Cats are natural predators. On the street they are able to find food for themselves and some individuals are quite successful in this.
Failure to survive in the wild would lead to the complete extinction of cats as a species.
But we are talking about cats living in the wild, and not in urban conditions. Noisy, dirty and crowded cities are not the best thing a cat living on the street can get.
About 10 thousand years have passed since the beginning of the domestication of cats. These animals are accustomed to the presence of humans nearby, so they can survive quite successfully while in the city, living on the streets.
But domestic cats raised in apartment conditions lose their survival skills in the wild, so they may die.
It is also noteworthy that, despite the seeming naturalness of a cat being on the street, the life expectancy of these pets is 2-4 years. Many are not able to cross this line.
How cats prepare for cold weather
Cats are not as sensitive to temperature changes as humans, thanks to their fluffy and thick fur coat.
It’s no secret that cats gain several kilograms of excess weight during the winter. In this case, owners do not need to sound the alarm and put their pet on a strict diet.
In this way, the animal prepares itself for winter, and does this on a subconscious level, thanks to genetic memory, when cats still walked on their own and were forced to take care of themselves.
All cats gain several kilograms of excess weight during the winter.
The fur of these creatures also becomes a little thicker and longer in winter and, remarkably, cats practically do not shed in winter.
Another interesting fact is that cats rarely bathe in winter, and this is due to the fact that wet fur is unable to protect them from the cold.
At what temperature can a cat walk outside?
Cats are one of the hardiest animals , and these creatures live on almost all continents, so most of them are perfectly adapted to cold climates.
Most cats tolerate cold climates well.
A cat can safely walk outside, even if the thermometer shows ten to fifteen degrees below zero.
Thick wool and dense undercoat perfectly protect animals from cold and frost and thanks to them the cat almost does not freeze.
Extremely negative temperatures
But don't think that a cat can survive in extreme subzero temperatures. If she stays in the cold for a long time at minus twenty degrees, then this can end disastrously for her: the animal will freeze its paw pads and ears, which are almost devoid of fur.
Most experts claim that cats can survive at temperatures as low as minus thirty-five degrees, but this is not true.
A cat cannot survive in extremely low temperatures!
Unfortunately, not all cats are lucky enough to have a home and loving owners. Homeless animals are forced to survive in the winter, taking refuge in hallways, basements or abandoned houses.
What to do if your cat is cold
If the pet is too carried away by a walk in severe frost, then in order to save the cat from hypothermia, it should be immediately wrapped in a warm terry towel.
If your cat is cold, you need to wrap it in a warm towel.
As a rule, a cold cat will instinctively look for the warmest place in the house, for example, near a radiator or electric fireplace. Many animals can crawl under a warm blanket or blanket.
What you should absolutely not do in this case is bathe your pet. A hot bath will not only not help, but will also cause your pet to freeze even more after it and may even catch a severe cold.
Conditions for the survival of kittens
Cats are hardy, but they have a hard time in the cold season. This is especially true for kittens born in the fall. An insufficient amount of ultraviolet radiation makes them weakened, susceptible to diseases and injuries. Little purrs turn out to be defenseless against attacks from the outside and, in the absence of a mother cat, are unlikely to be able to survive until spring.
In order for autumn kittens to survive, they need cat's milk, which boosts the babies' immunity. Regular feeding with vitamins and minerals from people will be a good help. With adequate nutrition, the chances of their continued existence increase.
Kittens will survive outside in winter if the ambient temperature does not drop below -5ºС. But at the same time, they need to have a place in which to warm up. Even ordinary boxes are suitable, in which kittens can curl up into a ball and provide themselves with warmth.
What cat breeds can't stand the cold?
Oriental cat breeds are extremely heat-loving and will not go outside in the cold.
It is clear that such fluffy cats as Siberian, Maine Coons or Norwegian Forest cats, thanks to their luxurious fur coat, can stay outside for a long time in winter.
But eastern breeds, for example, Abyssinians, Persians or Burmese cats, are extremely heat-loving and for them even five degrees below zero is a good reason not to leave the house.
At what temperature do hairless cats die?
There can be no question of releasing hairless cats in winter! Such exotic pets as “sphinxes” or “bambinos” get very cold and if the animal is outside at sub-zero temperatures, it will certainly die.
