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Why Cats Love Warmth: What Temperature Can Pets Withstand
17.03.2024 11:30
Updated: 12.05.2024 23:22
If you've ever watched cats, you've probably noticed that they love to lie in the sun, sleep on a radiator, or generally be near heat sources.
Cats enjoy warmth because it allows them to maintain body temperature without having to actively produce energy.
In this way, external heat saves their energy, which they can use, for example, for hunting.
The body temperature of cats is higher than that of humans and is 38-39.3°C. Cats need to maintain this temperature.
The cat uses its own bodily functions to maintain its body temperature. The disadvantage of this process is that it requires a lot of energy that the cat could use for other purposes.
Since cats are hunters by nature, they try to conserve energy as much as possible and use it only for important tasks. Hunting is necessary for survival, especially for cats in the wild.
The most energy-efficient way to maintain body temperature is to simply warm up from the outside. This is the reason why cats like to sleep in the sun or near other heat sources. By receiving heat from the outside, the cat's body does not waste energy on it and can use it for other purposes.
Do all cats like warmth?
If it is too warm in the house or too hot outside, cats will look for cooler places.
This is especially true for long-haired cats. While short-haired cat breeds feel comfortable in the sun even in summer, long-haired cats prefer cool places.
Shorthaired cat breeds, on the other hand, lose their body temperature to the environment more quickly, so they have to either actively generate new heat or passively maintain their body temperature using heat sources such as the sun.
What Temperature Can Cats Tolerate?
The normal body temperature of a cat is between 38-39.3°C. This is the body temperature that cats need for optimal functioning of their bodies.
A healthy shorthaired cat can easily tolerate temperatures around 30°C in the summer. For longhaired cats, this temperature is usually too warm, so starting at around 25°C, they will seek cooler places.
The cat is too hot - what to do
First of all, it is necessary to provide it with water and a cool place. Rooms in which the blinds are kept completely closed during the day are very suitable, so that the room does not heat up during the day.
Rooms with tiled floors are also a good option.
Longhaired cats need to be brushed thoroughly every day. This removes excess hair and prevents the cat from storing energy.
We previously reported on whether it is worth feeding your cat pancakes .
