Cat, porch, winter

My cat is about 5 lb and medium hair. She loves to spend all her time
in the back porch, which is covered and protected from rain and snow,
partially protected form winds, but it is not heated.

It is still September, I can read 87 degrees. The cat is busy ignoring
me and looking at the trees and sky out of the porch. However, I
remember what winters are likely to bring. I would like to assume she'd
sense the cold and move in, but like children, maybe quite not in time.


Unlike children, I have no sense what a cat's range for safe and
comfortable temperatures. So, I have two questions:

1. At what temperatures should I start making sure she is covered. I
can certainly ensure that when she is sleeping. :-) I can also clothe
her in a sweater.

2. At what temperatures should I become "really strict", ie, confine
her indoors even if she is unhappy and rebellious? This will not be
pretty. She loves the porch so much that right now the only way she'd
leave it voluntarily is if I remove the roof and it rains.

3. Can I buy a cat-house with a light bulb in it that would provide
adequate warmth? I am no good at construction, will have to get one
ready-made.

Cats can pretty well judge for themselves when they are too cold and want to
come inside (off of the porch). I would provide her with a warm bed out
there (when she wants to remain out there) and buy a snuggle safe pad to
place in the bed (make sure it is insulated by a towel or blanket). You nuke
these plastic frisbee disk in the microwave and they hold the heat for 12
hours. You can find them on the internet:
http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.h...8B6&ccd=IFP003
Gail
"Kiran" wrote in message
...
My cat is about 5 lb and medium hair. She loves to spend all her time
in the back porch, which is covered and protected from rain and snow,
partially protected form winds, but it is not heated.

It is still September, I can read 87 degrees. The cat is busy ignoring
me and looking at the trees and sky out of the porch. However, I
remember what winters are likely to bring. I would like to assume she'd
sense the cold and move in, but like children, maybe quite not in time.


Unlike children, I have no sense what a cat's range for safe and
comfortable temperatures. So, I have two questions:

1. At what temperatures should I start making sure she is covered. I
can certainly ensure that when she is sleeping. :-) I can also clothe
her in a sweater.

2. At what temperatures should I become "really strict", ie, confine
her indoors even if she is unhappy and rebellious? This will not be
pretty. She loves the porch so much that right now the only way she'd
leave it voluntarily is if I remove the roof and it rains.

3. Can I buy a cat-house with a light bulb in it that would provide
adequate warmth? I am no good at construction, will have to get one
ready-made.

--
Our cats are "weird". In the summer they lay in the attic where there is no
a/c and reads 90+ and the winter they go up there with no heat and it hits
refrigerator temps....Go figure!



"Gail" wrote in message
ink.net...
Cats can pretty well judge for themselves when they are too cold and want
to come inside (off of the porch). I would provide her with a warm bed out
there (when she wants to remain out there) and buy a snuggle safe pad to
place in the bed (make sure it is insulated by a towel or blanket). You
nuke these plastic frisbee disk in the microwave and they hold the heat
for 12 hours. You can find them on the internet:
http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.h...8B6&ccd=IFP003
Gail
"Kiran" wrote in message
...
My cat is about 5 lb and medium hair. She loves to spend all her time
in the back porch, which is covered and protected from rain and snow,
partially protected form winds, but it is not heated.

It is still September, I can read 87 degrees. The cat is busy ignoring
me and looking at the trees and sky out of the porch. However, I
remember what winters are likely to bring. I would like to assume she'd
sense the cold and move in, but like children, maybe quite not in time.


Unlike children, I have no sense what a cat's range for safe and
comfortable temperatures. So, I have two questions:

1. At what temperatures should I start making sure she is covered. I
can certainly ensure that when she is sleeping. :-) I can also clothe
her in a sweater.

2. At what temperatures should I become "really strict", ie, confine
her indoors even if she is unhappy and rebellious? This will not be
pretty. She loves the porch so much that right now the only way she'd
leave it voluntarily is if I remove the roof and it rains.

3. Can I buy a cat-house with a light bulb in it that would provide
adequate warmth? I am no good at construction, will have to get one
ready-made.

One of mine loves the heat and the other loves cold. However, even when it
is -19º F they will have slip out the door just to make sure they don't
want to be out there.