Hairless cats should not be allowed outside in winter!
Cold is also poorly tolerated by small kittens, elderly animals, pregnant cats or those suffering from any disease. It is strictly forbidden to let them outside in winter.
In winter, you should be especially careful about your pet and it is advisable to walk him on a leash. After all, if a cat gets lost and cannot find its way home, then it is likely that in severe frost it may die from hypothermia.
Behavioral changes during winter
Even in a warm room, a winter cat behaves differently than at other times of the year. Her biological clock prompts the onset of cold weather, and this affects her behavior.
With the arrival of winter and the decrease in sunny days, activity and playfulness disappear; the pet prefers to sleep most of the day or just lie near the radiator, curled up in a ball. This way it saves the energy needed to maintain heat in the body.
The appetite increases, and the cat may gain two or three kilograms of excess weight. This makes the owners worry, and they try to limit the pet’s food. And completely in vain. During this season, the metabolism in the body is rebuilt.
Veterinarians advise reviewing the diet in winter, increasing its calorie content by adding proteins and fats. The amount of food required is determined specifically for each cat and is fed in fractions to avoid obesity.
ATTENTION! Water and food should be warm or at room temperature.
To strengthen the immune system, it is useful to add vitamins for cats to food and offer green grass specially grown on the windowsill. It is also sold in pet stores. The herb will also help remove hairballs from your cat's digestive tract.
It is good when the diet contains fatty acids (for example, fish oil), which are important for the cat's fur. With the arrival of spring, the need for additional food will disappear, and the animal’s weight will return to normal.
At what temperature can cats survive outside, do they freeze in winter?
Many cat owners let their pets outside in winter without any fear, although there are many known cases where these animals froze to death in severe frosts. To prevent this, every owner of a cat that roams freely on the street should know when it is dangerous to let their four-legged pets out for a walk. At what temperature can cats survive outdoors? Do these animals freeze in winter? How to organize a shelter for your pet, leaving him to spend the winter at the dacha? How to understand that a cat is frozen, and what to do in this situation?
How to help a frozen animal?
If your four-legged pet is very cold, you need to start normalizing its body temperature as quickly as possible. In some cases, the slightest delay can cost the animal its life. The actions of the owner of a frozen pet are as follows:
- Wrap the cat in a warm blanket or terry towel. To warm it up faster, you must first hold the blanket on the radiator.
- Place your four-legged pet wrapped in a blanket on a bed near the radiator. Other sources of heat would be useful - heating pads, bottles of hot water, which should be placed around the four-legged frostbite.
- Close all windows and doors in the room in which the frozen animal is located. There should be no drafts in it.
- Dry your pet's fur with a hairdryer if it gets wet in the rain or snow.
- Stay close to the cat until it warms up.
- Feed the warmed animal warm, preferably liquid food.
What you should not do in this situation is try to warm your four-legged pet in hot water. Water procedures in this state are strictly contraindicated for him. He will only freeze even more and may get a serious cold.
In case of severe frostbite, veterinary attention is required. A frostbitten four-legged patient will be prescribed IVs with warm solutions, warm pleural lavage, the use of a ventilator to normalize body temperature, and the use of analgesic veterinary medications that relieve pain while restoring tissue sensitivity. Subsequently, a comprehensive examination of the pet will be required to assess the condition of the internal organs.
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Does a cat's fur keep her warm?
Sphynx cats definitely get cold, but what about cats with fur? Pets with a dense, well-developed undercoat are most fortunate in terms of insulation. It is designed to retain natural heat, maintaining the animal's normal body temperature for a long time.
But, as in the case of human clothing, such protection does not last forever: if a person, even warmly dressed, after spending some time in the cold, begins to feel cold, the same happens with cats. If we talk about the temperature at which animals begin to freeze, then everything depends not only on the thermometer readings, but also on other factors:
- whether the pet is in motion or sitting still;
- what is the air humidity;
- is there any wind;
- whether the sun is shining or cloudy, etc.
In “dry” frost, cats do not feel the cold longer, and if the pet does not move, it begins to freeze quickly. With increased humidity, the pet freezes even faster. Practically, in this aspect, everything happens the same as in humans, but with one clarification - cats are superior to people in endurance.
