside or lives outdoors, it is better to provide it with extra energy when feeding to keep well at its body temperature.
- A good way to keep your cat from getting cold when you're at home is to close the windows, turn on the heating or radiators and keep a warm and comfortable environment, both for him and for us. You can also open the curtains or blinds on the windows to let in the sun's rays from outside, so your cat can lie down and get warm.
- If you are not at home, it is recommended that you leave neither the radiators nor the heating on to avoid domestic accidents. What you can do is prepare several strategic places for your cat to hide and warm up while you are not at home, putting lots of blankets and a bed with hot water bottles in various areas of the house, especially if your pet has little or no fur. In this case you can also provide special clothing for cats.
- Regardless of whether you are at home or not, in addition to leaving several blankets available for your feline to warm up, you can also pack your bed and your sofa with a good duvet, quilt or blanket that insulates it and helps to better withstand low temperatures.
Cats can also get colds
The way to confirm that cats feel cold that's when they get colds, because like humans and many other animals, felines can also catch a cold and suffer from many symptoms identical to those we have:
- Produce more mucus than normal through the nose.
- Having red eyes and/or crying.
- Sneeze more than usual.
- Feel lethargic and inactive.
In these cases, it is necessary to consult a good veterinarian as soon as possible to examine your pet and indicate the proper treatment that should be given to your feline so as not to get worse. You can also take advantage of some home remedies for cat flu that we have in this article.