Oliver, you're not a desert cat! Why choose the heat?

[buzbyjlc10]

So Oliver baffles me yet again! (I think that's part of his purpose in life)

We're finishing the last day of a 4 day heat wave here - temps in the high 90s with index in the 100s (it's starting to rain right now though yay!!!) Well I've been keeping the AC on in my room all day on energy saver at 76 because I have a goldfish tank and an aquatic frog tank in there and I moved my hermit crab tank in there (yes I live in a zoo) so I leave my door open but I have a heavy long curtain hung up, so the cool air stays in but Oliver can still get in and out to eat/drink and use the potty... my parents' room also has an AC but it's off during the day and we have a huge wall unit downstairs (which we try to keep off til as late as possible, but we keep all the shades/blinds closed so it stays pretty cool for awhile)...

So that's the situation and here's what Oliver chooses to do: lay in the upstairs hallway, roasting! He usually lays on the bathroom floor which is linoleum, but it's really not cool at all. I know their fur insulates against heat and cold, but come on Ollie! I've been making him come downstairs when the AC is on and he'll usually stay awhile and take a nap.

What gives? Why would he willingly roast himself lol... I mean I pick him up to take him downstairs and you'd think he was out sunning himself!

 

[howtoholdacat]

Actually, that's pretty typical of cats. The weather you're describing is typical summer here in the deep South and cats still seek the sunniest, warmest spots where they turn "soggy" with relaxation! The good news is Oscar's normal.

 

[larke]

Our cats used to just plaster themselves against the heat registers in our old house (they were just above the floor, on the wall) even when they were burning hot and the house was not cold at all. I'm still not sure how come their fur didn't catch fire!

 

[emmylou]

All the cats I've known have hated air conditioning. I can understand that, since it's unnatural and must feel and smell odd to them. They can handle heat and even prefer it... you often see cats sleeping near the radiator, in the sun, etc.

 

[blondpierogi]

Hello. Yea this heat wave we just had was killing me.. over 95 degree weather.. tooo hot for New Jersey this early in the season..
I just got a baby kitten, shes probably 4 or 5 weeks old, not sure yet, im taking her to the Vet this weekend..
Its soo cute and what does my Kizzie(thats her name).do , she goes over to the screened window and sits there taking in all the heat and sun. I do not know if that is good for her?

 

[emmylou]

It's just fine. You can trust cats to pick where they're most comfortable... if it gets too hot for them, they'll move.

 

[cococat]

Totally normal. I wouldn't like 76 either if I chose warmer for the whole day

(unless it is nighttime and I am sleeping)

 

[buzbyjlc10]

Well the heat wave broke yesterday. but I'll still be the worried mama all summer and make him come down in the cool for spells... what a weirdo - in the winter we find him hangin out on the cold cement basement floor

I refuse to let him out on his leash and harness in the middle of the day during the summer though... either early morning or dinner time, I mean there's shade for him and a water bowl, but it's still just waaaay to hot in the mid day sun, so he'll just have to be angry lol

 

[whiteforest]

We have this issue with Gus, our 6 month old black kitty, but maybe even worse. He has gone and baked himself in the sun to the point he'll pant with his tongue out. It makes me so nervous and I have to force him to drink water and sit in front of the AC until he cools off.

 

[lorina]

My house used to be an old mom & pops store, and I have huge storefront windows in what's now the living room. The house is poorly insulated and the windows let in a lot of heat. You can feel the difference in that room. During that heat wave, my black cats were lying in the sun in the windows, the two kittens snuggled on top of each other. I thought they'd spontaneously combust!

 

[howtoholdacat]

Originally Posted by BuzbyJLC10

Well the heat wave broke yesterday.

Lol, I'm jealous! What the rest of the country calls a heat wave, Georgia calls summer.