The winter has been brutal in Midwestern United States, I am told by the newspapers online. The subzero temperatures are far lower than any that we experience here in the UK. Midwestern United States is an area which is towards the top and the middle of the US. The region consists of 12 states. One of our esteemed regular visitors, Ruth, lives in that area.
Although a high percentage of cats living in America live indoors, full-time, there are many cats that live outdoors, or indoors and outdoors, or are strays and of course we must remember feral cats. For these cats, prolonged exposure to cold at the temperatures referred to (-40°F) can cause serious health problems.
Hypothermia in cats is a big deal. Also, cats outdoors in very low temperatures can suffer frostbite. There is a recent story online from Fargo which is in North Dakota. A local shelter in Fargo says that the winter has been particularly tough on cats in the area. An example is a cat that they have named Polar. A lady found this cat in her garage. His ears and paws were frozen. He had frostbite. He ended up at a veterinarian’s surgery (thankfully) where they decided to save his life (it was touch and go). Veterinarians amputated some toes and the tips of his ears. Cats are very adaptable and a few weeks afterwards he was able to walk on all fours again. Polar is like other cats in shelters that are missing parts of their ears, parts of their tails and paw pads.
It does not take very long in temperatures of 40° below for an outdoor cat to suffer from hypothermia and frostbite. Hypothermia in cats can also occur if the cat gets wet in cold weather and the temperatures do not need to be as cold as those stated. Hypothermia also occurs if the cat is in shock after, for instance, an injury.
Prolonged chilling burns up energy in the body and can result in low blood sugar. One of the things a person can do to rectify this is to rub a bit of honey onto the cat’s gums where the sugar is absorbed into the body.
The signs of hypothermia are firstly shivering followed by lethargy, collapse and then coma. Stray cats surviving in extremely low temperatures should be brought indoors, quite obviously. That may not be possible. If possible a cat should be brought to a shelter. If the cat suffers from hypothermia the cat should be wrapped in a blanket and if the cat is wet he should be given a warm bath. The skin should be dried thoroughly. Warm water packs can be applied to arm pits, chest and abdomen. The temperature of the pack should be about the same as that of a baby’s bottle. It may be necessary to take a cat to a veterinarian because, as mentioned, hypothermia is not always that easy to rectify. What I mean is it can be difficult to bring the core body temperature back to normal.
Hypothermia, which is less than normal body temperature, becomes serious when the cat’s body temperature decreases to 94°F (34.4°C).
On this website there are one or two pages which may prove useful. There is a page on making home-made outdoor shelters. However, these alone will not, as far as I can tell, suffice under extremely low temperatures. They would need to be heated.
I think we should mention dogs as well. Some dogs are kept outside. They live outside and have a kennel. Sometimes people become careless and sometimes these dogs die due to low temperatures. Dogs with short coats are unsuited to long periods outside and low temperatures.
A quick word about frostbite. Frostbite is damage to the skin and underlying tissue. It is often accompanied by hypothermia. As mentioned, the cats extremities are affected. Frostbitten skin is initially pale and then when circulation returns it becomes red, it may peel and the dead area will turn dark and become brittle and hard to the touch. It may take a week or more before the full effects of frostbite are apparent.
In my opinion, if a cat appears to be suffering from frostbite, the cat should be taken to a veterinarian. However, frostbitten areas should be warmed up by immersing in warm but not hot water for 20 minutes until the skin becomes flushed. Ice or snow should not be applied. The areas that are damaged should not be rubbed or massaged as this may damage the affected area because the tissue there is easily damaged.
Like dogs, some cats are better suited to survival in very cold weather. These cats have double or triple coats. Many domestic short haired cats have single coats. These cats do not have an undercoat. They are less suited to cold conditions. Pedigree cats with coats that are less functional than normal due to a genetic mutation such as the Peterbald should be kept indoors at all times. It is ironic that the Peterbald comes from St Petersburg in Russia.
Associated: Cats in cold weather and 2011: Pontiac freezing weather.
Don’t you have some place to spray, Woody?
Goodbye.
lol Dee now you’ve done it 😉 lol
He he he, go spray Woody, he’s an angry man that’s for sure.
