Should I leave the heating on for the cat?

[Tomwardswife]

My heating is on a timer, it comes on for a couple of hours in the morning and evening (when I am at work).

At the Weekends i put the heating on as and when I need it.

I cannot afford to have the heating on anymore than I do, but I am starting to worry that my elderly cat will get cold during the day.

I do know that there are far worse problems to have, but my anxiety is playing up.

We make caves or nests from fleecy blankets for our cats when it’s like this. However the elderly one was outside for hours yesterday by choice so I wouldn’t worry too much.

If you can afford it I would.

Our elderly-ish cat (13) was very ill recently and we'll left the heating on for her - our house can get very cold once the heating is off.

I set the heating for an hour at lunch, yes.

I have also started leaving my duvet all rumpled up as I've found she likes to crawl into a nook and sleep there. She has two igloos as well, and you can feel the little ecosphere of heat generated inside them if you put your hand in.

You can also leave hot water bottles or heat packs if your cat tends to sleep in the same place all day?

I would do something for her, especially if she's old now.

I'm sure the cats will love it if you do however equally cats are fine if it's not on. I know one of mine loves heating but I don't have it on when I'm not there and my house is extremely cold. She's still fine.

You can always do a hot water bottle for her

No, I wouldn't. They will always find a warm place to be by themselves.

My dogs snuggle under their blankets in their beds if it is cold, or under my duvet.

Their coats adapt to the environment. So if it is constantly cold she would have put on more thick fur, if you stick the heating on, she will loose more..... cats are built to survive, that's what makes them such easy pets.

You can get heated mats or snuggle buddies that you warm in a microwave for them. Id use those if the house was going to be cold. As long as has a warm spot to go to it should cope.

I got a fantastic heated cat bed from amazon. She lived in it for weeks. Although now she's discarded it so I've put it next to a radiator and she deems it ok to use when the heating is on.... (it does still work, she's just particularly contrary) .

Another one who makes a blanket fort, using the sofa for strucuture. Cat is always in it (and warm to the touch) when we get back home.

Or we fold the duvet back on itself over the end of the bed, the cat burrows into the middle of that on other days.

How about a plug in electric heated bed, or just a plug in electric heated pad? The first is a heated pad inside a cat bed, the second is a heated pad to put inside an existing bed under the cushion, or under a blanket on a chair/the sofa. Both very popular here, and cheaper than heating the whole house. Can be left on overnight too if the weather is very cold.

The cheapest option is to make a cat cave by cutting a door in a closed cardboard box, and putting some newspapers and a blanket or unwanted coat or jumper inside. Also very popular here. If you can place it off the floor or away from draughts, that's even better.