Winter is a wonderful time of the year! Are not her gifts beautiful - snow, fresh air, frost?

Yes, somehow not very ... - the cats living on the street will answer. However, the cold winter months also affect pets that do not stick out of the house.

Sustained low temperatures and long nights cause changes in the body of animals, affecting both its physiological state and behavioral characteristics. And even cats sitting in the warmth of the house "switch to winter time."

Winter for domestic cats

Behavior With the decrease in sunlight, the activity of cats also decreases. "Move less, eat and sleep more" is their slogan for this time of year. Four-legged pets become more calm and lazy, preferring a secluded warm corner to games. With the advent of winter, the ratings of warm blankets, shelves in the linen closet, radiators and heaters rise. To reduce heat loss, the cat curls up in a ball, wrapping itself in a fluffy tail.

Physiology Nutrition. One of the means of combating the onset of cold weather is the accumulation of subcutaneous fat. Cats start to eat more, but move less. And therefore, a caring owner must find a middle ground between natural requirements and reasonable necessity. After all, a thick layer of fat that protects from frost is hardly needed by a four-legged couch potato. So are the problems associated with obesity.

Wool. Cats usually shed actively in the fall in order to acquire high-quality wool with a thick undercoat by winter. But the human "heating season" blurs the molting pattern, prolonging it...sometimes until the next molt. Therefore, a fluffy pet needs careful care for his fur coat - regular combing, a paste to remove woolen lumps from the stomach, and the use of special vitamins (for example, Felvit H, Brewers Yeast) is possible - about this.

Diseases.

With the onset of cold weather, dampness and drafts, immunity decreases in domestic cats. And they can fall prey to colds (upper respiratory infections), cystitis (bladder inflammation) - cold window sills and floors are to blame. And if you accidentally “forget” your pet on the balcony, the consequences can be more serious, up to hypothermia and frostbite. Therefore, it is worth being vigilant - do not let the pet lie and sit in cold and ventilated places (or insulate them, making them safe for health) and postpone walks on the balcony until better times. Well, strengthen the immune system with multivitamins, especially with natural nutrition. It will not be superfluous during this period and green fresh grass from a pet store.

Winter for walking cats

With street cats, everything is clear - they themselves are engaged in their salvation in the harsh winter time. Their favorite places are basements with warm pipes, attics, porches. During this period, they especially need human support!

For domestic cats living in the yard or walking outside, the best recipe for safely surviving the cold is ... being in a warm owner's house. Everything is very simple - When the temperature is below zero, it is better not to let the cat out of the house!

Some owners leave their cats outside the home, thinking they are suited to outdoor life. Alas, this can put the animal in front of the danger of serious diseases.

What temperature is acceptable for a cat to stay in the cold? The temperature limit is -20 °WITH . Weather conditions also play an important role - strong winds, high humidity aggravate frost. Of course, each animal has its own limit depending on its health, age, coat condition, nutrition, body fat, immunity in general, etc. ° to get serious problems.

hypothermia (hypothermia)

- a state of the body in which the body temperature drops below what is required to maintain vital processes. Cats that stay in the cold for a long time without shelter and movement are susceptible to it, especially animals with weak immunity.

Symptoms of hypothermia:

chills, trembling, increasing weakness and apathy, body temperature below 36 ° (normal t in a cat is 38 ° -39 °). Prolonged hypothermia leads to a decrease in blood glucose levels. As hypothermia increases, the muscles stiffen, the heartbeat and breathing slow down, and the cat stops responding to stimuli. Deterioration of the condition leads to collapse, turning into a coma. With significant hypothermia, the animal may appear dead, since its pulse and heartbeat are not heard. In this state, the cat can survive due to a sharp decrease in metabolism.

What to do?

The cat needs to be warmed up urgently. With a slight hypothermia - cover with blankets. With a more significant one, wrap it up with your head and add other sources of heat (a heating pad, a bottle of warm water), applying them to the body. Cases of severe hypotomy require urgent veterinary care, as drips with warm solutions are needed, warm pleural lavage, an increase in air temperature in the ventilator, the introduction of painkillers (due to severe pain when restoring tissue sensitivity). In the future, a comprehensive examination of the animal should be carried out in order to begin treatment of the disorders that have arisen in its body.

frostbite

The cat's paw pads, tail and ear tips are most sensitive to low temperatures.

