# Pet owners: What do you leave the AC on when you're not at home? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 11, 2014, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-owners-what-do-you-leave-the-ac-on-when-youre-not-at-home/692896 "2014-07-11T23:53:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2014, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-owners-what-do-you-leave-the-ac-on-when-youre-not-at-home/692896/21 "2014-07-12T14:50:25Z")
My kitties go in the cool basement when hot. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2014, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-owners-what-do-you-leave-the-ac-on-when-youre-not-at-home/692896/22 "2014-07-12T15:02:50Z")
> [@brainstall](#): > > A/C? What A/C? Air conditioning would be nice, but it isn’t really ‘needed’ here. There are cool, dark places in the bedrooms if the cat feels too warm. Winter, though, can get chilly. We’ll leave the heater at 50ºF when we’re not home or at night. ---
**Author:** ![LibrarySpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f9ae1b/32.png) [@LibrarySpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LibrarySpy)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2014, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-owners-what-do-you-leave-the-ac-on-when-youre-not-at-home/692896/23 "2014-07-12T15:27:53Z")
We have it on 75 when we’re out of the house, 73 when we’re inside. The cat seems to get lethargic and seek out cool places if it’s too hot. Her comfort is definitely a consideration. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2014, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-owners-what-do-you-leave-the-ac-on-when-youre-not-at-home/692896/24 "2014-07-12T15:52:13Z")
78f for my dog while I’m gone, 75f for me while I’m home. ---
**Author:** ![MoonMoon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonmoon/32/2959_2.png) [@MoonMoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoonMoon)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2014, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-owners-what-do-you-leave-the-ac-on-when-youre-not-at-home/692896/25 "2014-07-12T16:01:08Z")
> [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](#): > > No AC. I live in Denver. House has never been warmer than 85F and that would be once or twice in the summer. > > The dog goes into the basement when he gets too hot, but he really doesn’t, very often. He doesn’t have a lot of fur and what I really don’t understand is why he doesn’t freeze in the winter, but apparently, he doesn’t. > > The cats seem to like it warm. Too bad for them, it’s Denver. Denver is regularly 90-100 all summer long (and summer extends into fall). I don’t care if it’s a dry heat - so is the oven. It cools down dramatically at night, but the days are unbearable without AC. Although, I’m recoiling with horror at all of the high 70s-mid 80s responses, so maybe it’s me. Mine is set between 70-74, always. (And 74 is rare). My dogs and I would be miserable if it were any higher. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2014, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-owners-what-do-you-leave-the-ac-on-when-youre-not-at-home/692896/26 "2014-07-12T16:12:25Z")
No AC in our house, but the dogs gravitate to the basement which is large and cool year round. In fact,my man-cave is a favorite place to hangout, drink, chill, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2014, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-owners-what-do-you-leave-the-ac-on-when-youre-not-at-home/692896/27 "2014-07-12T16:12:30Z")
75 year round all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2014, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-owners-what-do-you-leave-the-ac-on-when-youre-not-at-home/692896/28 "2014-07-12T16:13:06Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Air conditioning would be nice, but it isn’t really ‘needed’ here. There are cool, dark places in the bedrooms if the cat feels too warm. > > Winter, though, can get chilly. We’ll leave the heater at 50ºF when we’re not home or at night. We have AC, but haven’t turned it on yet this year. (Last week we had a fire going in the fireplace one chilly evening). I love the weather here. They say it might hit 90 today. That will be interesting. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2014, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-owners-what-do-you-leave-the-ac-on-when-youre-not-at-home/692896/29 "2014-07-12T17:12:06Z")
It gets hot here for only a few months, and we don’t have AC. if the cats get really hot, they can go to the basement. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2014, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-owners-what-do-you-leave-the-ac-on-when-youre-not-at-home/692896/30 "2014-07-12T17:55:23Z")
House rabbits suffer in heat, so we leave it about the same temp when we’re home vs away. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2014, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-owners-what-do-you-leave-the-ac-on-when-youre-not-at-home/692896/31 "2014-07-12T19:16:35Z")
The programmable thermostat is set to 85 during the day on weekdays, and 75 the rest of the time. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2014, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-owners-what-do-you-leave-the-ac-on-when-youre-not-at-home/692896/32 "2014-07-12T21:10:09Z")
It’s set on 78 for weekday days, and automatically goes down to 74 about 1/2 an hour before I get home from work. However, the house holds its overnight cool air really well and rarely gets warm enough inside for the AC to kick in during the day. ---
