Why do they choose the hottest room in the apartment?

mamacat · Jul 18, 2006

Not sure if this belongs in health or behavior, but...

In the midst of this killer heat, both my kitties keep retreating to the part of the apartment that is not air conditioned--during the day it is the bedroom, and at night it is the living room. Yesterday temps hit high 90s outside, and when I did turn on the air in the bedroom last night, the thermostat on the air conditioner read 90, which meant it was at least 90 degrees in there during the day when they were in there. I shut the bedroom door during the day while the air is on in the rest of the apartment (first bringing the kitties out of the bedroom of course), but the latch thing is broken, so the door doesn't really close all the way and they keep popping it open and going in there to hang out. I keep drawing them out, but they keep going back in. At night when we have the air on in the bedroom, it is just the opposite, they stay out in the hot living room (under normal circumstances they would sleep in the bed with us). We don't turn the air on so high that it gets like a freezer in here, we just keep it cool enough for (we thought) everyone's comfort. I'm afraid they're going to get heat stroke or something hanging out in the hot spots. Why do they do this, and is it as dangerous as I think?

satai · Jul 18, 2006

Well, at a genetic level they are desert creatures - for a lot of cats, their main goal appears to reach a temperature just below combusion point.

I don't know if it's dangerous - you might want to ring your vet's office for advice on that.

As long as they can get out of the room if they need to and have access to water I wouldn't worry too much about it.

The one thing that might be worth thinking about is whether they are seeking those rooms because something about the a/c is bothering them - my cats hate our dryer (I think because it blows air at them), alternatively, they might not like what they hear. Is there a room that is naturally a bit cooler where you could switch off the a/c and check if they might perfer that?

Are they curled in a ball or streched out when they are in these rooms?

mamacat · Jul 18, 2006

The weirdest thing about it is that last summer, Nathan would actually run and sit on the coffee table right in the path of the blowing air as soon as we turned the living room a/c on.

So I don't think it's the sound or the breeze or anything like that.

They are typically both stretched out when they're in the hot rooms. Nathan lays under the bed, I'm guessing because it's shady. Nedicks lays on the bed, sometimes on the blanket

, sometimes on my pillow.

Unfortunately there are no cool rooms in the apartment, as we live on the top floor, so anyplace I have the a/c off heats up like an oven. I would turn both air conditioners on, but I really can't afford to run two air conditioners all the time.

They can definitely get out of the hot places whenever they want, and I keep their water dishes fresh, but sometimes Nedicks get so hot, she feels like a little furry meat loaf right out of the oven, and I'm afraid she'll get heat stroke before she thinks to get up and move into a cooler place (she's kind of...special). I keep going in there and carrying her out. Nathan seems to be okay--I touch him every time he does come out from under the bed, and he seems to be relatively cool to the touch.

sibohan2005 · Jul 18, 2006

My parents have a Black Laborador who is 10 years old, since she was a baby she has persistantly laid in the center of the gravel driveway in the scorching sun most of the day. Other than the sun having fried her brain years ago I think it is her way of creating enough heat so that when she goes into the garage to cool off on the pavement floor she will sweat. I am thinking it may be the same with cats. It is definately a good question Now I want to know too.

emmylou · Jul 18, 2006

Many cats don't like air-conditioning... it's really loud, air is blowing out at them, and it makes the air in the room smell different and (to them) unusually cold.

If they're choosing the other rooms, the temperature is probably fine for them. It would probably have to get tremendously hot to be dangerous.

trouts mom · Jul 18, 2006

I think that if they are choosing to go into the heat on purpose, than it probably isn't bad for them. Maybe they like the heat?

mirinae · Jul 18, 2006

My cats hate the air conditioner, too, and they're vaguely mistrustful of fans. (I don't know why; it's not like they've ever had a fan leap out and attack them or anything ...

) Spike is also afraid of ice

so he runs away from any ice cubes I might leave out in his water dish or on the floor for him to play with. At the same time, however, when it's extremely hot both cats wander the apartment crying, and they don't eat as much as they normally do, so I know the heat is bothering them (they eat; they're just not their usual gluttonous little piggy selves). I've tried explaining that I don't yet have the ability to control the weather, but I don't think they believe me ...

keelyg · Jul 18, 2006

I've had the exact same thing happening - with my cat seeking out the hotspots and avoiding the air con! I turned the air off in my bedroom last night just so she'd come and sleep with me (was missing her) - was doubly hot with no air con and furry body wanting to snuggle as close as possible but was worth it!