Representatives of hairless breeds and breeds without undercoat are less resistant to low temperatures than cats with “shaggy” coats. Streams of cold air quickly penetrate the skin, but the heat is not retained. When such pets freeze, their ears and limbs become cold, even if the walk does not last long and the thermometer shows a temperature of at least -15°C.
But Maine Coons, Siberians and other cats with good coat protection, especially if they are not too pampered, can safely walk even at -25 - -30°C.
What to do to help kittens survive outside in winter
In order for kittens left outside in winter to survive, they need to be vaccinated and given free access to the attic, basement or entrance. It is important that little furbabies are breastfed after birth. This will strengthen the kittens and protect them from diseases. If the mother cat has disappeared or abandoned her children, the kitten will have to be constantly pipetted with warm milk and kept in a warm place. Otherwise, even abundant nutrition does not guarantee that the animal will be able to survive.
The presence of a cat reduces the risk of kittens dying. She will be able to protect, warm and get food. Sometimes compassionate people, seeing a tiny kitten alone on the street, take it home. And then it turns out that the cat just went away for a while. There's no need to rush. We need to wait a little and watch to see if mom appears. No matter how hard a person tries, he cannot give a kitten what a cat can give. A mother's affection and care are irreplaceable.
Survival of kittens on the street is very difficult and involves many difficulties. This is especially true for animals that grew up at home and then found themselves abandoned. They are not adapted to life in natural conditions and die more often than their counterparts born in the basement. Therefore, before throwing away kittens, you need to try to find them a home. Don’t think that they will feed themselves on caught birds, mice, or waste. Babies do not yet know how to hunt, and eating waste can lead to severe poisoning. Life on the street is full of dangers, from which the little purr is not yet able to protect himself. He could die at any moment.
If it so happens that you adopted a kitten from the street, be sure to study the measures that will help the animal survive.
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How can you tell if a kitten or adult cat is cold?
The condition of the body in which the body temperature drops below that required to maintain life processes is called hypothermia. The following symptoms indicate it:
Prolonged hypothermia of the body of a kitten or adult cat leads to a decrease in the concentration of glucose in the blood. The pet's muscles freeze, heart rate and breathing slow down, and it stops responding to external stimuli. As the animal's condition worsens, the animal collapses, which turns into a coma. If the body is too hypothermic, the cat may appear dead, because its pulse and heartbeat cannot be heard.
Risk factors for kittens outdoors
There are many threats to the lives of kittens on the street. An animal can get hit by a car or be attacked by dogs and adult cats guarding the territory. Babies are vulnerable to diseases and toxins. There are known cases when street cats were poisoned, and they died in terrible agony. Poisons were mixed into food and hungry animals greedily ate it, not suspecting that it was fatal.
A kitten on the street can hide in a narrow hole in search of warmth or out of fear and die in it due to the inability to get out. Children are at risk of injury from a fall, which can lead to fatal injuries. Kittens are sometimes mutilated by people who hate them for some reason. In general, the question of whether a cat will survive on the street or not remains open even for adults. Babies are less adapted and more defenseless, so their mortality rate is high. Death can be caused by fleas, numerous small lice, and frostbitten paw pads.
Population is growing
Today there are more than 20 thousand stray cats in St. Petersburg. They are trying to control the number. For example, in 2021, tailed animals were included in the free sterilization program. Only the project does not involve catching. “This is a pilot contract, a trial one. To see what we will encounter during the work. Therefore, the volume is small,” explains Elena Mezentseva, deputy general director of the veterinary hospital. “Hunting” for four-legged animals is still left to compassionate citizens. And this really slows down the process. Before being taken to a homeless animal shelter, cats undergo a full examination. The four-legged animals receive all necessary vaccinations. The procedures are not cheap - the average Murka or Barsik costs 20 thousand rubles. In the fall, tailed animals begin to be brought here en masse from the streets, from the basements of houses; there is absolutely not enough space. “It’s almost impossible to surrender an animal; no one is waiting for you with open arms. The shelters are overcrowded,” explains Olga Titovich, a representative of the institution.
