I’m thinking of being a good cheapstake, err, environmentalist and turning off my heat off during the day. What temperature ranges will the average indoor cat be able to tolerate comfortably?
Cats tolerate cold better than they do heat, and they can tolerate heat pretty well. Just don’t be surprized if they poop in your shoes in retaliation. 
Indoor cats are pretty smart. They’ll just hop into your bed and burrow under the covers. Mine have done this.
Wow, I’m even cheaper than you. I cut the whole thing off when I’m not there.
Maybe someone from southern Europe can chime in here. When I was in Spain as a teenager I was shocked that people (and their animals) lived in a 1st world country w/o air conditioning. My parents had once paid an obscene amount to get the repair guy to come on a Sunday when our AC broke. I now find this hysterical/pathetic.
Please forgive my preachiness, but being hot/cold isn’t the end of the world. Ideally AC/heat use wouldn’t be a question of whether or not one can afford it. We have limited resources. Why not conserve just a tad?
That said, I have no idea what the ideal temp is for cats, or at what point they start being uncomfortable. Maybe someone else will actually answer your question without diatribing 
oh wait, you said you turned it off. i was projecting onto my current roommate who only turns it down. :smack:
As long as the cats aren’t outside, they’ll do just fine with the heat off. Feral cats survive with no heat or a/c at all - if they have a spot to get out of the wind they’re usually ok. Of course, I live in the South where the winters are pretty mild.
Thanks. That’s what I thought; plenty of domestic kitties spend a majority of their time outdoors, even in the winter… I just wanted to make sure.
beckiemoriello, no worries. (I don’t have AC, either, BTW.) In fact, I’ll give a go at having no heat at all once my electric blanket is out of storage–when out of bed, a couple of miles on the treadmill, and you’ll forget about wanting heat. And I’ve filled up my car exactly once in the past 2 months… for a whopping 8 gallons of gasoline.
Out of curiosity, where do you live? You want to make sure that your house doesn’t get cold enough for pipes to freeze.
I’d say above freezing and the cat will be fine for the day. My cat often spends evenings outdoors, even in the winter. (Don’t start on the “outdoor” cat issue) Some days, he doesn’t want to come back in when I’m ready for bed. He was ok at some point last evening, I found one of his trophies outside the door, though I didn’t see him this AM. Probably off “catting” around.
I’ve also seen a picture of a cat (can’t find it at the moment) that liked to sleep a couple of feet away from a blacksmith’s forge, so heat really isn’t a problem either. (within limits) This cat had quite a few burn marks on his fur, but returned regularly for a warm place to nap.
I think a rule of thumb is that if “you’re ok, they’re ok”
If the cat gets cold, it’ll find a blanket, as earlier posters have hinted.
-Ed
Finagle, good point. I’ll make sure that won’t happen.
butler1850–I agree. My grandmother had to live in her friend’s house for an year recently, but naturally her friend (and my parents) wouldn’t put up with a cat that couldn’t use the litter box (long story which basically ends with “I think the cat’s fine; she’s too cheap to buy litter”). So, basically, my parents fed him on the porch, but he slept and lived outdoors for an entire year–I felt bad for him, but he seemed to do well, although now that he’s got a home again he wants to spend all his time indoors. My grandmother still puts him out 16 hours a day due to his alleged inability to use litter, though.