# How Cold Is Too Cold For Cats To Be Outside? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 29, 2012, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-cold-is-too-cold-for-cats-to-be-outside/642519 "2012-11-29T22:55:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-cold-is-too-cold-for-cats-to-be-outside/642519/21 "2012-11-30T13:00:17Z")
Glad to read this thread as I’ve been feeding this stray mackeral Tabby & bringing it into the garage when nights have gotten cold. I’m allergic so I can’t bring her inside. I do plan to get a heated house when I can. ---
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-cold-is-too-cold-for-cats-to-be-outside/642519/22 "2012-11-30T17:42:16Z")
Cats are fine with cold weather as long as they have a place to stay dry and out of the wind. If you put out a box of some sort, don’t put a towel in it; the cotton gets damp. Some sort of fleece is much better. Make the entry hole small enough that the cat has to duck his head to get in – that helps keep the heat his body produces inside the box. An internet search for something like “outdoor cat house” or “insulated cat house” (you need some kind of qualifier along with the words “cat house” 😉 ) will find you lots of instructions on the right sizes and materials. There are also lots of cat houses for sale. I’ve had [one of these](http://www.outdoorpethouses.com/bungalow.html) for about 10 years. A feral cat was hanging around and I decided to blow the money. He moved into it about a minute and a half after I put it out, and he still lives here. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-cold-is-too-cold-for-cats-to-be-outside/642519/23 "2012-11-30T18:21:48Z")
If it’s getting below freezing at night, make sure to provide warm water so kitty has access to non-iced-over water. We feed two short-haired ferals, and it got down into the 20s (F) with snow a few winters back. They were fine. **turble** is right, they just need to stay dry and out of the wind. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2012, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-cold-is-too-cold-for-cats-to-be-outside/642519/24 "2012-12-01T02:59:20Z")
Presumably the outdoor cat was spayed by her previous owner? Also, before letting her contact your indoor cat, it would be a good idea to have her tested for feline leukemia and feline immune definciency viruses. It is very sad to lose a cat to either of those conditions. The leukemia virus is quite contagious. Finally, if you plan to let her indoors at all, you are going to want to assume she has fleas and take appropriate countermeasures. We had a rescued kitten reward us by infesting an entire room with fleas. Remedying that situation was not fun. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2012, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-cold-is-too-cold-for-cats-to-be-outside/642519/25 "2012-12-01T03:26:10Z")
> [@MLS](#): > > Presumably the outdoor cat was spayed by her previous owner? > > Also, before letting her contact your indoor cat, it would be a good idea to have her tested for feline leukemia and feline immune definciency viruses. It is very sad to lose a cat to either of those conditions. The leukemia virus is quite contagious. > > Finally, if you plan to let her indoors at all, you are going to want to assume she has fleas and take appropriate countermeasures. We had a rescued kitten reward us by infesting an entire room with fleas. Remedying that situation was not fun. Yes, she was spayed. As for the other stuff… er, that insulated box outside is looking good right now. ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2012, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-cold-is-too-cold-for-cats-to-be-outside/642519/26 "2012-12-01T04:19:00Z")
> [@laina\_f](#): > > It depends on the cat. I had a Maine Coon Cat (very fuzzy) who apparently fell asleep outside one evening. During the night, there was a 3-inch snow. The cat showed up for breakfast in the morning wearing a 3-inch mound of snow. It didn’t faze him a bit. > > It helps too if the cat is well fed and has a layer of fat. Still, I’d bring a cat in any time the temperature gets close to freezing. My parents’ Maine Coon must have a brain defect. She spends 75% of her hours in the winter completely draped over various radiator vents, and on several occasions, the stove burners shortly after they’ve been turned off. Guess it depends on the cat. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-cold-is-too-cold-for-cats-to-be-outside/642519/27 "2012-12-17T17:35:37Z")
Bumping this thread to see if **Alice the Goon** or anyone else has any updates on their chilly kitties. (We had one or two nights in the upper 20s F here … our two ferals are just fine.) ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-cold-is-too-cold-for-cats-to-be-outside/642519/28 "2012-12-17T17:47:16Z")
A neighbor and I share taking care of about 20 feral/stray cats, including TNR (trap-neuter-release.) And we’re in Mchigan so it gets pretty cold in winter. [This organization has tip](http://www.allaboutanimalsrescue.org/stray-cats/)s on caring for strays; scroll down for cold-weather tips. They also hold classes - last year we did their winter shelter building class and now have a half-dozen cozy insulated houses. 🙂 One thing: Do NOT use fabric for bedding in a shelter. Animal goes in and out, tracking moisture or snow. It won’t take long for the fabric to get damp, and stay damp, in winter. If it freezes, it’ll thaw back to dampness if an animal is laying on it. That’s why straw is a much better option. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-cold-is-too-cold-for-cats-to-be-outside/642519/29 "2012-12-17T18:02:50Z")
Drop the cat from 6 feet high upside down. If the air has become cold and thick enough that the cat can’t spin fast enough to land on its feet its too cold. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-cold-is-too-cold-for-cats-to-be-outside/642519/30 "2012-12-17T18:07:24Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Drop the cat from 6 feet high upside down. If the air has become cold and thick enough that the cat can’t spin fast enough to land on its feet its too cold. Cite? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-cold-is-too-cold-for-cats-to-be-outside/642519/31 "2012-12-17T18:10:41Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Drop the cat from 6 feet high upside down. If the air has become cold and thick enough that the cat can’t spin fast enough to land on its feet its too cold. I don’t understand how to do this. Do I have to hang from my feet? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-cold-is-too-cold-for-cats-to-be-outside/642519/32 "2012-12-17T18:13:33Z")
