I hope I am posting in the right section here.
I am wondering if I need to provide a heated bed for my little Siren.
Here is my situation: Siren was born from 2 feral parents at a ranch I work at. I had seen her pregnant mother around just before the birth in a big shop with a lot of other feral cats. By all accounts the mother moved the litter leaving Siren stranded for over 36 hours when I found her meowing from the top of a 15 foot drop where she was born. She was very weak and thin. At best I can figure she was 2 weeks old at the most. I nursed her to health and now she is a great 10 week old kitten.
I work graveyards and the only real heat option I have is a wood stove (its a drafty house too). Up until now the weather has been ok; low 40's F at the worst but I am home when it gets the coldest. So I can heat the house then. Soon the weather will start dropping to the mid 20's at the worst.
As far as I can tell she is mainly a black and white American Short hair with 1" long thick fur. I see 2 of her feral litter mates at work and they are doing fine right now with no heat. Siren has my bed she loves to curl up in. Will this be enough? Some people are telling me she needs heat others are saying there is no point as cold weather tolerance has been bread into her over years of feral breeding. I am in favor of a small heating pad in her covered plastic carrier with a blanket over it.
Am I right? Or am I just over reacting because I want the best for this adorable ball of fluff that stole my heart.
I am wondering if I need to provide a heated bed for my little Siren.
Here is my situation: Siren was born from 2 feral parents at a ranch I work at. I had seen her pregnant mother around just before the birth in a big shop with a lot of other feral cats. By all accounts the mother moved the litter leaving Siren stranded for over 36 hours when I found her meowing from the top of a 15 foot drop where she was born. She was very weak and thin. At best I can figure she was 2 weeks old at the most. I nursed her to health and now she is a great 10 week old kitten.
I work graveyards and the only real heat option I have is a wood stove (its a drafty house too). Up until now the weather has been ok; low 40's F at the worst but I am home when it gets the coldest. So I can heat the house then. Soon the weather will start dropping to the mid 20's at the worst.
As far as I can tell she is mainly a black and white American Short hair with 1" long thick fur. I see 2 of her feral litter mates at work and they are doing fine right now with no heat. Siren has my bed she loves to curl up in. Will this be enough? Some people are telling me she needs heat others are saying there is no point as cold weather tolerance has been bread into her over years of feral breeding. I am in favor of a small heating pad in her covered plastic carrier with a blanket over it.
Am I right? Or am I just over reacting because I want the best for this adorable ball of fluff that stole my heart.
