If you share your home with one or more cats, you should know that the cold is not usually to your liking. Cats feel cold just like us, and are usually quite sensitive to sudden changes in temperature, so they adapt better to warmer climates. But beyond the preferences of each cat, low temperatures can cause numerous health complications, from a simple cold to the risk of hypothermia.
It is crucial to adopt certain preventive measures to offer an optimal quality of life to our cats, always prioritizing their well-being. Thinking about it, we have prepared this article in ExpertAnimal, where we will show you some tips so you know how to take care of your cat in winter.
1. Preventive medicine: check the health of your cat before winter
As we always remember in our articles, all cats they need to receive adequate preventive medicine throughout his life. This includes not only taking him to the veterinarian every 6 months and respecting his immunization and deworming chart, but also providing complete and balanced nutrition, a safe environment, and proper physical and mental stimulation.
A few weeks before the arrival of winter, you can take your cat to the veterinary clinic to check his health status and update his vaccines (if necessary). The veterinarian can also guide you on the best way to strengthen your cat's immune system, to improve your physical resistance, reinforce the natural defenses of your body and adequately prevent the appearance of associated pathologies.
2. Balanced nutrition: pay special attention to feeding your cat in winter
Cat feeding is a key aspect for a optimal state of health throughout the year. However, with the arrival of winter, we must pay special attention to the nutrition of our felines, since they will need more energy to conserve their body temperature. In addition, complete and balanced nutrition is essential for your cat to be strong and healthy physically and cognitively.
The puppies and elderly cats They will need special care, since their body is more fragile and sensitive to low temperatures. Therefore, it is very important that you consult the veterinarian for the best nutrition for your cat in winter, considering his age, size, health status and other specific needs of his organism. You can also consult with the veterinarian the incorporation of some natural supplements and vitamins to strengthen your cat's immune system.
In general, cats usually reduce water consumption during the winter, so we must be attentive, to ensure that our pussy drinks water and thus avoid a dehydration box. If we play with our cat and offer him an enriched environment for his body and mind, he is more likely to consume fluids after exercising. But if your cat doesn't show much interest in drinking water, you can incorporate wet food to your diet to provide fluids.
Discover in this video how to make homemade wet food for your cat:
3. Cathouses: build a shelter>
Cathouses are exceptional shelters to prevent cats with outdoor access from being exposed to the weather. In addition, it is an excellent idea to leave an extra booth outside our home to help stray cats to shelter in the coldest or rainiest days of winter, as well as the intense solar rays in summer. If you can, it would be great to also leave a feeder with some food and a drinker with clean water, so they can quench hunger and thirst.
In pet stores, you will find various models of cathouses. However, you can make yourself a good outside shelter for your cat, using all your creativity. In Expert Animal, we teach you how to make a house for wooden cats using recycled and economical materials.
Already inside the home, we recommend having a hiding place, nest or cave-shaped bed where your pussy can play, rest and enjoy his naps, feeling safe and warm. A cardboard box with a good blanket and your favorite toys can also be a fun and economical shelter to take care of your cat in winter.
Likewise, it will be fundamental choose the perfect location for your cat's hiding place, avoiding leaving it near doors or advantages where cold wind can enter, and giving preference to rooms with good luminosity so that your cat can enjoy the natural heat of the sun's rays.
When it's time to sleep, your cat will probably want to sleep with you not only to take advantage of the heat of your body, but also to feel safe and enjoy your company
4. Coats for cats: help your pussy keep its body temperature
Cat coats are good allies to help our cats to keep your body temperature and avoid health problems from exposure to cold. In this sense, it is worth remembering that hairless cats tend to be more sensitive to low temperatures, since the absence of fur it makes it harder to keep warm and leaves you more exposed to climatic adversities. If you have adopted a Sphynx or another type of "bald" cat, we recommend choosing very comfortable coats before the arrival of winter.
When deciding on the best coats for cats, we must pay special attention to the materials used in their manufacture. Ideally, they should be manufactured with hypoallergenic materials, to prevent our cats from having allergic reactions in the skin or respiratory tract. It is also recommended to choose unadorned garments or buttons that can be released and end up being ingested by our cat.
Logically, we will also need know the measures of our felines to choose the ideal coat according to their size. Finally, remember that the well-being and comfort of our cats should always be first. Your cat will need time to get used to wearing this new coat (especially if it is the first time you try a garment of this type). But if you notice that your pussy is not comfortable with his new coat, it is best to take it off and respect his will.