Superficial frostbite affect only the skin and subcutaneous tissues, which first turn pale. With the restoration of blood circulation, the skin turns red, swells and flakes. With more severe frostbite, blisters form with a clear or milky liquid. Frostbite areas are bordered by a clear line of demarcation with living tissue.

Deep frostbite characterized by the death of the skin, subcutaneous tissue and muscles. In especially severe cases, tendons and bones can be affected, tissue rejection to a great depth is observed. At first, blisters form with an admixture of blood, which turn into black scabs within two weeks. Deep frostbite leads to complete necrosis (necrosis) and tissue loss.

If sensitivity and normal skin color remain in the affected area, and when pressed on it, a hole remains - the prognosis is favorable. If the skin seems wooden to the touch, has cyanotic foci and blisters with blood, there is no trace left on it after pressure - tissue necrosis is possible.

What to do? The affected area should not be rubbed, especially with snow, so as not to further damage the tissue and cause infection. You can quickly warm the affected area by wetting it in warm (not hot!) Water or constantly applying a warm, damp towel to it and lightly massaging (without rubbing) until the tissues redden. Then gently dry and apply a loose bandage. For further treatment, it is best to consult a veterinarian.

With superficial frostbite, you can use the Rescuer balm, protecting the affected area from licking (for example, using a protective collar).

Blisters with clear fluid are opened and an antiprostaglandin drug (eg, aloe vera juice) is applied. Hemorrhagic (with an admixture of blood) blisters do not touch. The animal is prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, drugs to improve blood circulation, as well as antibiotics to prevent infection. Dead tissue is removed surgically.

• In winter, good coat and skin are especially important for cats walking on the street. Therefore, additional fatty acids, such as fish oil, as well as vitamins E and B-complex, can be introduced into her diet.
• Strengthen the cat's diet through additional nutrition and an increase in protein in it.
• If the cat is older, it should be possible to facilitate her movements associated with jumping, climbing stairs, etc., in order to relieve stress on her joints, which become sensitive at low temperatures.
• Fireplaces and heaters should be shielded to protect your cat from fire, ash, smoke, and electrical wiring.
• Take good care of your pet's coat. Wet wool does not store heat, so cats bathe less often in winter. The formation of tangles should not be allowed. A good coat will protect your furry pet from the cold.
• Water and food must be fresh and not frozen. Do not use metal bowls in winter.
• If the cat lives in the yard, it should have a reliable place protected from the cold. The cat's house should be large enough for her to turn around and small enough to store her body heat. The floor should be raised off the ground and covered with shavings or straw. The entrance of the house should be turned away from the wind, the roof and the door should be closed with waterproof plastic.
• In winter, cats sometimes settle in the garage. It should be remembered that antifreeze is deadly for them. And before you use the car, you need to make sure that the cat does not sleep under its hood.
• With the onset of significant frosts, take your pet home!

Help your pet stay healthy during the long cold months!

I prepared well for the winter: I took a warm jacket out of the closet and put a bag of Whiskas in my pocket. Now he always lies there with me, in case of meeting with my smaller brother or my smaller sister on four legs, with a tail and green Martian eyes of inexpressible power and clarity.

The wind blows, a blizzard sweeps, and people glide in black silhouettes on snow and ice. People are rushing home. They have a home. And what about homeless cats and cats, lost in a huge city, where there are no canteens with mice in sour cream for them, no shelters with sofas on which they could sweetly nap all day? And seeing in the cold evening darkness a small four-legged shadow quickly crossing the road, I suddenly, as if on a whim, begin to see the metropolis through the eyes of a lonely stray cat.

The cat lives below us, which means that everything seems to her higher, bigger, scarier, more dangerous. She runs, pawing through the snow with her paws, and her figure is snatched out of the darkness by the frantic headlights of cars. She runs down alleyways where the soft pads of her paws burn the chemicals scattered by the janitors, and sneaks into yards where she is threatened by packs of feral dogs or a domestic terrier taken out for a walk and let off a leash. And he rushes at the cat with a joyful bark.

I know all the homeless cats and cats in the area, although this does not mean that I am familiar with them. I cannot boast of the honor of close acquaintance and trusting relationships. All of them, as befits a beast that grew up in a city, are wary of people. So, here they are, my acquaintances and neighbors. In the basement of the house opposite lives a cat clan, consisting of three redheads. They have the lean physique of flyweight boxers and hard, unsmiling eyes. In the parking lot in the neighboring yard, surrounded by a mesh fence, lives a fluffy white, which is fed by the watchman. And there is also a gray-white Kitty, I know her better.

