Temperature Question

mochapenguin

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We live in a 1-floor apartment with pretty good square footage so it's very spread out. The thermostat is in the center of the apartment, where it is pretty warm. If I keep it set at 68, it gets freezing in rooms with a lot of windows (including the bedroom). The uneven temp drives me nuts, but I worry about it a bit with the cat. I don't want to keep it too warm inside, but I don't want her to be cold either - or does it even matter for cats? She's had what the vet maintains is a URI for as long as we've had her (2 months) so I'm sure the cold weather isn't helping, so my instinct is to turn up the heat a bit, but I don't want her to overheat when she's running all over the place.

Is there an ideal temp for cats to be comfortable? Does it even matter that much? Even with her sneezing and runny eyes/nose she doesn't have a fever and acts normally, isn't running a fever, and usually feels pretty cool to the touch.
 

mezlo

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I imagine cats are like humans and the "ideal" room temperature varies from cat to cat. Does she have access to the whole apartment? If so, then she will probably hang out wherever the temperature is to her liking.

My apartment has 2 thermostats. I set the half I'm in most at 72 or so and the other half at 65. Junior seems to prefer the half set at 65, especially for napping.

Mez

PS - I'm sorry to hear about the mall shooting. I hope you didn't know any of the victims.
 

stephenq

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I really don't think you have to worry about her overheating if you keep the temp comfortable for yourself. Many cats do like warmth and a warm place to nap. Maybe you can give her a nice bed in a warm place or buy one of those plug in mats that warms the mat gently. There are a ton of beds available at http://www.drsfostersmith.com/.
 
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mochapenguin

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PS - I'm sorry to hear about the mall shooting. I hope you didn't know any of the victims.
Thank you.
I didn't know any of them personally, although one woman worked for the same company as my husband (but in another office, so he didn't know her). I did frequent that mall though and in fact had been planning on going there that evening for holiday shopping, so it's a very overwhelming feeling to see something like this happen so close to home!

Does she have access to the whole apartment?
She does, but she ALWAYS wants to be in the same room that we're in, or if we're in different rooms, halfway in between us. I do think though that if she got uncomfortable, she would go to another part of the apartment, so maybe we could take cues from that.

Thanks for the input!

There are a ton of beds available at http://www.drsfostersmith.com/.
Thanks for that link, I remember my brother suggesting that site to me recently but I just couldn't remember the name!
 

jennywhite686

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We keep our apartment at 70-72, and have one cat that sleeps on a pillow right next to the heating grate (very warm) and one that sleeps on the back of the couch pressed against the window. Whenever he comes over for a cuddle he's freezing!! But he's happy, and energetic etc, I think he doesnt even feel it. I would keep the apartment at a temperature thats right for you and not worry about the cat, they find their own 'happy spot'
 

jack31

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I'm a naturally cold person so I tend to keep the heat up (if the hubby allows as he is my exact opposite temp wise). Our 4 month old kitten lays right in front of the front door which is extremely drafty (apartment door that needs work). I think it is all about preference--our temps outside haven't been over 40 in days so in front of the front door is pretty cold.

Leslie
 

cloud_shade

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I only really heat the bedroom, since I have radiant heat and it costs a fortune. The kitchen/living room areas are really cold, often down to around 55 degrees or lower, depending on the temperature outside. While I did put plastic over two of the windows to help insulate the room a bit, I don't worry about the cats. They choose to be where they are most comfortable. The boys tend to nap in my bedroom, where it's warmer, but they play in the rest of the house, where it's cooler. I have cats beds available in each area. The canned food is in the cooler part of the house so it keeps longer, and the dry food is in the bedroom.
 

saya

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my cats will definitely go where they are comfortable. My little girl Chloe has a URI and FIP and has been running a fever and she'll lay on the cable box before she'll freeze
 

orltwa

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Originally Posted by mochapenguin

We live in a 1-floor apartment with pretty good square footage so it's very spread out. The thermostat is in the center of the apartment, where it is pretty warm. If I keep it set at 68, it gets freezing in rooms with a lot of windows (including the bedroom). The uneven temp drives me nuts, but I worry about it a bit with the cat. I don't want to keep it too warm inside, but I don't want her to be cold either - or does it even matter for cats? She's had what the vet maintains is a URI for as long as we've had her (2 months) so I'm sure the cold weather isn't helping, so my instinct is to turn up the heat a bit, but I don't want her to overheat when she's running all over the place.

Is there an ideal temp for cats to be comfortable? Does it even matter that much? Even with her sneezing and runny eyes/nose she doesn't have a fever and acts normally, isn't running a fever, and usually feels pretty cool to the touch.
I keep my house fairly cool because I'm too cheap to pay for a lot of heat (keep it 66-67) and my cats don't seem to mind. Sure they love the heat (i.e. sitting in front of windows when the sun is shining in), but they are just fine. Remember all of those outdoor cats that survive the winters? Granted it isn't frigid down here in TX like it is up north, but I have a friend who has a barn cat and she stays outside all winter and survives the sub-freezing nights and has done so for a couple of years now. Like someone said, cats have a fur coat 24/7, so whether your thermostat is set at 60 or 70, it really doesn't matter for the cats.
 
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