Keeping my 11 month old cat warm

[Mharte88]

I just got my gorgeous boy at Easter; he is short haired ginger variety. As the time has come for the cold weather, now really low temperatures, I do not keep heating on all night, I doubt anyone does.
I got a self body warming mat, but he seems to hate the cracle noise it makes, so hasn't sat on it long enough to realise how warm it gets. I have heard this before; I am worried about an electric blanket type of cat mat however for all sorts of reasons. Has anyone come across a blanket that does the trick? I had a "cellular" baby blanket for all of my babies, lightweught but really trapped the heat? The other thought was a coat for him; I would try all of these things out for myself, but having had my 3rd booster I am not feeling to well and returns at the Post Office mean lots of people coughing and spluttering all around?

I would be grateful for any suggestions please.

@LittleBearPad

Cats are amazing at finding the warmest spot in the house.

Mine sits at the top of the stairs as there are pipes under the floor. She is going to kill me one day!

Mine too! Plus they are black cats. If coming out of my room in the dark, I have to remember to slide my foot across the floor to dislodge any invisible ninja felines.

@Pleasebeafleabite

at the posters who keep their heating on all night for the cat

That’s made my morning. Lucky cats

There is some excellent human-training going on from the cats of MN for sure , clever kitties

I think it would be easier to wrestle a box of snakes than put a pullover on my cats!

we recently took in our late mum in-laws cat Minky who is 16 pure black no white at all and now he is a solo cat he has really changed. he is noisy so and so now eats like a horse but certainly does not act like an oldie. he has the same preference of sleeping on the landing i keep saying he will have to have luminous stripes painted on him or a high viz vest before he ends up killing me!

Mine just sleeps on the bed and she’s doing fine. Lots of cats roam around outside even in this weather and their fur keeps them warm but they just like coziness and warmth.

My pampered felines have a pet remedy heat pad. I think they found it too hot! One of them
Sleeps on my bed. And the other has a teepee with lots of cosy blankets in. I've had no complaints!

Cats don't need hot water bottles when they have humans to sit on.

I've never really thought about it but there's a reason they have fur! My heating is off overnight and my 2 manage to keep warm somehow. One particularly like cardboard boxes and the other sleeps in corner under the clothes horse

Cats love these.

We had a shorthaired ginger cat when I was a kid. He slept in a cardboard box with a pile of old woollies in it, in the shed. He lived to a ripe old age.

Our neighbours have a shorthaired ginger - she's very small but a voracious hunter. She wont stay indoors! Another neighbour has put an 'igloo' outside for her to use.

We have concrete floors that are freezing in winter, so pets get layers of insulation under and in their pet bed. I also use beds with a roof which helps keep their body heat in. You can check how cold they are by feeling their ears, and by checking how tightly curled up they are.
I like flattened cardboard boxes for the base layer, I can get them for free and chuck them in the recycling. The next layer is something fluffly like fleece or sheepskin, and the top layer is something washable like sheets or towels.

Skyeskyns does second quality sheepskin mats for pets. Very popular in my house. Washable as well.

Your cat will already have grown a set of nice winter thermals for this purpose which he will moult all over your house in the spring.

This! Cats are evolved to live outdoors quite far north. Unless you've got a hairless type etc they are usually fine indoors in winter - your house is likely insulated well enough to stay at around 13/14 overnight. My cat just sleeps on a blanket on a chair and ignored the pricey bed we bought her.

Not cheap and not much help but in the summer I got the bathroom re done with underfloor heating - the cat has taken up permanent residence and likes a constant temp of 24.5 c - 24/7
I don't have the heart to switch it off in this miserable weather and she is nearly 20.

This is why cats have fur! Mine has a box with a blanket in it but we don't have the heating on at night, plus she hunts outside half the night anyway.

I honestly in my 45 years of cat owning, have never heard of such a thing!

Mine chooses to bugger off outside most nights. Your cat will be fine

We don't have the heating on at night. I agree with @FunnysInLaJardin - "that's why cats have fur!" I have five short haired oriental cats, four sleep in one room and the fifth sleeps on his own in a different room. I bought single duvets with a teddy fleece cover (Amazon) for the sofas in each room, and that has been popular.

I did once try a heated mat for an elderly cat. She ignored it.

My cat has an assortment of cat beds plus a large cat tree and a choice of sofas and human beds, I think she would still like more though. She does use her radiator bed whether the heating is on or not. She also liked beds on window ledges so she can have a doze whilst watching cat tv/ her important security duties.

We also keep the heating at 16 so she doesn’t get too cold, but I don’t think she would appreciate clothes.

He's got his own fur coat.

Night time temperatures in the region that cats evolved in are around 0 to 11 Celsius and have been for around the last ten thousand years. Hence the fur coat, I suspect.

A throw, cushion, cat radiator bed (as they're fleecy or furry and trap warm air from the cat's underside) or just leaving your bedroom door open will be far more than he physically needs, but he'll be perfectly happy with.

I've had no heating for 3 days. Cat has seemed a bit grumpy but still alive.

Cats are excellent at finding warm draught free spots to sleep. As long as they are indoors they are fine. They curl up into a tight ball with legs and tail tucked in and they will be as warm as toast 😍

I worry about my cats being cold when I'm out during the day (despite them being furry and having each other to snuggle). Sometimes I leave the heated airer on because they like to sleep on a blanket underneath it, it's like a cosy heated Wendy house 😂
I don't worry about them being cold in the night because they sleep on my bed and I have an electric blanket.

Our kits got shaved to be spayed. We noticed how much warmer (to touch) the shaved area was than rest of cat -- their fur really does insulate, keep heat in.

My cat loves heat but is also absolutely fine without it. In winter with no heating on overnight he sometimes (not always) comes to sleep on our feet.

I always make sure there are snuggly blankets and cosy spots available for him but I draw the line at putting the heating on just for him. He has a fur coat on already!

He has fur! That'll keep him warm. My cats choose to spend most nights outside, even in the depths of winter so I presume they don't feel the cold (they have the option to come inside of course). When they're inside, they sleep in old cardboard boxes with one of mine / DH's / DC's old sweaters in.