It happened like this. It was evening. I was walking along the sidewalk and suddenly I saw her. There are giant cats with round faces of couch potatoes, there are kosharas with a scruff like a bear, but this is not about her. A small, harmoniously folded cat wandered nervously and perplexedly on the edge of the sidewalk. As soon as I stopped and asked a question about the reasons for her anxiety, she immediately began to talk about her life with a plaintive meow. I saw in the darkness her opalescent eyes and her little pink tongue. Sad and sad was her story, she talked about a saleswoman in a store who took pity on a sausage, about empty cans in the garbage, about a futile search for food among stone and asphalt. I got it. “You wait for me here, do you hear. Do not go anywhere. I'll be right back!" I told her and went to the store across the street where I bought two bags of Whiskas. And she was waiting for me, because she understands human speech. No need to be arrogant, we are just two-legged fools, it is not at all difficult to understand our speech.

Since then, I have met her more than once at this place at the same evening hour. Sometimes, as I approached, I slowed down and spoke in a low voice, or even just thought: “Are you there, Kitty? Come on out!" - this is enough in communicating with a cat that catches invisible impulses with its whiskers and ears. She would immediately emerge from the thick shade under the trees or come out from under the front wheels of a parked car, where she sat like a little sphinx. I fed her by squeezing Whiskas onto a cardboard box or straight onto the pavement and then walked away because a street cat would never let you near. She is always on her guard, always ready to splash sharply to the side, because she knows the treacherous cruelty of people. Only after I left did she start eating. Watching a cat eat is an indescribable pleasure.

I'm not alone. I know that many people walk around Moscow with bags of cat food in their pockets and buy one sausage in the meat departments to feed a street cat. We are an order of secret helpers who save homeless cats and cats from starvation during the cold days of winter. Yes, a cat has a beautiful natural fur coat, but imagine yourself in the cold 24 hours a day, even if you are wearing a fur coat. The cat is cold. The paws get cold in the snow, the stomach brings hunger. To survive in the jungle of frozen stone, she needs to eat well.

Recently, a young stray teenage cat climbed under a car and lay down to sleep there. It's warm under a car whose engine has been running all day. And he slept all night sweet cat sleep in his precarious shelter, until the moment when early in the morning the man got behind the wheel and drove away. But the cat remained because his paws were frozen into the ice. So he spent several hours immobile, slowly freezing, this fluffy gray lump with snow in his ears and hoarfrost on his eyebrows and mustaches, hearing with weakening hearing in his dying half-asleep the barking of close dogs - until people discovered him and released him paws, thawing them with buckets of warm water.

Whether or not stray animals should live in cities, I don't know. I just don't think about it. When I see the crown of creation, a cat or a cat in all the charm of their white whiskers, soft paws, fluffy tails and mystical eyes, I take out a bag of food from my pocket and feed them. I know people who put cardboard boxes in the yards for cats in the cold and insulate them with foam rubber. I know others who go to an empty holiday village to feed a wintered cat there, which a cruel dumbass took to play for the summer, but did not want to take into the city. There have been many slogans in Russia over the past hundred years - "Death to the bourgeoisie!", "Punish the Trotskyists!", "Shoot pests!", "Shame on the national traitors!" and others in the same nightmarish spirit, but I would change them all to one and only: “Save the cats! Feed the cats!

The clan of redheads living in the basement has been fed by an elderly woman for several years. She can't walk well and has bad legs. But every day at five o'clock she comes to the window leading to the basement, with a bag in which chicken legs. She buys and cooks them for redheads. They are already waiting for her, those thin bandits, by the white plastic bowl. This bowl is inviolable, it always stands in the same place, and for several years not a single janitor, not a single hooligan has touched it. And she feeds them. And today I saw how she, in a black coat and a shapeless hat, was fumbling hard and hard at the window in the basement, fitting plywood to it in order to reduce the hole, but leave the entrance. Winter, blizzard. Cold ahead. It must be covered so that the cats do not blow.

Of course it freezes! It is absurd to think that since a cat is originally a wild animal, it will easily and simply be able to adapt to frost and winter cold. Even a super woolly domestic cat needs the warmth of a hearth in winter.

Watching our pets, we come to the conclusion - even at room temperature, cats and cats find a place where it is warmer - and it is there, curled up, that they rest. What can we say about frosts.

What temperature can cats withstand in winter?