The humidity is making my cat v lethargic - it's just yawn, yawn, yawn at the moment!

satai · Jul 18, 2006

Originally Posted by Mirinae

I've tried explaining that I don't yet have the ability to control the weather, but I don't think they believe me ...

I have the same (well, similar) problem. Anyone who knows Ireland knows that it rains a lot (frankly it feels like it rains ALL THE TIME). My cats stand at the door, look out, look up at me and meow, and then look back out - continue til they decide to walk away in disgust.

forget-me-not · Jul 18, 2006

Ok, I thought it was just my crazy cat who didn't like the air conditioning. The heat here is brutal right now and in my apartment it turns into an oven if the shades are up or curtains open even with the air on.

My kitty, a semi-long hair, gets mad when I shut the windows and blinds and put on both air conditioners before going to work. She will find the warmest spot in the place and stretch out or lounge under a table or futon. And seems to want to sleep more. Just doesn't seem to mind the heat at all. Leaving the shades or windows open (I am on the first floor) is not an option and I would die if I walked in here after work if the air wasn't on.

I never thought that the air conditioning makes the air smell different; I figured she might not like the sound (since her hearing is so much more sensitive).

We have reached a compromise - early in the morning while it is still below 90 I will open the windows for her to watch her birds and turn off the air. During the day both go on low. When I get home however, both go on full blast until bed time.

I really can't wait until fall - it will be so much fun to let her have her windows open and watch her watch the birds and traffic. She makes the cutest faces and noises.

vik61 · Jul 18, 2006

Hmmm. My cat will seek out the cooler spots when in or outdoors. She lays near the air ducts when indoors and under the swamp cooler when outside, or on a cool spot of dirt or in the shade of the flowers.

I'm also wondering if it's not something about the AC they don't like????

huyi · Jul 20, 2006

hmm, well my cat is laying right next to the fan right now because i left it there for her she just got in the house and layed and collapsed down to rest in the heat so that's why i got the fan out, after a while though she will move to another spot and i am worried about her getting too hot too so I'm always moving the Fan near her but she don't like it all the time

pondwader · Jul 20, 2006

My cats love the warmth too, the only room in the house that is not air conditioned is my room, and all the cats hang out in there on my bed. LOL

loveysmummy · Jul 20, 2006

The favourite room for both of mine is the bathroom right now...because its the coolest. One gets the tub and one gets the bathmat and I always get a surprise when I flick on the lights and they look up at me "do you mind, mom???"

One of mine likes it right in front of the fan but they always seem to go for the darkest rooms, I think because to them they are logically the coolest....

mary jaye · Aug 3, 2022

mamacat said:
Not sure if this belongs in health or behavior, but...

In the midst of this killer heat, both my kitties keep retreating to the part of the apartment that is not air conditioned--during the day it is the bedroom, and at night it is the living room. Yesterday temps hit high 90s outside, and when I did turn on the air in the bedroom last night, the thermostat on the air conditioner read 90, which meant it was at least 90 degrees in there during the day when they were in there. I shut the bedroom door during the day while the air is on in the rest of the apartment (first bringing the kitties out of the bedroom of course), but the latch thing is broken, so the door doesn't really close all the way and they keep popping it open and going in there to hang out. I keep drawing them out, but they keep going back in. At night when we have the air on in the bedroom, it is just the opposite, they stay out in the hot living room (under normal circumstances they would sleep in the bed with us). We don't turn the air on so high that it gets like a freezer in here, we just keep it cool enough for (we thought) everyone's comfort. I'm afraid they're going to get heat stroke or something hanging out in the hot spots. Why do they do this, and is it as dangerous as I think?

my cat chooses the bedroom because it is the safe room for her. furthest from the front door. she is a scary cat. but my a/c blew. and it is only 2 years old so I have to go thru warrantee. only way to lure her out is with a few pieces of grass.

Why do they choose the hottest room in the apartment?

mamacat

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satai

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mamacat

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sibohan2005

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emmylou

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trouts mom

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mirinae

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keelyg

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satai

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forget-me-not

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vik61

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huyi

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pondwader

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loveysmummy

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mary jaye

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