Cold

[tallyollyopia]

To start off with I have four cats; Asia, Princess, Ra, and Spot (yes, Spot is a cat). They're almost three years old (birthday February 2), and the one I'm worried about is Asia. Let me explain.

All right, the last few nights everyone has been going to sleep at a decent hour (except me, who went to work), so the house has been getting cold at night. (Not freezing--well, not more than once. I put fear into AWM and RB, whom I share a house with, and that will not be happening again.) The day that it was freezing inside the house most of the cats were fine, meowing, protesting the cold, demanding breakfast, that sort of thing. But Asia was no where to be found. I finally found her, curled up in the living room in a spot that gets the most heat when the fire is lit, and she was very cold and very sluggish until I warmed her up. Then she was fine--and starving, of course since she'd missed breakfast. Yesterday morning and this morning she was sluggish and slow until after I got the fire built up (the heating unit went out again). Is this sluggishness a result of the first morning, when it was so cold in the house, or is this an indication of something serious? Again, after she's warmed up she's fine--she eats, she plays, she rests (usually in front of the fire). Do I need to worry?

 

[maggiedemi]

What is AWM and RB?

 

[A.w]

In my experiences with cats, when they're really not feeling well they tend to avoid food, pee or poop outside the litterbox, or hide themselves away. But if you're really concerned, I'd take her to the vet just for peace of mind.

I hope everything turns out to be perfectly fine! Good luck!

 

[Columbine]

It sounds like Asia feels the cold more than the other kitties do. Maybe give her a cat-safe heat pad or self-heating cat bed at night. A warm, snuggly cave-bed is another option, especially if combined with a heat pad or self-heating layer. I don't think I'd be too worried - just take steps to stop her getting so cold overnight.

 

[tallyollyopia]

What is AWM and RB?

AWM=Awesomely Wise Mother; RB=Responsible Brother (trust me, compared to the other one he is).

It sounds like Asia feels the cold more than the other kitties do. Maybe give her a cat-safe heat pad or self-heating cat bed at night. A warm, snuggly cave-bed is another option, especially if combined with a heat pad or self-heating layer. I don't think I'd be too worried - just take steps to stop her getting so cold overnight.

What would be a good way to make a cave bed? I'm low on funds. (Really low.)

 

[maggiedemi]

Did your mom or brother turn the heat way down? What temperature? My cats go out in the garage all the time. It doesn't start to bother them until it gets below 20 degrees. It's 36 degrees here right now, and they are fine out there. But they only stay out like an hour or less.

 

[Columbine]

I'd go with a deepish cardboard box well padded out with blankets/pillows (bottom and sides), using a plush fleece blanket as the top layer if possible. You could partially 'tent' the top with a blanket too, if Asia was ok with that.

A plastic storage container could work too if you have one available, but cardboard would be my first choice. If you have time on your hands, you could always make this cardboard cave, but you don't need to get that fancy.

I hope that makes sense

ETA - you can make a cat-safe heat pad yourself, with an old sock or similar filled with dry, uncooked rice. Microwave it for one or two minutes, depending on size, then put it in the padded box-bed and show it to Asia.

 

[tallyollyopia]

Did your mom or brother turn the heat way down? What temperature? My cats go out in the garage all the time. It doesn't start to bother them until it gets below 20 degrees. It's 36 degrees here right now, and they are fine out there. But they only stay out like an hour or less.

Our heating unit is broken. We were using space heaters until we got wood for the fireplace (it has a wood stove insert, so safer for pets than an open flame), and they've been turning the space heaters on as the fire dies down at night, but on the night in question no one turned the space heaters on, which meant there was no heat. There was a little ice in the water dish (I warmed it up), but my breath wasn't fogging inside like it was outside. I have no idea how cold it was inside the house, but it was pretty cold.

 

[tallyollyopia]

I'd go with a deepish cardboard box well padded out with blankets/pillows (bottom and sides), using a plush fleece blanket as the top layer if possible. You could partially 'tent' the top with a blanket too, if Asia was ok with that.

A plastic storage container could work too if you have one available, but cardboard would be my first choice. If you have time on your hands, you could always make this cardboard cave, but you don't need to get that fancy.

I hope that makes sense

ETA - you can make a cat-safe heat pad yourself, with an old sock or similar filled with dry, uncooked rice. Microwave it for one or two minutes, depending on size, then put it in the padded box-bed and show it to Asia.

I'll do that. I'll have to round up a cardboard box--do you think a padded suitcase, propped open so it can't close on the cat, would work? (I have one laying around already that would take very little work to open and pad it, and I don't have a lot of time before I have to go to bed. I work third.) As to the warmer--do you think hand warmers, the little sachets sold in Wal-Mart, would work, or do they get too hot? Almost all of our socks are too small.

 

[Columbine]

I wouldn't trust those handwarmers (just looked them up - I'm in the UK ). I use that type of handwarmer myself for my reynauds, and they can get very hot indeed (to the point that they can feel like they're burning), and they can split too - very messy, as there's a charcoal like substance inside. Why not buy the cheapest pair of men's calf length socks you can find instead? Something like this https://www.walmart.com/ip/Athletic-Works-Men-s-Big-and-Tall-Crew-Socks-6-Pack/157349669 Its more economical too, as once you've made the heat pads you can use them over and over again They're great for human heat therapy too (I use heat pads for pain relief all the time!).

 

[Columbine]

Sorry - forgot to say before A suitcase might work, but I'd be worried about it closing on her (it's amazing how ingenious cats can be ).

If she doesn't hate it, a cat-carrier with the door removed could work - especially if it' a solid-sided one (as opposed to mesh). If it is a mesh-type one, cover it with blankets (or even towels) to help keep the heat in.

 

[tallyollyopia]

When we (mostly I) got the crates, I tried to get ones that were solid plastic (I got most of them second-hand, until the local thrift stores decided they needed to compete with the brand-new prices--without bothering to clean their merchandise), so I'll use one of those. Slight problem with the socks--I'd have to order them online. Right now our local Wal-Mart (and Target, and Roses, and Ollie's) are out of socks, gloves, and (for some strange reason) women's underwear. Is there something similar that I could use instead? Scratch that, I'll see if RB has a couple of old socks he can let me have for this.

 

[nansiludie]

When we (mostly I) got the crates, I tried to get ones that were solid plastic (I got most of them second-hand, until the local thrift stores decided they needed to compete with the brand-new prices--without bothering to clean their merchandise), so I'll use one of those. Slight problem with the socks--I'd have to order them online. Right now our local Wal-Mart (and Target, and Roses, and Ollie's) are out of socks, gloves, and (for some strange reason) women's underwear. Is there something similar that I could use instead? Scratch that, I'll see if RB has a couple of old socks he can let me have for this.

You could use a large bag of rice and fill a pillow case half full and just tie the end shut. I did that the other day on a particularly frigid day for the kitties.

 

[Columbine]

Great idea N nansiludie

If you can sew, you can always make a very basic rectangle of fabric (anything you have to hand, so long as it's not really fine/thin) by cutting a square, fold it half, sew up one short side and the long side, half fill with rice, and tie or sew up the remaining short side. That's all most commercial microwave heat pads are - they just use wheat (or sometimes cherry stones) instead of rice. Rice is just cheaper and more easily available for most people at home

 

[tallyollyopia]

Thanks! I'll have to do that today.