How to keep shaved!cat warm while fur grows back?

[ZebraOwl]

So my wee house liger has rather less fur now than he did when he was left at the vet on Tuesday. I'm not so worried about his forelegs where he had IVs in, it's where his tummy was shaved for the ultrasound that I'm worried about him struggling to keep warm while his fur grows back in.

He is an indoor cat, so there is at least that. And at the moment he's being VERY clingy, all he wants is to be cuddled up with me, which should help keep him warm (though I've to go to a schoolfriend's funeral this afternoon... Hiding in bed cuddling cat sounds like a much better idea, but...) but isn't really workable 24/7!

So, um, anyone have any tips on keeping poorly baldy cats warm while they (well, hopefully, still need them to actually work out what's going on, see my previous thread if you want backstory: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_litter_tray/2519585-3yo-cat-kidney-problems) get well? He just looks so fragile with his fur gone... (And I'm so proud of him for being A Very Good Cat & letting them do the ultrasound without needing to sedate him. What good cat. And he took his antibiotics in his breakfast this morning without fussing too.

I just hope he doesn't have any nightmares while I'm out. Poor wee man just startled himself awake & grabbed at me, shivering & squeak-meowing.

The internet suggests it'll be about 3 months for the fur to grow back in - does that sound right to those of you who've seen this sort of thing?

Poor brave boy!

Can you cut the foot off a big stretchy sock & pull that over his middle? Or a knitted sleeve from something you don't need any more, or a small child's Tshirt?

Hope he starts feeling more himself soon

Thank you!

(I hope people don't mind me posting again incidentally - I figured that there would be people who knew about keeping cats warm who'd not know about kidney!stuff & thus wouldn't read/comment on other post, so it was sensible to make a new post to ask for help with this, but I didn't want to be being all demanding/rude/attention-seeking.)

Will have to explore what we have, garment-wise

I don't think any litter tray people would mind any amount of posts with pictures of your lovely boy

A friend's dog tore the skin on his tummy jumping over barbed wire in the summer & he wore a Tshirt over his stitches which is what made me think something like that might work for a cat too

Aww, he looks like a younger, partly-shaved version of my ginger cat -they are so similar!

He'll probably be fine as an indoor cat. My other cat had surgery and was shaved, and the vet said he'd not get cold, but just to make sure he had access to nice places to curl up.

But I think looking at your cat, he possibly needs a new fleece. Or an electric warm up blanket thing? Ok, not needs, but he'd probably love it. Even though they're really cuddly, my cats would hate having to wear a thing around their middle so I'd only do that if it was medically necessary.

Sorry to hear about the funeral. Hope that goes as well as can be.

Small vest or babygro? We would require pictures though.

Thank you! I just didn't want to seem like I was ungrateful for the help I'd had on my other thread &/or that I expected everyone to dance attendance on me etc. Not that I ever overthink or anything. Nooooo.

Am possibly slightly biased, but he IS a Very Pretty Kitty. Even at the vet they comment on his unusual good looks - he's a strawberry blond sort of ginger cat & has symmetrical markings including looking as if he's wearing white eyeliner! His nose & pawpads are pink & his whiskers are white. His littermate half-brother, by contrast, is pure black from top to tail, as if his kittenhood chimney-climbing ambitions had been achieved! Nijinsky is quite a striking cat for all his brother has the showier looks...

Your friends poor dog! I hope he's ok now. I've heard of cats wearing babygrows after being spayed & after having other surgeries to stop them getting at stitches/interfering with wound healing, but thankfully I've not got that issue to consider, at least, just the warmth.

SpottedZebra

atm he's very clingy & wants to be cuddled but when not on my bed with me he has his own bed (with fleecy blanket) OR my brother's kingsize bed (with duvet for turning into a nest) OR the chair by the windows in the sitting room, which is also by the radiators; OR the set-up in the dining-room which is a box lined with a towel & a fleecy blanket beside a cat bed of the sort that is a kind of padded mat? On top of two huge boxes, one of my brother's books & one of my Girlguiding stuff, all next to the radiator so it is toasty warm. My bedroom has the boiler in so the frilly pink cushion (baby brain gift from beloved friend) atop rucksacks on top of my wardrobe which is v close to airing cupboard with boiler in is also a fairly cosy spot.

My Daddy's coming with me to the funeral (we know family through church) so am at least not going alone. Is one of those utterly hideous just (literally just , died right after his birthday) turned 32 & died from cancer leaving 5yo & 2yo & wife. Umph. We weren't superclose these days but it's just so grim. Thank you.

DontFearTheSweeper
If I end up trying this to see if he can tolerate it I will take photos if he's ok with it. But only if he's comfy & happy. Yes.

Bed and leave an electric blanket on so that he can sleep between blanket and duvet. ( Only problem is that you may not see him again - it will smell of you, be safe and Oh So cozy. Once he clocks it, he'll be sold for life.)

I used to have a sphynx cat (poor lovely died last year) and she was actually fine out and about around the house as long as the heating was on. She had a lovely snuggly bed to get into and underneath but putting anything on her was a complete no go!

Also about the fur growing back, it'll get a fine covering within a couple of weeks and grow back almost completely by about 4-6 weeks