OT - Cats and the cold weather?

Most cats are wanderers and will always find somewhere warm to snuggle up. I used to have a cat that would come in for food & be gone again as soon as he had finished.

my cat is well known amongst the neighbours for grabbing attention at any given chance even tho shes a spoilt little madam at home so doesnt necessarily mean they lacking in attention

we had another cat and she only came in for food so being out all night is normal...mine has a fear of the dark, the rain, the snow, and so on so is generally always indoorss tho!

Leaving them out in this weather sounds overly harsh, I'd feel really bad for my kitlet if she couldn't get in and into the warm. She's taken to sleeping in my bed while it's cold, not on, she actually crawls under the covers, so she must be cold even indoors.

As far as wanting love and affection is concerned though, she does get plenty from us, but still demands attention from everyone she sees. I think she's just a little tart!

But they always seem to be outside the front door, looking up to the windows (like they want to be let in).

poor mite

My two can come and go as they please during the day and then I shut them in at night. But they're definitely in more in this cold weather. They definitely are little tarts though (can boys be tarts?) and everyone comments on how friendly they are, even the postie!

Maybe I'm just not used to such friendly cats. I wish they wouldn't be so 'friendly' with my car though!

I think you could probably phone a local RSPCA branch or cattery to have a couple of mins chat with them (rather than approach your neighbour, whcih could cause lots of trouble). Google suggest that cats would probably prefer a shelter to escape into during the winter...

I wouldn't approach her anyway as she is a bit of a nightmare neighbour at times.

It seems that we all have different ideas of what is and isn't acceptable when it comes to caring for our pets.

I had this same conversation with my mum about a week ago as our neighbours who live in a flat on the second floor have two cats which seem to be permanently shut outside and sit by the front door of the building crying to be let in.

Me and H2B were pretty shocked by this as we have 3 cats and would NEVER leave them shut outdoors like that, especially in such cold weather.

I spoke to my mum about it and she thought we were being a bit OTT and said that cats are fine to be outdoors in any weather as they will find places to hide/sleep if they need to. Personally I don't agree with it but I think it's quite common for people to leave their cats outside to roam.

Our cats don't go outdoors much in this cold weather, and luckily they are quite dumb as they haven't worked out that they can climb fences yet so therefore they have never been outside of the garden (and they are four years old would you believe)!!! Bless them.

Talking of cats and cold weather, here are a few pics of our fluffies to make you smile:

I am such a softy I would have them in my house by the fire!

My honest answer is that it isn't fair but the RSPCA won't help at all and will say cats can survive in this weather. Not sure if you saw my kitten post the other week but a kitten who we found out later was 6 months old was in our garden and after much heartbreak of trying to shoo him away and him screaming at our door we kept him in for the night and I traced the owners the next day. I phoned the SSPCA who couldn't help at all despite it snowing because they don't lift healthy cats up. A local cattery would have helped though.

My cats never get outside and they hate a cold house and this was my babies last night so considering I pamper them I don't think cats should be outside in this weather.

I also live in a flat without a cat flap, and my cat usually goes out when we leave for work in the morning and comes in when we get home. He's not too bothered by the cold, but refuses to set a paw outside if it's snowing or raining! As he's a pampered pet we usually let him stay in if he really doesn't want to go out, but I've found that if he stays in all day he can get a bit manic in the evening!

This is my gorgeous little man, posing as usual...!

We don't have a cat flap either, we lock them in rather than out. In this weather they don't go out anyway- they hate it!

Ok I am not aiming to upset or argue with anyone, but there will be thousands of farm cats and strays that are out all the time no matter the weather - they have no warm house to go in, as such they are acclimatised to the weather.... My mum looks after my cat teasel and she is allowed into the house whenever she wants, but comes home for one meal a day she has a very heavy thick fur coat and when we bring her into the house for more than 1/2 an hour she gets too hot and overheats. Pebbles my mums cat is an elderly gent of 15 years and he still spends the majority of the day outside and some nights... they are both called before everyone goes to bed to give the the option of coming in but they seem to prefer the garage ? it might be they do what are lot are doing and waiting for food at the front door as they will be hungrier in the cold???

Saying that I keep my guinea pigs indoors in the lounge and we try and keep the temperature within a 5C range 15 to 20 as they can't cope with changes in heat very well at all, also they have hair (like us) rather than fur which does not keep them as warm. I have already read of a few cases where guinea pigs have died from the cold because they have been left in a hutch at the end of the garden

Mine snuggle up to the radiator to get warm!

I would never leave my cat overnight in this weather, its far too cold! I can barely get her to go out during the day when its like this as soon as she feels the cold she runs back inside!

I'd never leave my cats outside all night in the summer let alone in this weather.

We always have a cat flap but on the odd occasion we haven't (when we moved or had a new door fitted) i have been known to stay up until 1-2 in the morning calling them until they come in.

I'm with knitting_vixen, i'd much rather have them locked in then locked out.