The answer to this question cannot be universal for all Muroks and Murziks. Some experts do not advise walking at -20 ° C. But this is a very relative parameter. Because there are many factors that affect the "winter hardiness" of each individual animal.

• Breed. Outbred is easier, and sphinxes, for example, will be cold even at + 10 ° C.

• Wool, presence or absence of undercoat.

• Habit. There are representatives who, in any weather, bypass their possessions, especially in the village, few people pank with cats and cats. But our village boy managed to frostbite his ear slightly - moreover, it is simply impossible to keep him in the house. And there were no frosts even sensible ...

• Age. Kittens and old animals cannot keep their body temperature constant.

• General health. Hidden diseases, pregnancy in cats weakens the animal and resistance to low temperatures decreases.

Cats and cats in the snow in winter - photo story

A woolen outfit and natural endurance are encouraging, but looking at a pet meowing under the door, you involuntarily think: “Do cats freeze in winter? Isn't Vaska's passion for running around in freshly fallen snow dangerous? It is possible to understand whether a cat is cold only through observation, because our pets differ from each other not only in eye color and taste preferences. How do cats tolerate the cold, and how can you tell if the ambient temperature isn't making the furry explorer happy?

Although why furry? There are also hairless cats, smooth, completely devoid of hair. It is clear that such a cat freezes at sub-zero temperatures, rapidly giving off the accumulated heat. Letting the Sphinx go for a walk in sub-zero temperatures is an unthinkable undertaking, the consequences of which can be very deplorable. If the pet is accustomed to walking or if a naked cat is cold even in an apartment, you can put sweaters and overalls on it. Of course, the fabric warms worse than a real fur coat, so walks should not be long: paws tremble, ears get cold - go home, warm up. At what temperature does a naked cat freeze? As a rule, sphinxes experience discomfort even at +10°C, not to mention sub-zero temperatures.

But back to cats flaunting luxurious fur coats. The coat can be long or short, but if it is two-layered, with a well-developed undercoat, are cats cold in winter? The undercoat perfectly retains heat and prevents overheating, keeping body temperature within normal limits. However, such protection is not endless: just as a person dressed in a fur coat, earflaps and felt boots will still freeze after a few hours spent on a frosty street, so a cat “wrapped” in the best fur will sooner or later begin to freeze. At what temperature fluffy cats freeze depends not only on the readings of the thermometer, but also on the actions of the pet, air humidity, and other nuances. "Dry" frost is easier to bear, with low activity you freeze faster, high humidity - you feel the cold more clearly. Everything is like in humans, adjusted for feline endurance.

Cats without undercoat freeze faster than Siberians, Coons and representatives of other "hairy" breeds. Cold air penetrates the skin faster, heat escapes faster. These cats have cold paws and ears even after short walks at -15 Celsius. But a Siberian, not pampered by life in the arms of a battery, can walk for a couple of hours without danger to health even at -30°C.

But how do street murks survive then?

It's terrible, but not everyone survives. Even hereditary stray cats are not able to endure frosts below 20 ° C for a long time. Packed dogs huddle closer, warming each other, dig holes in the snow. Cats do not know how to dig holes, and do not stray into packs. If you doubt whether it is cold for cats in winter, pay attention to how few familiar faces you meet when you go to work in the morning: in the summer under every car and on every bench there is a purr, in winter everyone disappears somewhere.

Somewhere - these are, as a rule, basements and entrances. Although in recent years many basements have been tightly closed, and ordinary doors have been replaced with metal ones with electronic locks. Of course, from the point of view of sanitation, inhabiting basements with stray cats is not the best solution, but for many murkas this is the only chance to survive the winter.

Is it just the coat?

The temperature at which cats freeze depends not only on external factors and coat density. For example, a cat accustomed to life on the street tolerates the cold more easily than a pet that leaves a cozy apartment only for short trips. In addition, many cats are thermophilic from birth, and even if the owner does not spoil the sissy, they freeze at the slightest frost. Such pets, even when the room is well heated, all the time cling to the radiator or try to crawl under the covers, sit ruffled, sleep a lot and move little, dreaming of a warm summer. Of course, it is unlikely that cats are afraid of the cold in the same way as people, but the belief in nine lives and extreme resistance to any cataclysms is a clear delusion.

Do cats freeze outside in winter, and is a thick fur coat able to protect them from frost and cold? After all, pets, accustomed to walking in the fresh air, demand to let them go outside even in winter frosts, and many owners do not know what to do in this case. Is it worth walking a fluffy pet when the thermometer shows minus temperatures and how to protect the animal from hypothermia?

