Cats and cold weather

[lk1932]

Can cats live outdoors for any length of time when the temperature drops down to about 0 degrees? If so, how do they manage to stay warm?

[SC_Wolf]

WAG here but I'd say fur is a good insulator?

[moes lotion]

As SC_Wolf says, the cats fur is a very good insulator. They are also very good at finding sheltered spaces to keep out of the worst of the wind and snow. I have heard it said that the biggest problem wild cats have in very cold weather is finding an unfrozen source of water. This applies to feral cats, I don't know how the larger wild cats such as the lynx, bobcats or cougars manage.

[happyheathen]

Note:

The ability to survive extreme weather is dependant on slow aclimation to it - they need to develop a winter coat, body fat.

Tossing a housecat outside in the snow will result in a dead cat.

[Bob55]

I'm sure grown cats would make it, they've been surviving in the northern US without human help ever since Vikings brought some over. I have a Maine Coon with tons of fur - more than you'd find on any wild rabbit or fox or bear or deer. I also read that Maine Coons have the unique characteristic of waterproof fur which would repel snow easily.

Now my other short hair cat who's family lineage is from Florida - I'm not sure evolution played in his favor to make it in the cold winters of the northeast, but I dunno, he's an alleycat with a lot of natural selection behind him.

But kittens probably need help from mom. My brother-in-law just found a kitten 2 miles from anywhere up in Pennsylvania while hunting...it was near death until he took it to the car to warm it up (it survived, and is so loving...and now has a home). No idea how it got out there, none of the locals claimed it.

[Fern Forest]

I also have a Maine Coon (no cold weather here, or papers I got her from the pound) and if you look at the bottom of her paws she has tufts of fur coming out of them. This is to allow her to walk on snow and not have to worry too much about frostbite.

I imagine only a small number of breeds would be able to survive the night more or less OK.

[happyheathen]

note: cats do not know "breeds" - "breeds" are of human origin. Your cats fur pattern/density/composition, whether by natural or unnatural selection, is conditioned by its environment - I would not advise shutting a Maine Coon (one of the more extreme results of selective breeding) accustomed to 70 degrees F. out in sub-zero temps.

[GusNSpot]

Same goes for us humans also.

It is amazing what climatizing can do.

[mrcrow]

i saw a cat go under a recently parked car and climb up into the suspension arm area where it was sheltered and probably a bit of heat as well.

[SC_Wolf]

Originally posted by mrcrow
i saw a cat go under a recently parked car and climb up into the suspension arm area where it was sheltered and probably a bit of heat as well.

Which is why it's a good practice in the winter time to knock on your fender a couple times before getting in your car to start it up. Wake the cat up and all, you know.

[mrcrow]

Originally posted by SC_Wolf
Which is why it's a good practice in the winter time to knock on your fender a couple times before getting in your car to start it up. Wake the cat up and all, you know.

excellent call SC..never occurred to me.

[Jim B.]

Originally posted by SC_Wolf
Which is why it's a good practice in the winter time to knock on your fender a couple times before getting in your car to start it up. Wake the cat up and all, you know.

Beeping your horn is a good idea too.

[mrcrow]

it wont look so strange now seeing people talking to their fenders and making coaxing noises

[happyheathen]

Yep, cats have been climbing up into engine compartments for several decades now - hot engine blocks retain heat long after the engine is turned off.

Those who have heard it never forget the sound of a cat getting caught in a fan belt when the engine is started - be sure to make a lot of noise before turning the key on a car parked outside in the winter, especially if you're going to start it in the middle of the night.

[Mort Furd]

We once had a cat get conked on the head be the fan blade. Fortunately, the fan had a clutch that slipped enough that kitty only got knocked senseless. My Dad thought the cat was dead, and hid it behind the house to bury after work. Imagine his surprise (and relief) when he came home and kitty was wandering around with one hellacious knot on its head.

[Another Primate]

Originally posted by mrcrow
i saw a cat go under a recently parked car and climb up into the suspension arm area where it was sheltered and probably a bit of heat as well.