Michael claimed, “People who are engaged in trap neuter return are not causing the problem of stray and feral cats they are helping to reduce the numbers and therefore resolve the problem.”
Then why are you so upset when they freeze to death? That is a PERFECTLY NATURAL death-by-attrition, of which you are so proud to support.
Not to mention, all the donations that you receive from killing cats this way — FROM YOUR VALUES.
Michael GIVES donations, he does NOT receive them!
Yeah, that’s how he pays for this website and his personal needs, from all the money he “gives away”.
Hello…. earth to Woody…..he lives on money he has EARNED by hard work! He chooses to help cats with money he EARNS.
Would you rather be TNR and cared for, or freeze to death yourself?
Cats are living beings with the same feelings of pain and fear as humans have, but then you wouldn’t know that because YOU yourself are not human!
Uh … being TNR’ed MEANS GETTING TO FREEZE TO DEATH.
Don’t ANY of you pay attention to what you are doing? TNR’ed CATS FREEZE TO DEATH. Or die hundreds of other inhumane ways. The LEAST inhumane of ways is being shot-to-death. You rob them of the only humane death they might ever have — in a vet’s office when you had the chance. But you’re too spineless and heartless to face their peaceful death.
You obviously barking mad!
Hit post comment too quickly by mistake there!
Why should cats have to die? I don’t understand what you are getting at, TNR and being fed by someone who cares, allows them to live the life they are used to
Surely being shot and taking that life is very cruel.
Would you like to have to die because you were homeless through no fault of your own?
Life is the right of ALL living beings and is precious to ALL living beings. It’s not up to YOU to decide who should live or die.
You are obviously barking mad if you think you are God!
T N R reduces the number of cats and therefore, over time, there are less cats who suffer in cold weather. Why are you so stupid?
Supporting trap neuter and return is not supporting death by attrition because the process reduces the number of cats and therefore there are less deaths by attrition over time. I am very surprised that you are unable to understand this simple statement.
Well. I’m not sure which is worse, to leave a cat to die by herself, or to let her beloved human companion to die without her, in the cold, while she is left with a ‘trusted’ friend. And then, to leave that human to die of hypothermia…without her cat. I think that the latter is better.
No person or animal should die of hypothermia, society fails those who do.
Yay for TNR!
First you illegally let cats roam free to get hurt by cars, animals, environmental poisons, freezing to death, or being shot by humans who are trying to clean up this invasive species disaster that you created — you know, all those “humane” ways that you want all your TNR cats to reduce in numbers due to your “loving attrition”.
Then when they DO start to suffer and die from your TNR “attrition” euthanasia method (death by any means), then you parade your injured cats in the media to rake-in donations. Exploiting the suffering of animals for your own selfish, self-centered, and personal financial gain.
Why aren’t all you people in prison yet for perpetuating and exploiting the suffering of animals for cash?
Writing about hyperthermia and frostbite in stray cats is in no way exploiting those cats. That is obvious to any sensible person.
People who are engaged in trap neuter return are not causing the problem of stray and feral cats they are helping to reduce the numbers and therefore resolve the problem.
You say that these people should be put into prison. You are probably a shooter. You sound like one. In which case, you are the person who should be put into prison.
We are not the people causing the suffering of innocent cats, we are the ones trying to help them humanely instead of leaving them to cold hearted, bitter, twisted, haters like you are Woody/Brad/whichever name you use.
When will it penetrate your single brain cell that cats are out there because of BAD cat caretakers not because of us GOOD ones?
What cash do we get out of it? I don’t know any of us who get paid for what we do!
We happen to care not only about our own cats but also about unfortunate cats worldwide who through no fault of their own are hated and abused and murdered by idiots who enjoy doing that.
We do NOT parade our cats to the media! Michael simply reports on stories he knows that his cat loving visitors will want to read about.
WHY do you come here other than to rant and pour out your evil from your rotten inside?
I’ll second what Michael says, YOU should be in prison for your cruel comments to decent HUMANE people. You could find your ilk in there and moulder together in your hatred of anyone decent.
Ruth, thank you for your support.
That’s OK Michael, I hate biased, ignorant critical idiots having a go at you or at any of our PoC family 😉