**Author:** ![Habeed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a587f6/32.png) [@Habeed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Habeed)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2014, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-owners-what-do-you-leave-the-ac-on-when-youre-not-at-home/692896/33 "2014-07-12T21:29:45Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > - > - (pure speculation) As lazy as they are, they can go into a more dormant state than humans, generating less heat per unit weight. I’ve seen a cat laze in a sunbeam from a window dozens of times in my life. The surface temperature of their fur gets to be almost burning hot when they do this. The cat never seems to be in any distress, nor does it appear to do them any noticeable harm. One cat I had that did this lived about 20 years. So either their physiology is more tolerant of heat, or they can ramp it back to reduce internal heat production, or both. I think you’re on to something here. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2014, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-owners-what-do-you-leave-the-ac-on-when-youre-not-at-home/692896/34 "2014-07-12T22:36:42Z")
> [@Habeed](#): > > I’ve seen a cat laze in a sunbeam from a window dozens of times in my life. The surface temperature of their fur gets to be almost burning hot when they do this. > > The cat never seems to be in any distress, nor does it appear to do them any noticeable harm. One cat I had that did this lived about 20 years. > > So either their physiology is more tolerant of heat, or they can ramp it back to reduce internal heat production, or both. I think you’re on to something here. Repeating what I said in post # 13 - [cats are desert animals](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat) (or descended from them at any rate) and tolerate heat just fine. > [@](#): > > As cats are familiar and easily kept animals, their physiology has been particularly well studied; it generally resembles that of other carnivorous mammals but displays several unusual features probably attributable to cats’ descent from desert-dwelling species.[35] For instance, cats are able to tolerate quite high temperatures: Humans generally start to feel uncomfortable when their skin temperature passes about 38 °C (100 °F), but cats show no discomfort until their skin reaches around 52 °C (126 °F),[54]:46 and can tolerate temperatures of up to 56 °C (133 °F) if they have access to water.[63] > > Cats conserve heat by reducing the flow of blood to their skin and lose heat by evaporation through their mouth. Cats have minimal ability to sweat, with glands located primarily in their paw pads,[64] and pant for heat relief only at very high temperatures[65] (but may also pant when stressed). A cat’s body temperature does not vary throughout the day; this is part of cats’ general lack of circadian rhythms and may reflect their tendency to be active both during the day and at night.[66]:1 Cats’ feces are comparatively dry and their urine is highly concentrated, both of which are adaptations that allow cats to retain as much fluid as possible.[35] Their kidneys are so efficient that cats can survive on a diet consisting only of meat, with no additional water,[67] and can even rehydrate by drinking seawater.[66]:29[68] ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2014, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-owners-what-do-you-leave-the-ac-on-when-youre-not-at-home/692896/35 "2014-07-12T23:46:54Z")
Our AC is set at 84° most of the time whether we’re home or not. If I really can’t stand it, I will bump it down to 80°. We manage to keep the house fairly cool by opening and closing windows and doors at the appropriate times of day and using fans. Money is tight this summer and this system we’ve got down had reduced out summer electricity bill by about half. Both dogs and both cats seem perfectly happy. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2014, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-owners-what-do-you-leave-the-ac-on-when-youre-not-at-home/692896/36 "2014-07-13T01:33:26Z")
> [@MoonMoon](#): > > Although, I’m recoiling with horror at all of the high 70s-mid 80s responses, so maybe it’s me. Not just you ;). 78 degrees as an interior temperture seems unbearably warm to me. But then I live in the land of bland weather and ever-moderate tempertures and don’t own any AC. I tend to wilt a bit when visiting the south. At work the thermostat typically gets set at 68-72 ( by just about everybody ). ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2014, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-owners-what-do-you-leave-the-ac-on-when-youre-not-at-home/692896/37 "2014-07-13T03:03:10Z")
I never change it. The AC is at 68 or something like that. So is the heat. And it stays there. ---
**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:** [July 13, 2014, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-owners-what-do-you-leave-the-ac-on-when-youre-not-at-home/692896/38 "2014-07-13T04:45:07Z")
At home all the time. 68 F all the time. Dawg needs it & the cats like it judging by how badly they want it. Perfect year round for me would be 65-66 but the wife would shoot me. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2014, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-owners-what-do-you-leave-the-ac-on-when-youre-not-at-home/692896/39 "2014-07-13T05:25:40Z")
We don’t change it when we leave the house. It’s set about 76° all the time. 76° in AC doesn’t seem like 76° in heat, for some reason. 76° in the winter would be way too hot, but any lower than 76° seems way too cold in the summer. Anyway, the dogs get the same treatment we do. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-owners-what-do-you-leave-the-ac-on-when-youre-not-at-home/692896.md?page=1)