Do Cats Get Cold? Winter Warmth for Indoor and Outdoor Cats

Cats are better at hiding discomfort than dogs, and they do not complain. So the question is less "is my cat cold" and more "what is my cat doing differently".

The signs, which are mostly behavioural

• Curling up very tightly, nose tucked under the tail, rather than sprawling
• Seeking heat sources — radiators, laptops, the airing cupboard, on top of you
• Reluctance to go outside, or asking to come straight back in
• Sleeping more, and in different places from usual
• Cold ear tips, paws and tail tip to the touch
• Shivering, which in a cat is a late sign rather than an early one

Cats are generally comfortable between about 15 and 25°C. Below roughly 10°C most will start actively seeking warmth.

Which cats feel it most

Kittens — poor temperature regulation and a high surface-area-to-body-weight ratio. Elderly cats, especially with arthritis, which cold stiffens noticeably. Thin, short-haired or hairless breeds — Siamese, Devon Rex, Sphynx. Cats with kidney disease or hyperthyroidism, which are common in older cats and both affect condition and body fat. Cats recovering from illness or surgery.

A thick-coated Norwegian Forest cat in a centrally heated house is not the one to worry about.

Indoor cats: what actually helps

- A bed up off the floor. Cold air pools at floor level; a raised or windowsill bed is warmer than the same bed on tiles. - A covered or hooded bed. Cave and igloo beds trap body heat and suit cats' preference for enclosed spaces anyway. - A radiator bed. Genuinely effective, and cats find them without being shown. - Somewhere sunny. Cats will follow a sunbeam around a room all day; do not block it. - Check draughts at cat height, particularly by cat flaps.

Avoid microwaveable heat pads left unattended and never use a human electric blanket for a cat.

Outdoor and semi-feral cats

Below about 7°C, outdoor cats need somewhere genuinely sheltered — dry, out of the wind, raised off the ground and small enough that their body heat warms it. A big open shed does not work; a small insulated box does.

Two winter risks worth knowing:

Antifreeze. Ethylene glycol tastes sweet, cats will drink it, and even a very small amount causes fatal kidney failure. It is one of the most common serious cat poisonings of the winter. Clear spills immediately and store it sealed. If you suspect any exposure, this is an emergency — treatment within hours is what determines the outcome.

Cats sleeping in car engine bays. Bang the bonnet before starting the car in cold weather.

And the thing people ask about jumpers

Most cats will not tolerate clothing, and a cat that is stressed by a jumper is worse off than a cold cat with a warm bed. Warmth for cats is almost always better solved with environment than with garments — the opposite of the answer for a thin-coated dog.

Building an outdoor cat shelter that works

If you feed a stray, or your cat insists on being out, the principles are the same and the mistakes are consistent:

- Small is warm. A shelter should be just big enough for the cat to turn around in. A large box cannot be warmed by one cat's body heat. - Raise it off the ground on bricks or a pallet. Cold and damp come up from below. - Two openings, or one opening with a baffle, so a cat is never cornered. - Face the entrance away from prevailing wind, and make it small — cat-sized, not fox-sized. - Insulate with straw, not hay, blankets or towels. This is the one people get wrong. Straw repels moisture and traps air; hay absorbs damp and rots; blankets and towels absorb moisture and then freeze, which is worse than nothing. - Waterproof roof with an overhang.

Winter water

Outdoor water bowls freeze, and a cat that cannot drink is a bigger problem than a cat that is cold. Use a deep, dark plastic bowl rather than metal, place it in sun if there is any, and check it twice a day. Never add anything to stop it freezing.

Arthritis and the cold

Cold weather makes arthritic joints noticeably stiffer, and arthritis in cats is badly under-diagnosed — it is much more common than most owners realise in cats over about ten.

The signs are subtle: no longer jumping onto surfaces they used to, hesitating before jumping down, sleeping somewhere lower or more accessible, a scruffier coat because grooming has become uncomfortable, and reluctance to use a high-sided litter tray.

If that describes your cat this winter, it is worth a vet appointment rather than putting it down to age. There is a lot that can be done. Practically, a low-sided tray, steps up to a favourite perch and a warm bed at floor level all help.

Kittens and elderly cats in winter

Both lose heat much faster than a healthy adult. Kittens under about eight weeks cannot regulate their temperature well at all. For either, keep them indoors in genuinely cold weather rather than managing it with bedding.

*This guide is general information, not veterinary advice. Suspected antifreeze exposure is an emergency — ring your vet immediately.*