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Cat Forum / General Topics / September 2006House Temperature for cats
With winter coming and energy prices at an all time high, I am wondering what temperature should I set the thermostat at during the day when I am not home? I Used to keep the house pretty cold during the day I'd set it at 55 degrees F. Since I know cats can live feral and survive winters outside, is this even an issue for a house cat? Thank you Brian Survival issue? No. (Though I wouldn't give them a bath or get them wet at that temp.) You will find, however, that below about 65 degrees they will start trying to sit on you ALL the time as a source of warmth. (Or the TV, or the vents, or that moving spot of sun on the floor.) I wouldn't worry about hurting them at 55 deg. They'll grow a bit more coat but that's about it. (Make sure they have food and water to keep metabolism up.) > With winter coming and energy prices at an all time high, I am wondering > what [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > Thank you > Brian >With winter coming and energy prices at an all time high, I am wondering what >temperature should I set the thermostat at during the day when I am not home? [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >Thank you >Brian As someone who lives in a Winter climate in the US of A you should never set the thermostat lower than 55. The reason for this i'm told is below 55 you have pipes that will freeze and burst when the pipes comes near outside walls. The cat will find a place to stay warm. My Calico gets under the blanket in the bed, my late orange tabby used to park himself on the heating vents. >The reason for this i'm told is below 55 you have pipes that >will freeze and burst when the pipes comes near outside walls. Thanks for the advice everyone. That's why I keep it at 55, although I think I move up to at least 60-65 for the cats sake. Our heat comes from the ceiling so there are no vents the cat can get to,so I think I'll get one of those heated cat beds. thank again BT >>The reason for this i'm told is below 55 you have pipes that >>will freeze and burst when the pipes comes near outside walls. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >thank again >BT Better yet, put the kit beds under where the ceiling vents hit the floor. They'll figure it out. Ohhhh they would dig heated beds :-) I used to keep an electic blanket on my bed and I left it on all the time for them. The loved it. People with heated water beds also have happy cats! The other thing I did was added a 9 foot cat post so that they are able to hang out up high. > >The reason for this i'm told is below 55 you have pipes that >>will freeze and burst when the pipes comes near outside walls. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > thank again > BT > Ohhhh they would dig heated beds :-) > I used to keep an electic blanket on my bed and I left it on all the time > for them. The loved it. People with heated water beds also have happy > cats! The other thing I did was added a 9 foot cat post so that they are > able to hang out up high. One website I saw says you shouldn't let cats sleep on a n electric blanket, because they might chew on the wiring. Good thing yours didn't! Kathy Oh, I don't think that is HALF as much of a worry as a cat chewing through your computer power cords. Not enough power in a blanket to do much, number 1, and number 2 they were usually on the bed to sleep. Furthermore, an electric blanket is generally (was in my case) under a thick comforter, unlike the computer cord that is just hanging there exposed. My cats do not happen to be blanket diggers. I have never seen an electrocuted cat from an electric blanket, but I have seen some with half their face off from regular electrical cords for computers, etc. Yes, I suppose if your cat shows signs of messing with it you have to be cautious, but otherwise seems to me a small risk for a heck of a lot of comfort. I would bet sleeping near a heat vent is higher risk for dry eye and respiratory issues. However, I never use electric heating pads from young rescue kittens or cats that are in recovery cage. Always gel or circulating water with no cords accessible. A caged cat or a very young cat can be very mouthy, higher risk, no electrical cords allowed! >> Ohhhh they would dig heated beds :-) >> I used to keep an electic blanket on my bed and I left it on all the time [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > blanket, because they might chew on the wiring. Good thing yours didn't! > Kathy > "KMP" <kathybear@comcast.net> wrote in message > >> Ohhhh they would dig heated beds :-) > >> I used to keep an electic blanket on my bed and I left it on all the time > >> for them. The loved it. People with heated water beds also have happy > >> cats! The other thing I did was added a 9 foot cat post so that they are > >> able to hang out up high. > > One website I saw says you shouldn't let cats sleep on a n electric > > blanket, because they might chew on the wiring. Good thing yours didn't! > > Kathy There is just one thing about heating pads in the bed and electric blankets which is more of a general risk....they rank in the top three causes of lethal house fires along with smoking in bed and candles unattended. It is warned that you should never leave the house with the heating pad or electric blanket still on, for that reason. If you left a heating pad under a towel in a less flammable location like a kitty bed on a bare floor somewhere, it might perhaps be safer, but the bedding is a recipe for disaster. --tension Well I must confess I've always ignored that warning. First time I heard it I'd already been doing it for 10 years or so. I never wash my electric blankets, though, because that can cause bending/kinking of wires that ups fire hazard. I simply keep them clean between sheet and comforter, then when it is eventually in need of cleaning, I buy a new one. I've kept my electric blankets on low heat 24/7 for 30 years and haven't been burned, yet. Hope I didn't just jinx myself :-) Oh, I guess not 30 years straight. For about 5 I switched to an electric mattress pad. That never caught on fire, either! Sometimes in life we just take risks because we think it's worth it. I choose to drive my car every day, too. And I ride my horse without a helmet, and I go skiing, and I eat fast food, and I walk in crosswalks, and I fly on planes... Livin' on the edge every day! Shoot, I even spent a couple of months tracking big cats in Africa and nearly tripped over some leopard drinking at a river. Never surprise a leopard. But seriously, you're right, people should be aware that electric blankets have in the past caused house fires. Then they get to weigh that risk against the benefit and make their choice. My cats LOVE it. And if my house ever burns down with cats in it, I will probably commit suicide out of guilt and depression. In the meantime, we love our heat! For others, a great material for a very warm cat bed is a down filled throw blanket. Once they figure it out, they can nestle down in it and create quite a warm nest. Doesn't even take long. >> "KMP" <kathybear@comcast.net> wrote in message > [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > > --tension >>The reason for this i'm told is below 55 you have pipes that >>will freeze and burst when the pipes comes near outside walls. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >thank again >BT Around here heating oil is very high, may go much higher if it is a cold winter and world events dictate. That may factor into what you want to set your thermostat at. |
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