Op Sun, 25 Nov 2007 18:53:14 +0100 schreef John Smith <john@aol.com>:

If this cat comes from the Himalaya's, I'm pretty sure s/he knows how to  
keep warm during freezing nights :-)

Sorry, I have no real answer, but I couldn't resist.

John you can take a dog house and use hay inside of it.

You can also by thermal blankets that use your own body heat to keep your
warm.

Below 40 is to cold for my furballs

I lived in Kentucky for many years and had barn cats.  They never came into
the house.  They slept in the hay.  We also had rabbits that we used a light
bulb in their pen

PS  John with temperatures going that cold  make sure you pound on your
car's hood before you leave just in case you have furballs trying to stay
warm in there

Wind-chill can threaten a pet's life, no matter what the temperature.
Outdoor dogs must be protected by a dry, draft-free doghouse that is large
enough to allow the dog to sit and lie down comfortably, but small enough to
hold in his/her body heat. The floor should be raised a few inches off the
ground and covered with cedar shavings or straw. The house should be turned
to face away from the wind, and the doorway should be covered with a flap of
heavy waterproof fabric or heavy plastic.

a.. Wind-chill can threaten a pet's life, no matter what the temperature.
Outdoor dogs must be protected by a dry, draft-free doghouse that is large
enough to allow the dog to sit and lie down comfortably, but small enough to
hold in his/her body heat. The floor should be raised a few inches off the
ground and covered with cedar shavings or straw. The house should be turned
to face away from the wind, and the doorway should be covered with a flap of
heavy waterproof fabric or heavy plastic.

a.. Pets spending a lot of time outdoors need more food in the winter.
Keeping warm depletes energy. Routinely check your pet's water dish to make
certain the water is fresh and not frozen. Use plastic food and water bowls
rather than metal; when the temperature is low, your pet's tongue can stick
and freeze to metal.

a.. Warm car engines are dangerous for cats and small wildlife. Parked cars
attract small animals who may crawl up under the hood looking for warmth. To
avoid injuring any hidden animals, bang on your car's hood to scare them
away before starting your engine
a..

In general lower than the low 20's would be cold.

My pussy used to sleep just outside the patio door in a basket.  Even
when freezing out she would feel as hot as a heating pad.  I had to
drag her in from the cold.  Now if it's really cold and windy she will
come in on her own.  Some times she refuses to come in even when it's
in the high 20's.

The neighbors cats (2) got lost in a snow storm once and started living in
my window well. I took pity on them when the temp hit 0 but even at 0 they
were still toasty warm (I picked them up once to move them inside). In the
end we settled on an old styrofoam cooler that was big enough to hold them
with plenty of blankets with the entrance turned away from the wind. They
survived the winter that way and when the snow melted they went home.

They remembered and visited often during the summer. BAsed on those two, we
got our own cat.

You can buy a water dish that is slightly heated to keep the water
from freezing. They sell them for rabbits and other outdoor animals
but it's easily used by cats too.

Do you have a cat house/enclosure she can go into?

Its hard to understand how you enjoy having a cat who is out of the
house 95% of the time but you seem concerned so you could put a cat
bed in the garage.  They are not very expensive and are easy to pop in
the washing machine.

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