How to Keep Indoor Cats Warm in the Winter

It’s that time of year when the temperature drops and we turn on the heat. With the costs of heat rising and our budgets shrinking ,we wonder how low we can turn our thermostats without making life miserable for our feline friends. How can we keep indoor cats warm in the winter as we try to save some money? Here are some tips to help.

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How Cold is Too Cold?

Generally speaking, if it is too cold for you to be comfortable, it’s too cold for your cat too. Little kittens, senior cats, and sick cats will feel the cold more than a healthy, mature cat. 

A cat’s normal temperature is 102F compared to our 98F. Hypothermia sets in if their temperature drops below 99F and stays there for a period of time. Air temperatures under 45F are dangerous for indoor cats. 

Cats are most comfortable in a room temperature around 70F. If you want to keep your house cooler than that you’ll want to give them ways to find some extra warmth.

Related Post: Give Your Cat an Awesome Winter Adventure

Food and Water

Offer Kitty extra food when it’s colder. He’ll be using those calories to keep his body warm. Warming wet food up by adding warm water or broth or microwaving it for a few seconds will be as nice for him as a bowl of hot soup is for us on a cold day. 

Wet food will also help Kitty stay hydrated and help keep them comfortable in the dry winter. You can also offer something like KittyRade or Purina HydraCare.

Related Post: Learn more about the importance of Hydration

Keep Kitty Moving to Keep her Warm

Playing with your cat keeps her up and moving. This keeps her blood circulating and helps her stay warm. It will also prevent her putting on those winter pounds. So get out your wand toys and get Kitty running and jumping. 

Related Post: Benefits of Play for Your Cat

Give Kitty a Warm Spot to Sleep.

If your heating system is zoned, keep one or two rooms at that 70F temperature that cats like while you drop the temperature in the rest of the house. Make sure Kitty’s favorite areas are draft free. Using draft dodgers and weather stripping can help keep the cold air out of her space. Raise and lower blinds to take advantage of the sun.

Strategically placing a cardboard box, a carrier, or an enclosed style bed in her sleeping spot gives Kitty a chance to curl up in a den and stay warm.  The small space will keep her body heat contained so she stays warmer. Add some soft fleece blankets that she can snuggle in. You can take this up a notch by using a self-warming bed or carrier mat.

Electric beds are another option. Don’t use a heating pad meant for humans. They run too hot for Kitty and are not designed to withstand her teeth and claws. Instead, choose low-wattage pet beds. Treeno loves his Sleepypod mobile pet bed no matter what time of year it is, but the fuzzy winter liner and adding the heat pack make it everyone’s favorite in the cold months of the year. 

Heating devices such as snuggle safe discs that you can microwave and slide into their beds when it get really cold keeps Kitty more comfortable. For a less expensive option you can DIY a rice sock and warm that in the microwave before tucking it in his bed too.

Put on a Sweater

My mother always told me to put on a sweater when the thermostat dropped and I complained about being cold. I still follow that advice. Cats are iffy about wearing clothes. Most aren’t used to being dressed up and kind of hate it. Your cat might appreciate a soft, warm fleece sweater if it’s really cold in your house. But if Kitty is not okay with wearing clothes, don’t force her. Hairless cats, or cats in a lion cut, should really be encouraged to wear a sweater in cold environments. 

Keep Indoor Cats Warm in Winter Storms

Living in what I call the frozen northlands, I’m always watching the weather for the next blizzard or nor’easter. You want to prepare for a power outage and ice making travel impassable. Make sure you have food and water for 3-5 days on hand when those storms are predicted. If your cat is on medication be sure you have enough on hand to make it through a week or so.

Keep a box of canned food on hand if you’re a raw food feeder in case you lose power and your food spoils. Have a hand crank can opener in case of power outages. If you know that your area tends to lose power and stay out for a long time, stock up for a longer time.

Small propane heaters can  keep one room warm enough to be minimally comfortable. Be sure to keep your space properly ventilated to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. Hanging blankets in the doors to one room can help keep the warmer air in if you need to turn your space heater on and off to save fuel. 

“Hot Hands”, disposable heat packs, can keep Kitty’s bed warm until the heat comes back on. My solution to power outages is to just stay in bed under the covers with my warmest clothes on and let the cats pile on.

Cuddle Your Kitty

Your Kitty probably loves to cuddle with you no matter what the temperature is, but snuggling up with her when it’s cold is the nicest way to keep her warm in the winter cold. Sharing your warmth will get her purring. And she’ll keep your lap warm in exchange. I’m sitting here with three of my babies in my lap right now.

Hopefully you can save some money on your heating bills while you keep your indoor cat warm in the winter cold by following these tips.