Cats really don’t like cold temperatures, that is no myth. Like many of us, they prefer warm spring weather over the colder air autumn brings along. There are breeds that have lower resistance to colder temperatures than others. Read on if you would like to know which ones!
Cats have a higher body temperature than we humans do. It varies from 38°C to 38.2°C. But it is important to keep in mind that the greatest hazard to your cat’s health is humidity, so you need to make sure your cat always has a warm, dry place in which to sleep.
Oriental cats, breeds like Siamese and Abyssinians, are those that least appreciate cold temperatures. Siamese cats have a thin, silky coat while Abyssinians have a thick and shiny one. Both are short-haired cats that lack an undercoat and so they feel the chill in the air long before we do. Try to keep them indoors during the darker months as much as possible, letting them out only when there are a few precious rays of sunshine.
The house cats that most hate the winter are all the Rex felines, especially the Devon Rex. This cat is a very special creature, with a short but wide nose, huge ears and big eyes set far apart. It has fine and undulating short hair spread over three layers: a protective one, an intermediate layer and an undercoat. Despite that, they love to stay indoors and eat well to keep their body temperature high.
The king of the feline cold haters is the Canadian Sphynx, the renowned “naked” cat. What makes them so special is that are devoid of hair, and this, obviously, makes them more vulnerable to the cold. Truth is, they do have a soft, light, almost invisible layer of fuzz on their bodies, and, oddly enough, its nose is the only part of it that does have visible hair. Thin and naked, they are remarkable creatures, and they are as sweet and cuddly as any of their hairier brethren. They are, needless to say, cats that need to live indoors, far from the cold.
As we just mentioned, these cats require a warm and soft bed in which to sleep all through autumn, winter and spring – like the ones Ferplast makes – until nature warms up again in early summer. The Ferplast beds come in a wide variety of different models, with and without plush, or beds that feature both, like the Relax F cushion, which has a cotton side and a plush side. Place it near the radiator for extra warmth, and keep it far from cold draughts from windows and doors!
What does your cat do when it gets cold outside?