Cats in winter

[kirinm]

My cat is currently spending all day in the house and I'm trying to remember if she does this generally when it's cold or if something is perhaps wrong.

I'm thinking that it's too cold outside so she can't be arsed. Is that normal?

Spongecat stays in more certainly. Does she seem ok otherwise, eating ok, etch?

Many cats stay inside in the warm but it depends on the cat, really. You'll know her best.

How is she generally at the moment? And does she use an inside tray etc?

Mine go out as little as possible when the weather turns.

She seems perfectly fine just very lazy. She's been on DP's lap since we got in from work but has eaten.

We tried to make her go out into the garden yesterday but she was insistent on getting back onto the duvet and curling up to sleep.

She's been using a cat litter tray as we moved house a couple of months ago and haven't got her new catflap installed yet but she's using the litter tray fine.

I'm relieved to hear other cats aren't keen on the cold. I think it's that as otherwise she's her normal self just lazier.

steppe cat is outdoor all summer, we can go the whole day and not see him (til dinner time). If I am gardening, he will follow me round, chatting to me as I work. I often see him asleep in a patch of plants (yes, my precious carefully grown ones of course)

In the winter, he sleeps on one of the beds, and just nips out to the loo. He gets veyr fat, and his coat gets very thick and he sleeps near to where I am, including on my feet.

You get some 'athletic' types who like to go out in all weathers but, in my experience, even they will come inside if the weather is really inclement. Especially if they have a nice safe, dry, clean tray inside.

Keep a weather eye on her but otherwise I'd just let her enjoy the new house.

Dgirl cat finds it hard to drag herself out at the best of times. Dboycat has been out day in day out throughout the summer. Now he goes out with great gusto and then 20 mins later reminds himself that it is too cold and is back at the door begging to be back in.

I think she's enjoying the fact that DP has finally given in and agreed to have the heating on!

The garden is pretty boring at this time of year as well as being cold and miserable.

Mr C's lovely vet tells me 'feline inactivity can be healthy and is related to the heating going on.' I was worried as well, hence the vetting.

The little cuddler is wedged to me purring now, where he has been since 9am. He got me to open the door outside for a comfort break, then screamed when I didn't shut it fast enough.

Seniorboy's colouring tells the whole story. Pale he is.

Our dear cat has been in most of the day. He is normally outside prowling around his kingdom...I think it's the cold weather. He eats lots more when he's indoors more.

Pale and interesting Cozie. How is the Master taking to the looming reports of snow?

Mia goes out for about two minutes then flees indoors. And tbh I feel the same

I asked Ollie if he wanted to go out and he practically rolled his eyes at me. He slept for 15hrs the other day. Like having a grumpy teenager
I get this face "no human, I just want to stay in with you"

He doesn't know what snow is, Lanaor. As far as he's concerned, life is a minimum of 70 degrees with carpet.

Yeah ours has suddenly decided she lives here again which is nice as we've seen her for about 15 minutes a day since May! I forgot how lazy they are when its raining but I love having a cuddly cat on the sofa. When I open the back door for her now she looks at me in utter disgust like its my fault the weathers shite and skulks back to bed

Here in Clapham the skies are ice white and the pigeons are huddling in a tight row on the flat roof opposite. Mr C has just suggested a box set day would suit his schedule.

Mr C says he got this tip from Seniorboy, and very effective HR management it is too. I concur, especially as otherwise he will start deliberately noisy purring to send me back to sleep when I am battling to get some interviews set up.

Ollie - listen to Seniorboy. HE KNOWS :)

Ah, I'm glad most other cats are in hibernation mode. She enjoys looking out into the garden but open the door for her and she retreats quickly.

Mine are only babies (just over a year.)They have a curfew and come in before dark. They were coming in about dinner time. Now it's about 1pm. And they don't just clear off. They go out, come back and eat and warm out before popping out a bit!

Ours demand that we open the back door for them each morning so they can check if winter's over yet. They stand for a minute or so (in the doorway so we can't close the door!), then give a disgruntled mewl, come back in, find somewhere warm and curl up to sleep for the rest of the day.

They were more willing to go out in actual weather when they were younger though. They're definitely showing their age.

DCat has to go out in the morning as we don't have a cat flap and both work full time, and he gets bored and destructive if given the house to himself all day! This time of year he is very keen to come back in at 5.30 when I get home. He is also currently eating about double what he eats in summer.

We aren't completely mean to him though, he has a microchip cat flap into the garage (which isn't attached to the house) and an electric pet blanket in there which is on all day in winter . I think he spends a lot of the day asleep in there when it's cold - plus it puts him in prime position to hear the car coming onto the driveway so he knows one of his slaves has arrived to let him into the house.

It's been warmer/sunnier here the last few days, so little M has begun his prancing and dancing (on me) at about 5am, presenting me with his 'Ping' (a giant rubber band), when normally he'd be snuggled up under the duvet.

MCat is more respectful of sleep time.

Both of them are eating substantially more. IME cats put on a bit of weight in winter. I like to call it their Winter Skin.

2 of mine will go out & stay out in anything but gales. I suppose they aren't great fans of torrential rain, either.

Then there is fat old cat who checks the door every 5 minutes or so, to see if it's August, yet.