Comfortable household temperature for cats?

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Lord Vader III - 13 Dec 2004 13:30 GMT

We recently moved and we now have a programmable thermostat for our
house and are wondering how cool we can keep it in winter without the
cats freezing. When we're home, it is set around 68-70 degrees. We
originally had it set for 62 during the day but my wife came home from
work early one day and said it was cold. I know 62 is a bit cool for
humans but what about cats? Should we set it higher for them while
we're not home?

LVIII

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Ted Davis - 13 Dec 2004 13:56 GMT

>We recently moved and we now have a programmable thermostat for our
>house and are wondering how cool we can keep it in winter without the
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>humans but what about cats? Should we set it higher for them while
>we're not home?

I once read, back when I was first getting started living with cats,
that they were most comfortable around 60 degrees. That was a lie:
cats, based on what they seek out, are most comfortable in the hottest
place they can find.

That said, if your cats have normal coats, they should be fine at 60 -
my thermostat is programmed to cut back to that during the day, and to
65 at night. At night, cats sleep all over and around me since I'm
the warmest thing around, but when I come home from work around
sunset, there are often several outside if it's above freezing.

Set the thermostat to prevent the pipes freezing and to allow it to
warm up before you get home. The cats will be fine. Just make sure
they have places to get up off the floor (a bed will do) or you could
provide them with heated cat beds - there are electrically heated pet
bed warmers that sell in some places for under $30.

T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu)
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Amanda Jones - 13 Dec 2004 20:43 GMT

> I once read, back when I was first getting started living with cats,
> that they were most comfortable around 60 degrees. That was a lie:
> cats, based on what they seek out, are most comfortable in the hottest
> place they can find.

One of my mother's cats, a long-haired 14 year old, has for years liked
lying directly under a wood-burning stove - it's unbelievably hot, hard
even to put your hand under it!

Amanda

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Mike Rhino - 14 Dec 2004 01:29 GMT

> >We recently moved and we now have a programmable thermostat for our
> >house and are wondering how cool we can keep it in winter without the
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> cats, based on what they seek out, are most comfortable in the hottest
> place they can find.

How much heat can a cat stand? I turn of the A/C and Heat when I go to
work. I'm on the 2nd floor, so I can leave the windows open. In San Diego,
it never gets real cold or hot. I've never owned a cat during summer, so I
don't know how hot I can let it get. I got her September 20. She's willing
to get her paws wet, so an oversized water dish might work.

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Ted Davis - 14 Dec 2004 14:48 GMT

>> >We recently moved and we now have a programmable thermostat for our
>> >house and are wondering how cool we can keep it in winter without the
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
>don't know how hot I can let it get. I got her September 20. She's willing
>to get her paws wet, so an oversized water dish might work.

Mine tend to leave the sun and move into the shade when the air
temperature exceeds 90 degrees F or so. They mostly still don't come
in where it's air conditioned.

BTW, it was 14.4 degrees F this morning when I left for work - I saw
Fleagor out hunting, and several more were outside somewhere.

T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu)
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Dik F. Liu - 13 Dec 2004 20:43 GMT

62 degrees sounds reasonably comfortable for cats. Much as I love cats, I would
not recommend you raising the temperature for them. People die as nations go to
war for oil, and our ozone layer is thin enough as it is.

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Sherry - 14 Dec 2004 15:48 GMT

>62 degrees sounds reasonably comfortable for cats. Much as I love cats, I
>would
>not recommend you raising the temperature for them. People die as nations go
>to
>war for oil, and our ozone layer is thin enough as it is.

I agree. 62 degrees would be comfortable for us, too, if we were wearing little
fur coats all day. It was 23 degrees this a.m., and like Ted's Fleagor,
Bootsie was the first to want outside, and I've seen her running around out
there all morning like sh'es having a fine time.
If there's an elderly cat, you can always buy those heat pads designed for
doghouses. They only reach 102 degrees, have a steel-wrapped cord and a hard
plastic case. Very safe.

Sherry

Sherry

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Stan - 15 Dec 2004 05:26 GMT

if its cooler the cats shed less. Cats can adjust for temperatures... they are not stupid, in the summer (without air conditioning) they will sit on tile or other cool areas, in the winter they are on couches or other warm areas.

I wouldn't be concerned about the temp, I had a programmable one set to drop to 66 during the day, and 71 when I got home. Cat didn't care... as long as I fed him and he sleeps near my feet hes happy.

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