5. Climate control: maintain balanced temperatures in your home
One of the essential care of your cat in winter is to avoid exposing it to sudden temperature changes and unfavorable environmental conditions. Therefore, the home interior It will be the safest and most protected place for our cats during the winter. With the help of heating, we can properly condition our home, always maintaining optimum temperatures for the well-being of our mininos. But it is important to be aware of the humidity of the air, since excessive dryness is also harmful to the respiratory system of our cats. A simple way to maintain good average humidity is spray every 4 or 5 hours a little water in the environment, but without wetting the cat, its environment or objects, or acquiring a humidifier.
As we have already mentioned, it will also be very useful to have at least one room with good lighting ready where your cat can enjoy the heat of the sun. But it will be essential to avoid excessive exposure to sunlight, controlling exposure schedules at safe times (until 10 am or after 4 pm), to prevent burns and the risk of other more serious diseases such as skin cancer.
If your cat is used to taking walks outside, you will also need to take special care when avoiding exposure to the weather. During the winter, it will be better for your pussy to walk in the afternoons, when the temperatures are more pleasant. If we talk about a rainy or snowy day, the ideal will be play with our cats at home so they can spend energy and have fun without the need to go abroad. In ExpertAnimal, we have many ideas of intelligence games and activities to tire your cat without leaving home.
We also recommend checking your cat after his walks to make sure he hasn't wet. And if you notice that its fur is wet, you will need to dry it very well with a clean towel. Do not use an electric pad, it is dangerous to put electricity in contact with wet hairs. To provide heat, you can wrap it in a clean blanket or towel and have it in your arms taking advantage of the heat of your body, or let it rest in its hiding place or nest.
Last (and not least), always be attentive to appearance and behavior of your cat and do not hesitate to consult the veterinarian quickly in case of observing any unusual symptoms or behavior.
If you want to read more articles similar to How to take care of your cat in winter?, we recommend that you enter our Basic Care section.
Tips to protect your cat from the cold
They are just a few simple recommendations to take care of your cat and protect its health. And besides, you'll see how good it will be.
The truth is that in winter the health of your pussy can suffer. It is very easy to catch a cold Due to the low temperatures, rain and humidity, and if your partner is one of those who leaves home to live adventures, you can still take more risks.
Watch temperature changes
Your cat, whether it comes out or is very homemade, is more or less exposed to thermal changes, and these negatively affect the health of your little one.
Our advice is that watch for sudden changes in temperature, Although they are more worrisome for cats that leave home, in both cases you have to be cautious and cautious, because that is the key to getting sick.
Try to maintain some stability at home, do not close doors, and if you put heating that is at a constant temperature and not very extreme.
Your cat goes all over the house, and it is important that there are no hot / cold disorders. And if it comes out of it (I hope only to a protected garden), you should put on a coat or scarf. If left, of course.
Attentive to the symptoms
You must be aware of the possible cold symptoms of your kitten. If you notice that your furry partner sneezes, runny nose, has teary eyes and detects some apathy in his behavior, your cat is probably sick.
Our recommendation is that you go to the vet immediately, because the symptoms may get worse. Y never meditate on your own.
Not all cats suffer in the same way with temperature changes. Babies are more likely to get sick because they have not developed their defenses. The cats over 7 years old, They also have the weakest immune system.
The shorthair cats they suffer since their hair does not shelter enough and also the cats that already have a disease.
Strengthen your defenses
To protect the health of your cat in winter, the best way is reinforce your cat's defenses, with his newspapers annual vaccines. Never forget the vaccine, do not think that because your cat does not leave the house will not develop a disease.
Many people think that it is a useless expense for home cats, but it is the best guarantee to protect your cat from many diseases and also, reinforce your sweetheart's immune system.
Cats are perfectly developed to prevent the entry of bacteria, since their lymph nodes function as filters of microorganisms, but despite this, under no circumstances stop vaccinating.
The best way to protect the immune system is with a Quality feed A balanced and good meal, translates into a healthy pussy, and very strong against external threats. If you don't feed him properly, your cat will almost certainly get sick.
What you must do is adapt your diet to your age and lifestyle. There are many diets, and they are designed for outdoor, home, young, adult, neutered, overweight cats, etc.
Each cat has specific needs for its immune system, for example, if your cat is very adventurous, in winter it will need a greater nutritional and caloric contribution than the rest of the year.
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