Although your cat may have a furry coat, cold weather can
still be extremely dangerous. Imagine how you feel after being
out on a cold day for more than a few minutes—even with your
winter coat, you are probably still very cold. Cats are the same
way, and if you leave your pet exposed to the cold for too long,
he or she may show signs of hypothermia. In a worst-case
scenario, hypothermia leads to death.
There are many different reasons why your cat could become too
cold. If you typically let your cat outdoors, remember that he
or she will need to come back inside more quickly during the
winter. This is especially true for smaller cats, cats with
short hair, or cats recovering from an illness. Also, never let
your cat outside if he or she is wet, for whatever reason. In
fact, if you bathe your cat or your cat otherwise gets wet, dry
him or her immediately if the weather is cold, even if you are
indoors. Make sure your cat cannot get outside in any way—your
pet may not be able to figure out how to get back inside, and by
the time you realize that he or she is missing, hypothermia
could have taken hold.
Hypothermia is a medical condition when the body temperature
drops too low for the organs to function properly. Frostbite
often occurs in the extremities, because the body will begin to
shut down unnecessary body parts in order to keep the vital
organs as warm as possible. If you cat has hypothermia, you’ll
see your pet shivering, moving slowly, and breathing shallowly.
Eventually, your cat will become unresponsive and die.
Therefore, it is important to warm up your pet.
However, if you warm a pet too quickly, the damage could be even
worse. Resist the urge to dunk your pet in warm water! Instead,
warm slowly. Bring your animal into a warm room and wrap in warm
blankets. You can even throw a towel in the dryer for a few
seconds. Or use warm water bottles wrapped in a washcloth.
Hairdryers work well, as long as you don’t get too close to your
cat and keep them on the low settings. Once your cat starts to
warm up, a warm bath could be very helpful, although this is not
a good idea if you plan to take him or her outside again to go
to the vet.
Remember, calling your vet is always your best option. Animals
simply sometimes get outside accidentally, no matter how caring
you may be to your pet. If your cat shows symptoms of being too
cold, you can use these warming techniques to save your pet’s
life, and your vet will be able to get you on the right track to
helping your pet recover.