how cold is too cold?

[mwallace056]

how cold is too cold for kittens?

 

[red top rescue]

That's a very general question, so my answer would be "it depends."  Today, I would say anywhere outside is probably too cold for any kittens, but there are feral mothers who have holed up under trailers (warmest place available) and have tiny babies now, and most likely they will survive as long as their mama stays close.  Kittens pile on one another to share their warmth also, but at a young age, they can't really control their body heat so they can get chilled easily, so mama cat's big warm body is a necessity most of the time.  If you are talking about orphan babies you are raising and there is no mama around, they need to be kept warm.  A cat's natural temperature is around 101.5 degrees, and for our orphan babies, we provide hot water bottles for them to snuggle up to that provide that kind of heat.  If you can be more specific with your question, for instance telling us why you want to know, the age of the kittens and the situation they are in, we may be able to provide a better answer.

 

[mwallace056]

 
That's a very general question, so my answer would be "it depends."  Today, I would say anywhere outside is probably too cold for any kittens, but there are feral mothers who have holed up under trailers (warmest place available) and have tiny babies now, and most likely they will survive as long as their mama stays close.  Kittens pile on one another to share their warmth also, but at a young age, they can't really control their body heat so they can get chilled easily, so mama cat's big warm body is a necessity most of the time.  If you are talking about orphan babies you are raising and there is no mama around, they need to be kept warm.  A cat's natural temperature is around 101.5 degrees, and for our orphan babies, we provide hot water bottles for them to snuggle up to that provide that kind of heat.  If you can be more specific with your question, for instance telling us why you want to know, the age of the kittens and the situation they are in, we may be able to provide a better answer.

i got 7 16 weeks old kittens, i was wondering because it pretty cold around here ranges from -10 degrees and 10 degreeand they are outside in a building with straw, i also got a small shelter in the building because the building is too large, there also two older 7 months kittens which i am not too worry about that will cuddle with them, there also been quite few wind chill warnings this year

 

[emandjee]

Mwallace,
I think at 16 weeks old (4mo), they should be able to regulate their own body heat. I think the shelter you provided is a good idea. Some folks also suggest a nice, snugly blanket from a thrift store you could put in the shelter or on the straw for additional warmth.

The only thing else I would highly suggest is to get those 7 month old kitten spayed/neutered asap, and also get a plan to get these 4 month old kittens fixed as well, otherwise you'll have an overabundance of cats in your area that would only cause more problems than not. There are TNRs, or organizations that could help with trapping and releasing them after altering these cats, perhaps even shelters that may be willing to take then in since it's "low kitten season" at the moment.

Thank you for caring for these kittens, especially in the brutal cold weather in your area!

 

[mwallace056]

Mwallace,
I think at 16 weeks old (4mo), they should be able to regulate their own body heat. I think the shelter you provided is a good idea. Some folks also suggest a nice, snugly blanket from a thrift store you could put in the shelter or on the straw for additional warmth.

The only thing else I would highly suggest is to get those 7 month old kitten spayed/neutered asap, and also get a plan to get these 4 month old kittens fixed as well, otherwise you'll have an overabundance of cats in your area that would only cause more problems than not. There are TNRs, or organizations that could help with trapping and releasing them after altering these cats, perhaps even shelters that may be willing to take then in since it's "low kitten season" at the moment.

Thank you for caring for these kittens, especially in the brutal cold weather in your area!

i been trying to get them fixed and their vaccinations but my mom don't want to pay for it, she is willing to pay for getting ones that we going to keep fixed. it shouldn't be a problem catching them as they are socialize and will just come up to me