# Cats and cold weather **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 6, 2002, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-and-cold-weather/140857 "2002-12-06T04:36:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lk1932](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/aeb1de/32.png) [@lk1932](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lk1932)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-and-cold-weather/140857/1 "2002-12-06T04:36:26Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![SC\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@SC\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SC_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-and-cold-weather/140857/2 "2002-12-06T04:46:42Z")
WAG here but I’d say fur is a good insulator? ---
**Author:** ![moes\_lotion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@moes\_lotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moes_lotion)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-and-cold-weather/140857/3 "2002-12-06T04:53:27Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![happyheathen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5e925/32.png) [@happyheathen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/happyheathen)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-and-cold-weather/140857/4 "2002-12-06T06:38:47Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Bob55](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Bob55](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob55)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-and-cold-weather/140857/5 "2002-12-06T06:49:20Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-and-cold-weather/140857/6 "2002-12-06T06:59:54Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![happyheathen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5e925/32.png) [@happyheathen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/happyheathen)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-and-cold-weather/140857/7 "2002-12-06T07:52:43Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-and-cold-weather/140857/8 "2002-12-06T08:54:59Z")
Same goes for us humans also. It is amazing what climatizing can do. ---
**Author:** ![mrcrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@mrcrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrcrow)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-and-cold-weather/140857/9 "2002-12-06T08:58:38Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![SC\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@SC\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SC_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-and-cold-weather/140857/10 "2002-12-06T09:05:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*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. ---
**Author:** ![mrcrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@mrcrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrcrow)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-and-cold-weather/140857/11 "2002-12-06T09:08:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*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. \*\* :smack: excellent call SC…never occurred to me.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-and-cold-weather/140857/12 "2002-12-06T09:09:13Z")
> [@](#): > > _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. ---
**Author:** ![mrcrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@mrcrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrcrow)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-and-cold-weather/140857/13 "2002-12-06T09:14:48Z")
it wont look so strange now seeing people talking to their fenders and making coaxing noises:D ---
**Author:** ![happyheathen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5e925/32.png) [@happyheathen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/happyheathen)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-and-cold-weather/140857/14 "2002-12-06T09:24:05Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Mort\_Furd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mort\_Furd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mort_Furd)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-and-cold-weather/140857/15 "2002-12-06T10:24:36Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Another\_Primate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Another\_Primate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Another_Primate)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-and-cold-weather/140857/16 "2002-12-06T11:06:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*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. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-and-cold-weather/140857/17 "2002-12-06T11:15:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*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. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-and-cold-weather/140857/18 "2002-12-06T11:55:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*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. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-and-cold-weather/140857/19 "2002-12-06T12:06:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*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. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-and-cold-weather/140857/20 "2002-12-06T12:32:04Z")
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. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-and-cold-weather/140857.md?page=2)