When is it too cold for my cat to go outside?
When is it too cold for my cat to go outside?
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How do experts advise keeping your cat safe when temperatures drop?. After a lengthy spell of freezing temperatures, the mercury is finally set to rise back into double digits next week. But with conditions remaining cold in many parts of the country, particularly overnight, cat owners may be left in a dilemma over whether it is safe to let their pets go outside again.
Despite most cats being able to stay quite warm as a result of being insulated by their thick coats, they do still get cold – and can suffer from hypothermia or frostbite. Cats have a normal body temperature of 38C to 39C, which is just slightly higher than humans, and having descended from the desert-dwelling African wildcat, tend to prefer warm temperatures to cold, according to Cats Protection, the UK’s largest cat welfare charity.
According to Medivet, cat owners should avoid letting their pets go outside in conditions that are 7C or colder. The veterinarian group’s website states: “We strongly advise that anything below 7C is too cold for a cat to go outside ... If your cat is hairless, has a particularly short coat or is old, young or sick, this temperature will be much too low for them, and we highly recommend that you keep them indoors where it’s warm.”.
Cats are usually good at knowing themselves when the weather is too cold for them and when to seek warmth indoors, according to Cats Protection. The group says: “If there is extreme weather, such as blizzards or storms, it is best to bring them indoors. Keep them in until the bad weather has passed. Also be aware that some cats will feel the cold even more.”.