I had a cat that had to have her tail, one hind leg, and some toes amputated, and several rows of stitches to her body and front legs. She healed up quite well, but WOW, was she scary to look at for a while.

My daughter's five-year-old friend told her mother that we had a one-legged cat.

[Floater]

Originally posted by moes lotion
... I don't know how the larger wild cats such as the lynx, bobcats or cougars manage.

Just out of curiosity: Why do people separate between lynxes and bobcats? The bobcat is just one member of the lynx family.

[Desmostylus]

Originally posted by Floater
Just out of curiosity: Why do people separate between lynxes and bobcats? The bobcat is just one member of the lynx family.

The lynx is also just one member of the lynx family. They're different species, lynx rufus and lynx lynx.

You could just as well argue that tigers are the same as lions because they're both just members of the panthera genus.

[Floater]

Originally posted by Desmostylus
You could just as well argue that tigers are the same as lions because they're both just members of the panthera genus.

As it happens I don't as there are a number of lion species and a number of tiger species, but in everyday speech we just say a lion or a tiger not caring about the exact kind.

[Desmostylus]

I'm not trying to start an argument.

It's just a simple terminological problem. There's a genus called lynx, and I assume that's what you mean by "lynx family". Within that genus is a number of species, including lynx rufus and lynx lynx. These have the common names bobcat and lynx respectively.
So when someone says "bobcat and lynx", they're just referring to the common names.

The different lions and tigers are sub-species of panthera leo and panthera tigris, so it's not it exactly the same situation.

The thing is, in everyday speech, we also don't get hung up about the difference between bobcats and lynxes.

[Floater]

Originally posted by Desmostylus
I'm not trying to start an argument.

Neither am I. I'm just linguisticly curious. However, in Swedish we just refer to any lynx as a lynx, unless we need to specify.

[Desmostylus]

Ah, there's the answer. Just differences in common names. I didn't look at your location, and wouldn't have known about Swedish common names anyway.

[Yeah]

Cats are clearly flexible creatures. I have Javanese cat, with the characteristic kinked tail and all, born to a semiferal mother in Java. He never experienced a temperature lower than about 20 C the first three years of his life. But now that he lives in the States, he insists on going outside in the morning even when the temperature is below freezing and stays out (and I mean out, not in or under a car) for an hour or so.

[Hello Again]

Story 1: when I was in college, a professor accidentally drove all the way home with a kitten on his engine. The kitten was located by its frenzied meowing and retrieved unharmed from under the hood. Kitten was named "Milagro" (Miracle) and found a happy home with the driver.

Story 2: My family had a cat that, in his later years got very itchy skin from being indoors too much (he had always been an indoor/outdor cat). He would rip hunks of fur out... it was awful, poor thing. Tried Cortisone shots and special baths to no avail. One year we made a box for him in the shed (out of the wind and with some blankies for warmth) and he lived out the whole year. We provided food, clean water and petting visits. He did fine and grew a lovely healthy fur coat. He did have the whole fall to become acclimated.

[zwaldd]

Regarding fur insulation: If you've ever had a cat that had to be clipped for any reason, you can feel how good the insulation is. The skin where the cat is clipped will be very warm - what would feel like a fever on a human - but when you feel the fur nearby, it's very cool in comparison. Not much heat gets through that coat.

A few years ago, my cat found his way up on the roof of my three story apartment building, made his way to where my door is, and meowed from above. He couldn't get in though, since he was still on the roof and either couldn't remember how to get down, or just couldn't resolve the whole 'I'm near the door, why can't I get in' issue. Meanwhile, the temperature dropped below freezing and my cat still didn't get down - he just meowed periodically from the roof all night. Whenever I went out to try to coax him down, he'd just roll his head on the roof like he was happy to see me and just stayed up there. Spent the entire night exposed on the roof in below freezing weather. In the morning when I was leaving for work, he was still up there, but as I was driving off, I saw that he'd found the access tree and was finally making his way down. Since then I haven't worried about his ability to handle the coldest weather Austin has to throw at him.

[Siemsi]

My tortie, CJ (a/k/a Ms. Eeeeevil kitty) loves to go outside any time of year. She will whine and moan and howl until someone lets her on the screened in back porch, or takes her out for a harnessed walk. Strange little creature.