When you wake to find the fire’s dead, it’s cool for cats. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-cold-is-too-cold-for-cats-to-be-outside/642519/33 "2012-12-17T18:18:14Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Drop the cat from 6 feet high upside down. If the air has become cold and thick enough that the cat can’t spin fast enough to land on its feet its too cold. do this over deep snow so the cat doesn’t get injured when it can’t right itself. ---
**Author:** ![sugaree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@sugaree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugaree)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-cold-is-too-cold-for-cats-to-be-outside/642519/34 "2012-12-17T19:04:27Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > You have to be sure that nothing else in the house resembles loose dirt, even in the slightest. A pile of fluffy sweaters might be too close in the abstract, although it sounds a little farfetched to me. I would expect him to enjoy getting entangled in them, then falling asleep instead. Your cat is weird. I have another weird cat. She’s peed in boxes of clothes, in the clothes that fall off the hangers and land on the closet floor, and in a messy pile of paperwork stacked up on a desk (these incidents were connected to a fight for dominance with other cats). She’s like my greatest inspiration for keeping things tidy and put away fast. It’s better than watching Hoarders. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-cold-is-too-cold-for-cats-to-be-outside/642519/35 "2012-12-17T19:05:15Z")
When the Indians send signals from the rocks above the pass. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-cold-is-too-cold-for-cats-to-be-outside/642519/36 "2012-12-17T19:09:07Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > do this over deep snow so the cat doesn’t get injured when it can’t right itself. As an aside, is there anyone who has a cat in a place where it snows who hasn’t thrown their cat in a snowbank at least once? There’s some cheap entertainment! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![cougar58](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@cougar58](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cougar58)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-cold-is-too-cold-for-cats-to-be-outside/642519/37 "2012-12-17T19:25:46Z")
go to Rural King . they sell these huge clear bags of small chunks of corn cobs. A bag 4 x the size of a cat litter bag can be had for $4 on sale, $7 normal. It is made to be ground insulation for outside animals. Walmart sells a bag about half the size and price. I found an 1/2 of old plastic dog house, (so the opening is flush to ground), and used half a bag of the ground up corn cobs for a floor. The stray cat uses it as a dry, warm home to snooze in. I placed it at the edge of the woods. The cat comes out daily, and you can see it pouncing on mice in the huge yard where it is near the woods. Win-Win. Also, after weeks of coaxing, I took in a stray kitten prior to winter 3 yrs ago. like another poster mentioned, just one intro to my other cats catbox, and it used it ever since. Took her in for a check up, shots, meds, after shampoo with Dawn (yes, Dawn is well known for killing / ridding fleas in seconds)…she got along fine with other cats from day one…3 yrs later, one big happy family. before i took her in, a neighbors dog got her in his grip and body slammed her into a wooden fence…suspect rib damage as she hates to be picked up or have rib cage touched…while the other two cats try at every chance to get out for some sun and grass, this one will refuses to ever set foot outside again. hid from all humans the first months, but now naps on my lap every time I sit down. PS tip: use 50% of the corn cob chunks, below 50% of regular cat litter…absorbs liquids and odors…big plus: it makes the weight of emptying the litter box into a trash bag half as much to haul…plus it is a cost savings ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-cold-is-too-cold-for-cats-to-be-outside/642519/38 "2012-12-17T20:17:41Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > do this over deep snow so the cat doesn’t get injured when it can’t right itself. 1. Make toast 2. Butter that toast or put jam on it 3. Tie toast, topping side down, to cat’s belly Now they’ll always land the right way down. > [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > As an aside, is there anyone who has a cat in a place where it snows who hasn’t thrown their cat in a snowbank at least once? There’s some cheap entertainment! 😃 Yeah, but he deserve(s/d) it. Cats in the snow is one place where you notice: holy crap, when cats walk, their hind foot lands in the exact same place as their front just was, without much effort. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-cold-is-too-cold-for-cats-to-be-outside/642519/39 "2012-12-17T20:21:53Z")
> [@wheresmymind](#): > > I know, but I learned the hard way that it’s good to make absolutely certain that they know about the litterbox and view it as the best place to relieve themselves. When I first brought my kitten home he had been using the litter pan for about a week at a friend’s house (the person who found him). I showed him where his litter pan was at my house, and figured that was sorted. Another issue that may or may not have been the case in your situation is that sometimes new cat is afraid to use litterbox of established cat. usually it is recommended to have multiple litterboxes so cats can avoid committing the “faux paw” of intruding on each other’s marked territory in that way. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-cold-is-too-cold-for-cats-to-be-outside/642519/40 "2012-12-17T20:40:03Z")
We’ve had a few nights of temps in the 20’s, and I have been letting her in on those nights, and I made her a warm wooden box in the woodshed outside for warmer nights. But the last couple of cold nights, she woke me up early horking like she was going to puke, and I’ve had to race her outside risking getting puked on, so… looks like the box from now on! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-cold-is-too-cold-for-cats-to-be-outside/642519.md?page=1)