Cat sweaters?

A few years ago my wife suggested we get a little sweater for Louis
the Bengal for the Minnesota winter. I couldn't see how he'd put up
with that, and said it would be a waste of money.

Given fuel prices, we've had to keep our house pretty cool this
winter, and poor Louis finds all the vents blowing hot air and cuddles
up to them. I've reconsidered.

Does anyone have a website vendor they could recommend for cat-coats?

I envision quite a struggle putting one on him, until he realizes
"hey, I'm warmer - this rocks!".

Thanks for any ideas.

BLink
"God created all tribes of men, and certainly had a righteous purpose in creating each"
- Geronimo

On Sun, 28 Dec 2008 18:52:32 -0600, Brian Link wrote:
A few years ago my wife suggested we get a little sweater for Louis
the Bengal for the Minnesota winter. I couldn't see how he'd put up
with that, and said it would be a waste of money.

Given fuel prices, we've had to keep our house pretty cool this
winter, and poor Louis finds all the vents blowing hot air and cuddles
up to them. I've reconsidered.

Unless your indoor temperature is well below zero, such clothing is
pointless. Your cat already has a fur coat and is quite capable of
augmenting it as necessary by growing a thicker coat.

Have you seen your cat shivering? No? There's a reason.

"Brian Link" wrote in message
...

Does anyone have a website vendor they could recommend for cat-coats?



If you or your wife can knit, here are a couple of patterns:
http://www.christinelandry.com/?cat=7

Seems simple enough.

Freezing temperatures don't keep my pussy from going outside. She did
sit in front of the heat vent a few times but never stays there. Then
again it's considered really, really cold here if it ever goes to the
single digits over night.

Suddenly, without warning, Brian Link exclaimed (12/28/2008 7:52 PM):
A few years ago my wife suggested we get a little sweater for Louis
the Bengal for the Minnesota winter. I couldn't see how he'd put up
with that, and said it would be a waste of money.

Given fuel prices, we've had to keep our house pretty cool this
winter, and poor Louis finds all the vents blowing hot air and cuddles
up to them. I've reconsidered.

Does anyone have a website vendor they could recommend for cat-coats?

I envision quite a struggle putting one on him, until he realizes
"hey, I'm warmer - this rocks!".

Thanks for any ideas.

BLink
"God created all tribes of men, and certainly had a righteous purpose in creating each"
- Geronimo

A sweater will prohibit your cat from growing a thicker winter coat,
which will happen if she truly needs it. Also, if you decide to go this
route, you can't just leave it on her - can get skin issues and stuff.
That said, a while back I bought a little dog coat for Meep, because she
liked to be in the back yard but didn't really want to go out when it
started getting colder. Meep's coat is a polarfleece dog coat (extra
small) - the kind that only cover the back and chest.

I half expected her to freak out the first time she wore it, but she was
quite happy, I have some video somewhere of her stalking around the back
yard in it.

jmc

Sun, 28 Dec 2008 18:52:32 -0600 from Brian Link :
A few years ago my wife suggested we get a little sweater for Louis
the Bengal for the Minnesota winter. I couldn't see how he'd put up
with that, and said it would be a waste of money.

Given fuel prices, we've had to keep our house pretty cool this
winter, and poor Louis finds all the vents blowing hot air and cuddles
up to them. I've reconsidered.

Maybe I'm naive, but where's the problem? Dexter the Wonder cat used
to do this all the time.

Cats have fur coats, unlike us. Assuming they're eating properly,
their metabolism keeps them quite comfortably warm -- a couple of
degrees warmer than you, as it happens.

Unless your cat is a hairless variety, a sweater is a really bad idea
IMHO. For one thing, how will the poor cat clean itself?
--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
Shikata ga nai...

"Brian Link" wrote in message
...
A few years ago my wife suggested we get a little sweater for Louis
the Bengal for the Minnesota winter. I couldn't see how he'd put up
with that, and said it would be a waste of money.

Given fuel prices, we've had to keep our house pretty cool this
winter, and poor Louis finds all the vents blowing hot air and cuddles
up to them. I've reconsidered.

Does anyone have a website vendor they could recommend for cat-coats?

I envision quite a struggle putting one on him, until he realizes
"hey, I'm warmer - this rocks!".

Thanks for any ideas.

BLink
"God created all tribes of men, and certainly had a righteous purpose in
creating each"
- Geronimo

I don't think a sweater would be of any value and might simply annoy a cat.
However, have you considered a heated cat mat? Several versions are
available. Here are some examples:
http://www.petproductdepot.com/Heate...s_and_Mats.htm
http://www.shopping.com/xGS-Heated_C...kin_id-8006949

MaryL

suggested we get a little sweater for Louis
the Bengal for the Minnesota winter.

And you'll find it in shreds.

Carol Wilson, Cat Artist
http://www.cafepress.com/carolwilsoncats
http://CarolWilsonCatArt.imagekind.com

On Sun, 28 Dec 2008 18:52:32 -0600, Brian Link wrote:

A few years ago my wife suggested we get a little sweater for Louis
the Bengal for the Minnesota winter. I couldn't see how he'd put up
with that, and said it would be a waste of money.

Given fuel prices, we've had to keep our house pretty cool this
winter, and poor Louis finds all the vents blowing hot air and cuddles
up to them. I've reconsidered.

Does anyone have a website vendor they could recommend for cat-coats?

I envision quite a struggle putting one on him, until he realizes
"hey, I'm warmer - this rocks!".

Thanks for any ideas.

BLink
"God created all tribes of men, and certainly had a righteous purpose in creating each"
- Geronimo

IMO you are best look for a "Cat bed" one that looks like a
cave/cocoon/igloo. Made of cotton and foam, are cheap and disposable
when they get overused but last for years, Cats love them

look in bargain/dollar shops. Last one I bought was in a ALDI grocery
store for under $10

Cats always look for warm spots. My beach house in summer I use a
electric blanket to dry the bed (near ocean and air tends to be humid
when house locked up)

The cat was found sweating on top of it and I now have a cat scorch
mark on the mattress

Petzl

On Sun, 28 Dec 2008 19:25:33 -0600, AZ Nomad
wrote:

On Sun, 28 Dec 2008 18:52:32 -0600, Brian Link wrote:
A few years ago my wife suggested we get a little sweater for Louis
the Bengal for the Minnesota winter. I couldn't see how he'd put up
with that, and said it would be a waste of money.

Given fuel prices, we've had to keep our house pretty cool this
winter, and poor Louis finds all the vents blowing hot air and cuddles
up to them. I've reconsidered.

Unless your indoor temperature is well below zero, such clothing is
pointless. Your cat already has a fur coat and is quite capable of
augmenting it as necessary by growing a thicker coat.

Have you seen your cat shivering? No? There's a reason.

The thing is he's a Bengal - not a natural evolutionarily produced
cat. An artificial beast knit from asian leopard cats and siamese,
neither of which have adaptations for living in the cold.

His ancestors (11 generations hence) were denizens of Southeast Asia,
who never had to develop long coats for cold weather.

Maybe Louis gets cold?

BLink
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