How do cats survive the winter cold?

A pampered domestic cat freezes at the slightest drop in temperature, but surviving a harsh winter is not a problem for such pets, because they have loving owners and a warm home.

It is much more difficult in winter for homeless animals, who are forced to take care of themselves. Dogs survive the winter by huddling in packs or digging deep burrows in the snow. Cats do not know how to dig holes and, being loners by nature, they avoid the company of other representatives of their kind. Therefore, in order to survive the winter, the cats had to invent their own ways of surviving.

Preparing cats for winter:

• Thick and long hair serves as an excellent protection against the cold for cats, therefore, in winter, molting in animals stops;
• Street cats actively hunt mice and other rodents in autumn to stock up on fat, which helps them keep warm in severe frosts;
• Another interesting fact: in winter, cats almost do not wash themselves, since animals with wet hair are more susceptible to cold;
• To survive severe frosts, stray cats are looking for a suitable shelter in advance. Usually, porches, warm basements or abandoned houses become shelters for animals.

Behavior of cats in winter

Most cat owners notice that with the onset of the first cold weather, their pets behave completely differently than in the warm season. Even the most playful and active animals turn into lazy couch potatoes, who spend most of their time on the couch or near a warm radiator.

A short-haired cat can freeze even in the house and, in order to keep warm, the pet arranges a “nest” in the closet or curls up under a warm blanket.

It should also be noted that all feline representatives increase their appetite in winter, as a result of which the pets noticeably get better, gaining a few extra pounds. Cats do this on a subconscious level, because their genetic memory suggests that a layer of subcutaneous fat helps to survive in winter frosts.

Some owners are worried about this and begin to limit the cat's food, fearing that the pet's exorbitant appetite can lead to obesity. But such fears are completely in vain, because with the onset of spring, the animal's need for an additional portion of food will disappear, and the pet's weight will return to normal.

How sub-zero temperatures can cats withstand?

A fluffy fur coat allows cats to feel quite comfortable on the street at a temperature of 5-10 degrees below zero.

Cats can withstand frost even at 15-20 degrees, but on the condition that a walk at such an extreme temperature will not be long. Otherwise, the animals risk getting hypothermia and freeze their ears and paw pads, on which there is almost no hair.

There is an opinion that cats are able to survive when the thermometer shows minus thirty degrees and below, but this is far from the case, because in such a frost the animal will certainly die from hypothermia.

Helping your pet get cold

Many cats love to walk in the winter, play with snow and catch snowflakes. Sometimes the pet is too fond of a walk and when he comes home, he is shaking all over from the cold. What should the owner do in this case, and how to help the pet warm up faster?

• First of all, the animal must be wrapped in a thick towel or warm blanket;
• A frozen cat will try to warm up near the radiator or fireplace, so you should put her house or bedding near them;
• It is necessary to take care that there are no drafts in the house, as the pet can catch a cold;
• You can dry the wet cat hair with a hair dryer;
• Bathing in warm water will not warm the cat, but will cause it to freeze even more, so bathing the animal is highly undesirable.

What kind of cats winter walks are contraindicated

When a pet asks to go outside in winter, many owners wonder at what temperature do cats freeze and should they be let out for a walk when the thermometer drops below zero?

It all depends on the length of the coat and the breed of the animal. Maine Coons, Norwegian Forest and Siberian cats have a luxurious fur coat and a thick undercoat that perfectly protects them from the cold. Representatives of these breeds feel great on the street, even at 15-20 degrees below zero.

Oriental cats freeze at the slightest frost: Persians, Siamese, Abyssinians and Burmese. Accustomed to a warm climate, these pets are not adapted to a frosty winter and it is not recommended to let them out of the house during this period.

Hairless cats - Bambino, Sphynx, Ukrainian Levkoy freeze in winter, even being in a warm house, so it is absolutely impossible to walk them in the winter.

Special attention and care should be given to small kittens in winter., pregnant cats and elderly pets, as they are extremely intolerant of cold and can even die from hypothermia.

To make a winter walk safe for a cat, it is recommended to walk your pet under supervision or on a leash. So the owner can be sure that the animal will not get lost and will not die, being outside in severe frost.

VETERINARY CONSULTATION REQUIRED. INFORMATION FOR INFORMATION ONLY. Administration