Then 30 seconds later she wants to come inside.....

That's my life......Let the cat in.....let the cat out...........Let the cat in.....let the cat out...........Let the cat in.....let the cat out...........Let the cat in.....let the cat out...........Let the cat in.....let the cat out...........Let the cat in.....let the cat out...........Let the cat in.....let the cat out...........Let the cat in.....let the cat out...........Let the cat in.....let the cat out.....

[Siemsi]

Oops!

My point........CJ Evil Kitty loves to go out no matter how freaking hot or cold (last night it was around 15 degrees Farenheit in Cinti).

Her fur seems to change with the seasons.....I do think it is because we let her our (monitored and harnessed of course) during the year.

Her fur is nice and thick like a mink coat right now. Pretty little beast.

[evilhanz]

I once heard a wildlife photographer remark that cats are the most adaptable mammals, right behind humans. Of course, extended periods of time in extreme cold weather can result in frostbitten ears, tails, and paws or hypothermia. Despite their fur, which undoubtedly keeps them quite comfortable in average winter conditions, their cold weather responses are the same as for humans.

The Mount Washington Obsevatory in New Hampshire has been the home of many cats who live their life on the summit and will venture out in all but the absolute worst conditions. Here's a page on the current Resident Cats. In my favorite photo, Inga the cat has collected rime ice on her fur.

[Siemsi]

evilhanz,

Love the link! Thanks!

[Tia3child]

I know that it is unwise to ever try to tame a wild animal, but is it possible to ever domesticate either a Bobcat or a Lynx. Would be something like we've done to the local wolves in the area who aren't afraid of humans anymore or would they actually become house pets. I'm sure its not a good idea but I'm sure somoe one who knows someone who heard a story about this from someone else might have some input on it.

[toadspittle]

just to clarify further the lynx/bobcat distinction:

This felid [the bobcat (lynx rufus) is closely related to the lynx; however, it is half its size. The bobcat can be distinguished from the lynx by the markings on its tail; whereas the lynx has a black tip to its tail that goes completely around its tail, the bobcat's had a white underside with the coloration and markings on the top half. Bobcats also lack the hair on the soles of their feet that lynxes have. The tufts on the ends of their ears tend to be smaller, and their ruff not as prominent.

http://www.lioncrusher.com/animal.asp?animal=41

so, clearly more of an actual difference than, say, mountain lion/cougar/etc.

[asterion]

Originally posted by Tia3child
I know that it is unwise to ever try to tame a wild animal, but is it possible to ever domesticate either a Bobcat or a Lynx. Would be something like we've done to the local wolves in the area who aren't afraid of humans anymore or would they actually become house pets. I'm sure its not a good idea but I'm sure somoe one who knows someone who heard a story about this from someone else might have some input on it.

I sure wouldn't want to try it. Admittedly, we've been domesticating cats for thousands of years from Egypt and whatnot, but something that big? I think that if you were to, you'd basically have to be like a zoo or one of those places that'll train animals for movies and such. You could have a shot if you were to raise a bobcat kitten (they really are cute at that age), took good care of it, had lots of room for it to do it's thing in, and still realized that it's more wild than your average housecat. The problem is, the people who tend to think it'd be a good idea have no idea what they're getting into; no training, no space, no time, nothing.

You could probably "tame" a bobcat the same way you can "tame" a feral cat, with lots of food and water. However, it'd still be a full-grown wild animal and I would prefer not having a bobcat hanging around. Coyotes are bad enough when it comes to housepets being eaten and whatnot.

Honestly, I'd rather run into a mountain lion when hiking where I know that, if need be, I can try and scare it off than try to give one food and encourage it to hang around people. I think the potential for tragedy is much greater that way.

[Kat]

I'd imagine that it's a lot tougher to tame a bobcat than a feral domestic cat, considering that their evolution split off 9 million years ago, at the same time that lions, tigers and leopads split off from domestic cats--lynxes are more closely related to lions, tigers and leopards than to domestic cats. (The Character of Cats, Stephen Budiansky)