Stone
Some pic's http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/stoneman72/my_photos


"shortfuse" wrote in message
...


--
Our cats are "weird". In the summer they lay in the attic where there is
no a/c and reads 90+ and the winter they go up there with no heat and it
hits refrigerator temps....Go figure!



"Gail" wrote in message
ink.net...
Cats can pretty well judge for themselves when they are too cold and want
to come inside (off of the porch). I would provide her with a warm bed
out there (when she wants to remain out there) and buy a snuggle safe pad
to place in the bed (make sure it is insulated by a towel or blanket).
You nuke these plastic frisbee disk in the microwave and they hold the
heat for 12 hours. You can find them on the internet:
http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.h...8B6&ccd=IFP003
Gail
"Kiran" wrote in message
...
My cat is about 5 lb and medium hair. She loves to spend all her time
in the back porch, which is covered and protected from rain and snow,
partially protected form winds, but it is not heated.

It is still September, I can read 87 degrees. The cat is busy ignoring
me and looking at the trees and sky out of the porch. However, I
remember what winters are likely to bring. I would like to assume she'd
sense the cold and move in, but like children, maybe quite not in time.


Unlike children, I have no sense what a cat's range for safe and
comfortable temperatures. So, I have two questions:

1. At what temperatures should I start making sure she is covered. I
can certainly ensure that when she is sleeping. :-) I can also clothe
her in a sweater.

2. At what temperatures should I become "really strict", ie, confine
her indoors even if she is unhappy and rebellious? This will not be
pretty. She loves the porch so much that right now the only way she'd
leave it voluntarily is if I remove the roof and it rains.

3. Can I buy a cat-house with a light bulb in it that would provide
adequate warmth? I am no good at construction, will have to get one
ready-made.

LOL...I remember last winter we were having one of our snow falls, so I
opened up the window so they could see and feel the snow flakes popping thru
the screen. They didnt stay too long..and neither did the window stay up
either long.
Have a purrr fect day!
--



"Gary Stone" wrote in message
...
One of mine loves the heat and the other loves cold. However, even when it
is -19º F they will have slip out the door just to make sure they don't
want to be out there.

Stone
Some pic's http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/stoneman72/my_photos


"shortfuse" wrote in message
...


--
Our cats are "weird". In the summer they lay in the attic where there is
no a/c and reads 90+ and the winter they go up there with no heat and it
hits refrigerator temps....Go figure!



"Gail" wrote in message
ink.net...
Cats can pretty well judge for themselves when they are too cold and
want to come inside (off of the porch). I would provide her with a warm
bed out there (when she wants to remain out there) and buy a snuggle
safe pad to place in the bed (make sure it is insulated by a towel or
blanket). You nuke these plastic frisbee disk in the microwave and they
hold the heat for 12 hours. You can find them on the internet:
http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.h...8B6&ccd=IFP003
Gail
"Kiran" wrote in message
...
My cat is about 5 lb and medium hair. She loves to spend all her time
in the back porch, which is covered and protected from rain and snow,
partially protected form winds, but it is not heated.

It is still September, I can read 87 degrees. The cat is busy ignoring
me and looking at the trees and sky out of the porch. However, I
remember what winters are likely to bring. I would like to assume she'd
sense the cold and move in, but like children, maybe quite not in time.


Unlike children, I have no sense what a cat's range for safe and
comfortable temperatures. So, I have two questions:

1. At what temperatures should I start making sure she is covered. I
can certainly ensure that when she is sleeping. :-) I can also clothe
her in a sweater.

2. At what temperatures should I become "really strict", ie, confine
her indoors even if she is unhappy and rebellious? This will not be
pretty. She loves the porch so much that right now the only way she'd
leave it voluntarily is if I remove the roof and it rains.

3. Can I buy a cat-house with a light bulb in it that would provide
adequate warmth? I am no good at construction, will have to get one
ready-made.