We have a cat flap for our cat and when it is warmer he will stay outside most of the time roaming and hunting (nice dead gifts!!) but since it has been snowing he has turned into one of those freaky cat toys that you can buy from markets that are just asleep and breathing! Honestly he moves only to eat and look at the dog with distain and then goes back to sleep. Even though he is an outdoor cat he would hate being shut out in this weather!

Before we had the cat flap I did same as grace and either stayed up until he came in or set my alarm for hourly intervals to go and shout him so he didnt have to stay our all night, although often he was quite happily asleep on my neighbours spare bed!!!

Our local cattery has outdoor cages for the cats who all have heated beds in the sheltered part of the cages, not to mention several cudlly toys to cuddle up to.

Even a cardboard box, on its edge, with newspaper and a towel would make a suffice shelter for your neighbours cats to cuddle up together in......... our baby has more blankets than we do and he sleeps under them!

what do the cats do for food and water when shes out??????

We have a cat flap, so they come and go as they please - although at the minute they live on the landing where the pipes are under the radiator!

Our cats are dead friendly too.....although never huddle together as they dont like to be that close!

Does sound a bit harsh that they are outside and cant get back in, especially in this weather.

We have 3 cats, they were indoors cats until they were two and even now only go outside when we are home. We're massive worriers and they're our babies.. We wouldn't let our children wander the streets alone so wouldn't want our cats doing the same. People have different opinions on how to 'raise' cats (God I sound like a mad cat woman!) though. My sister's cat is out most of the day when she's not in and let in only if she's at home, whereas we would never do that.

Our cats aren't too impressed with this weather, when either of us get home from work they rush down to greet us, step out of the backdoor then run straight back in, even Baby who loves going off on adventures prefers sleeping in the fruit bowl rather than going out in the cold.

Cutting long response I "typed up" in my head - I AGREE WITH YOU FULL STOP. I wouldn't dream to leave them out in this weather and they're beings as well, they need some attention...

Here's my indoor tomcat, Georgie, as always on my side of the bed:

I used to work for the RSPCA, sadly their hands would be tied in terms of your neighbour. Technically shes not doing anything wrong.

Cats can quite happily live outside all the time, sometimes we used to rehome feral cats to farms where they lived outside all the time. Cats like those we all seem to own tend to be on the lazy side! Think of lions, they actually only really move when they need food, the rest of the time they just lie around......So if their food is provided for them in a nice bowl with the nearby radiator, and you're already programmed to not do much, would you go outside in the cold? But technically they are fine being outside.

In terms of the friendly thing, thats pretty normal too. I used to have a cat who loved people so much she'd pop into other houses when we were out until she heard my car! And she used to walk to school with a famaily and their jack russel! (She was a little crazy!)

My cat has feline aids so isnt allowed to go outside, but he doesnt show any interest in it anyway....the christmas tree on the other hand.....

My cats are house cats anyway but i would no way want them out in this weather......spesh over night.

Yeah its okay in *normal* weather conditions even when its really cold but tbh its more than cold and not usual. Even cats that are used to being outside wont be used to this cold weather.

Tilly is snuggled on my knee as i type ?

In the past week we have had over a foot of snow in my area - and before the snow my cat used to go out when i went to work and then came home when one of us came home - but we live on a first floor flat and EVERYONE in our block knows Maggie-May so they sometimes let her into our front door lobby and shes waiting for us there.

HOWEVER - when the snow came i kept her in and let her out to wee for 10 mins in the evening and she would come running back in as she doesnt like the cold.

On Thursday night i let her out at about 4.30 to wee and popped down to get her about 5 - 10 mins later and couldnt find her anywhere - kept looking - going in out, on the balcony calling her, shaking food - at about 5pm a lady from over the way called up to me tell me that Maggie had been attacked by a dog - i ran over to her flat and got my little baby who was in shock - freezing cold, having trouble bleeding, all floppy and with dog saliva all over her head.

I rushed her to the vets to get her checked out and she had the beginnings of hypothermia and liver damage where the dog had thrown her against a wall.

She came home Friday night and is now right as rain after being on a drip over night and on antibiotics.

jus goes to show. Whether theyre out all day or not, anything can happen anytime.

OH - and the dog wasnt on a lead and the owner watched it happen and when the lady picked Maggie up he said 'cheers for that' and walked off.

Nena - if you can describe the person and the dog i would report the person to the police for allowing the dog to attack your cat!! some people disgust me!

I also wanted to add that i am glad that you found your cat in time to save her, and that she is home safely with you again!

I didnt see the man / dog - but im considering reporting it anyway so they can keep an eye out.

I was very luck that the lady took her in - she saved her life!

Shes home safe now - starting to get a bit restless and wanting to go out but i wont let her out til the hair has grown back on her neck and leg where she had injection / drip xx

I am extremly sensitive about Cats at the moment (one of mine sadly passed away yesterday) and your story has made my blood boil Nena, how could someone let that happen to an animal, thank god for that kind lady that took her in. xx