What room temperature for cats? | dogsandcatstime.com

Cats with short fur feel most comfortable at a room temperature of 20 to 25 degrees and cats with thicker fur at 15 to 25 degrees.

What is the ideal room temperature for cats?

The ideal room temperature for your cat depends on its age, stature and breed.

What room temperature your cat prefers depends on a number of factors and is not easy to say in general terms. The following factors play an important role in determining the ideal room temperature for your cat:

The age of your cat

Young kittens and kitten in particular cannot store as much heat as adult cats because their fur is not fully developed. Therefore, young cats need a higher room temperature.

The stature of your cat

Due to the ratio of body surface area to body volume, fatter cats are much less likely to freeze than thinner cats. Cats that do not have a large store of fat find it more difficult to retain heat in the body.

The breed of your cat

There are some cat breeds that have a very thick coat and can handle cold much better than other cat breeds because of their previous life situations. Especially Siberian cat breeds or cat breeds from Norway have it much easier in winter. In contrast, these cat breeds have considerable difficulties at high temperatures in summer.

Cats with thinner fur always need higher room temperatures in winter.

What can be the consequences of the wrong room temperature for cats?

Cats can quickly develop health problems such as colds or heat stroke if the room temperature is too cold or too warm.

If it is too cold or too warm for your cat in your home, it can affect your cat’s health. Cats get stressed very quickly and your cat’s circulation can be very stressed if the temperature in the home is not at the desired comfort level. Especially if it is too hot in the summer, your cat can quickly die of heat exhaustion.

It is also detrimental to your cat’s health if the room temperature is significantly too low. Cats can quickly catch a cold, which can also lead to pneumonia in cats.

Your cat will become accustomed to the prevailing room temperature over time and should therefore not be let outside in winter, as many cats have too little winter coat.

How can I tell if my cat is too cold?

You can also tell that your cat is cold by the way it huddles together and puffs up its fur. Most of the time the eyes are closed except for a small slit.

If the room temperature of your cat is clearly too cold, a distinct shivering can be an important signal. Cats have a body temperature between 38.5 and 39 degrees. If the body temperature is below 37.5 degrees, you should act immediately and seek veterinary advice.

Cats that spend a lot of time outside should always have access to the house in winter.

If your cat is exposed to temperatures that are too cold, for example when outdoors, your cat could get frostbite. This would cause redness and swelling and should be treated by a vet.

What can I do if my cat is cold?

You can offer your cat a heated cat cushion or a warm cat house in the front garden.

To keep your cat warm, there are heated cat cushions that you could offer your cat, especially on cold days.

If you have an outdoor cat, it is important that he always has access to a warm shelter in winter. There are heated cat houses or even a simple garage where your cat can find shelter.

If your cat is elderly or immunocompromised, make sure he has access to your home at all times during the winter.

If your cat gets cold for unexplained reasons, it is advisable to seek veterinary advice.

How does my cat cope with high temperatures?

Because cats can’t sweat, cats can only tolerate a certain amount of heat. They try to compensate for the heat by panting and licking their fur.

Cats love the sun and like to have their sleeping place warmed by the sun’s rays. However, cats can only tolerate a certain amount of heat because they cannot sweat properly. The few sweat glands they have are mainly used to secrete scents, which they use to mark their territory.

Cats try to cool themselves by panting and licking their fur.

Cats also restrict their movements in high temperatures and often only stay in the shade.

We tell you what cats do to cool down when the temperature is too high in our brand new article How do cats cool down in summer?

What can happen if the room temperature is too high for my cat?

Cats can get heat stroke if the temperature is too high. Similarly, very high room temperatures are very stressful, especially for longhaired cats.

Cats, like other animals, can quickly suffer heat stroke when exposed to enormous heat. This is very dangerous for cats and can be life threatening.

The first signs of heat stroke are usually not immediately obvious, as your cat will behave in a typical way in hot temperatures. They usually pant slightly and look for a shady place in the house. They will often pace back and forth restlessly.

Further signs of heat stroke are usually reversed behavioural traits compared to the restless pacing. Cats then become apathetic and lie down on their bellies.

Especially cats with a thick coat will lie down in the shade in summer.

You should keep a close eye on your cat and offer him a cool place in the shade or a bowl of water.

If your cat has cramps, shortness of breath or hyperventilates, you should seek veterinary advice quickly. Heat stroke can also cause chills and unconsciousness in your cat.

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Summary – What room temperature for cats?

Cats with short fur feel most comfortable at a room temperature of 20 to 25 degrees and cats with thicker fur at 15 to 25 degrees.

The ideal room temperature for your cat depends on various factors. For example, the breed of your cat. Short-haired cats in particular like a warmer room temperature than long-haired cats, which have very thick fur. But the stature of your cat also determines the comfortable temperature in the room. Due to the ratio of body surface and body volume, thicker cats are less cold than thinner cats. Age also plays an important role in determining the ideal room temperature. Young kittens in particular do not yet have very thick fur and need warmer room temperatures than adult cats.

If the room temperature is wrong, your cat can quickly become stressed and get a cold or heat stroke. Likewise, frostbite can also develop in cats if they are exposed to temperatures that are too cold.

You can tell when your cat is cold by the way it shivers and huddles up. She usually puffs up her fur and her eyes are barely visible.

To prevent your cat from freezing in winter, you can provide a heated cat cushion indoors. For cats that are outside in winter, it is a good idea to provide them with a heated cat house as a shelter.