Gail wrote:

: Cats can pretty well judge for themselves when they are too cold and want to
: come inside (off of the porch). I would provide her with a warm bed out
: there (when she wants to remain out there) and buy a snuggle safe pad to
: place in the bed (make sure it is insulated by a towel or blanket). You nuke
: these plastic frisbee disk in the microwave and they hold the heat for 12
: hours. You can find them on the internet:
:
: http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.h...9-AFCC-5D6FA77
: ED8B6&ccd=IFP003

Thank you. With winter still some distance away, I am collecting ideas
for providing reliable warmth in the outside porch. My first thought
was to create some kind of confined area and install a light bulb,
simply because I had seen one person provide warmth to his dog that
way. I also learned about a few heated pads. What I like about your
suggestion is that no electric cords are involved and it seems safer.

As for beds, I have tried to set up several, but these days she prefers
to sleep inside a small cardboard box in the porch. It has been an
humbling expereince. :-)

Kiran wrote:

My cat is about 5 lb and medium hair. She loves to spend all her time
in the back porch, which is covered and protected from rain and snow,
partially protected form winds, but it is not heated.

It is still September, I can read 87 degrees. The cat is busy ignoring
me and looking at the trees and sky out of the porch. However, I
remember what winters are likely to bring. I would like to assume she'd
sense the cold and move in, but like children, maybe quite not in time.


Unlike children, I have no sense what a cat's range for safe and
comfortable temperatures. So, I have two questions:

1. At what temperatures should I start making sure she is covered. I
can certainly ensure that when she is sleeping. :-) I can also clothe
her in a sweater.

2. At what temperatures should I become "really strict", ie, confine
her indoors even if she is unhappy and rebellious? This will not be
pretty. She loves the porch so much that right now the only way she'd
leave it voluntarily is if I remove the roof and it rains.

3. Can I buy a cat-house with a light bulb in it that would provide
adequate warmth? I am no good at construction, will have to get one
ready-made.


How about installing a cat-flap between the main house and the porch?
That may turn out to be less trouble than rigging up warm sleeping
quarters out on the porch. Just an idea....

5cats wrote:

: How about installing a cat-flap between the main house and the porch?
: That may turn out to be less trouble than rigging up warm sleeping
: quarters out on the porch. Just an idea....

Her access in and out is not a big problem. My concern it, she prefers
the porch so much---the only times she comes in voluntarily is when
there is lightning and thunder---that she may stay there longer than is
good for her and may "catch cold" or whatever the feline equivalent is.


I am going by my kids' example. No doubt, if it is painful enough they
would avoid it; the danger zone is when it is within their tolerance
but still enough to make them sick! Now that I think about it, they
never get sick when it is -10 degrees, far more likely when it's +40.

Maybe I am worrying too much, but I am worrying and tinkering type.

Here is an easy way to look at it if the weather guy tells you it is time to
bring your plants and animals in do it. If you walk outside and the cat is
sitting their fuzzed up time to come in. If you think it is too cold it is
time to come in. They can be only our masters 75% of the time. If you want
to let her stay out side go to the local pet store they sell thermal pads
that reflects the animals body heat
http://www.harrietcarter.com/Detail.cfm?prod=4991&UDC=Y for example.

Also a shelter can be built that you can use heavy duty heating pads i have
seen the rip proof and and if you are worried about the electrical line
shorting out due to accidents. They make a solar powered heating pad you
can get them at camping stores

Kiran wrote:
My cat is about 5 lb and medium hair. She loves to spend all her time
in the back porch, which is covered and protected from rain and snow,
partially protected form winds, but it is not heated.

It is still September, I can read 87 degrees. The cat is busy ignoring
me and looking at the trees and sky out of the porch. However, I
remember what winters are likely to bring. I would like to assume she'd
sense the cold and move in, but like children, maybe quite not in time.


Unlike children, I have no sense what a cat's range for safe and
comfortable temperatures. So, I have two questions:

1. At what temperatures should I start making sure she is covered. I
can certainly ensure that when she is sleeping. :-) I can also clothe
her in a sweater.

2. At what temperatures should I become "really strict", ie, confine
her indoors even if she is unhappy and rebellious? This will not be
pretty. She loves the porch so much that right now the only way she'd
leave it voluntarily is if I remove the roof and it rains.

3. Can I buy a cat-house with a light bulb in it that would provide
adequate warmth? I am no good at construction, will have to get one
ready-made.

A wanna-be writer we got us here....



IBen