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Conference misery::feline_v1

Title:Meower Power is Valuing Differences
Notice:FELINE_V1 is moving 1/11/94 5pm PST to MISERY
Moderator:MISERY::VANZUYLEN_RO
Created:Sun Feb 09 1986
Last Modified:Tue Jan 11 1994
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5089
Total number of notes:60366

1855.0. "The Heat's Not In The Kitchen" by IAMOK::SAVAGE () Tue Oct 11 1988 15:59

    With the weather getting colder, I've been thinking about "Sunshine".
    Sunshine is an indoor kitty, about seven months old.  Up until now
    everything has been great, although the "kittenish" stage has been
    tough on my hands and legs!
    
    Sunshine and I live on the 7th floor of a condominium in Quincy.
    Going out to work in the morning last winter, I would usually turn
    the heat off and turn it back on when I got home.  Now that my home
    is Sunshine's home also, can I still do this?  My guess is that
    it probably gets no colder than 55F and that he would be okay, but
    I'd hate to guess wrong.  Can anybody offer any insight into this?
    Obviously, I could leave the apartment temperature at 70F every
    day, but this would result in an increased heating bill.
    
    Thanks for any help anyone can offer.
    
    - Maureen
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1855.1I do that too...WEFXEM::COTEIt was a dark and stormy night...Tue Oct 11 1988 16:107
    I do what you've been doing and aja is none the worse for wear
    because of it. She often crawls into a drawer or a coat or just
    lays in the sunshine on the rug...
    
    Carry on...
    
    Edd
1855.2No problem...STAR::BARTHTue Oct 11 1988 16:144
    As long as there's someplace warm to sleep, like those places 
    mentioned in .1.
    
    Karen, Tristan and Tenzing.
1855.3This is what I do...CSSE::MORRELLTue Oct 11 1988 16:1516
    Maureen,
    
    I have the same problem as you.  What I do, on the very cold days,
    I do leave the heat on low, so it doesn't get to hot for my babies.
    
    When the days are a little milder, I pull up the shades on the windows
    and I put a blanket on the back of the couch where they can sit
    in the window and get heat from the sun and they can curl up the
    blanket if it gets a little chilly for them.
    
    Hope this helps.
    
    Kathy
    
    p.s.  I also leave old blankets and towels on the floor for them
    to play with and to curl up in.
1855.4This is what we do, and it's cheap.DRFIX::IVESTue Oct 11 1988 17:0020
    What temperature do you put the thermostat at when you get home?
    
    Many people think it is cheaper to put the heat way down when they
    are at work however, if it's 55 or so degrees then it cost lots
    more money. The way it was explained to us is, by putting the
    temperature down low everything gets really cooled off. When the
    heat comes back on it has to heat walls, ceiling, carpets, furnitures,
    drapes, and anything else. The things hold the cold and takes a
    great deal of time to heat up. So you are better keeping the heat
    on 62 or 63 and putting it up to 68, or 65 if you put it up to seventy.
    
    The sun does a great deal to help this situation. If the sun warms
    the rooms the heat doesn't come on.
    
    We personally put our heat on 65 during the day and on 70 most of
    the time, except in very cold weather when we put it on 74 or so.
    Our heat bills are $38. per month for a 6 room condo, 3 floors.
    (That includes our hot water, and gas stove also.)
    
    Barbara
1855.5MYVAX::LUBYDTN 287-3204Tue Oct 11 1988 17:426
    
    	I keep my heat at 55 during the day, and at night when sleeping.
    	During waking hours it gets turned up to 65.  The cats are 
    	very happy, and the pipes don't freeze.
    
    	Karen
1855.6Brrrr...Purrrrr...Brrrrr...Purrrrr...WEFXEM::COTEIt was a dark and stormy night...Tue Oct 11 1988 18:2113
    Only cutting back to 62 or 65 may make some sense (although I'll
    bet there are a ton of different factors that could influence the
    outcome) *if* you come home every night at a reasonable hour...
    
    I regularly turn the heat down to 55 on a Sunday night and it
    stays there till Saturday morning. No sense in turning the heat
    up if I get home at 12:00 and will be in bed at 12:10...
    
    ...ya know?
    
    Aja doesn't seem to mind at all.
    
    Edd
1855.7CATS AREN'T AS STUPID AS THEY APPEARMEDUSA::BOURGEOISTue Oct 11 1988 18:548
    First of all I agree with .4, the lower you turn your heat down
    the longer it takes the rooms to get back up to temperature because
    it doeas have to heat the room furniture, walls, etc. I have had
    cats all my life , indoors and out and I found that cats will always
    find a warm place to curl up in if they are cold.
    
    Jan
    
1855.8Cat's and the coldEMASA2::TRUMPOLTTue Oct 11 1988 19:0724
    I have 2 cats and my husband turns the heat down between 55 -60
    in the morning and turns it back up when we come home from work.
    
    but like the rest said in the other replys, if the cat gets cold
    it will find a nice warm place to sleep.  mine always cuddle up
    on my comforter on my bed or the afgan that I keep on my couch.
    
    One of them likes to sleep on my husbands dresser because its in
    front of 2 windows and the sun comes in both of them and its always
    nice and warm there so you can always find Penny sleeping on the
    dresser.
    
    I also asked my vet (Dr. Mulchay in Leominster) about turning down
    the heat during the day and she said its not bad for the cats just
    as long as there is a warm place for them to sleep during the day
    if they get cold, like a blanket, afgan or comforter.
    
    
    I hope this helps.
    
                             /\___/\
    Liz, Pee Wee and Penny   | . . |
                             | > < |
                              \___/ 
1855.9Some like it warm, and some like cool!EDUC8::TRACHMANE.T.'s ZhivagoCats....DTN: 264-8298Tue Oct 11 1988 19:4722
    I turn the heat down to about 60-62 when I leave in the morning.
    It's not a problem with my guys because at least two of them will
    pile together in a dish bed.  One or two will actually slip under
    the covers of my bed (down comforter !) - I turn the heat up to
    about 65-66 when I get home - usually light a fire - they like
    to toast by that.
    
    A cat's body temperature is normal at 101 - 101.5, which is higher
    than ours at 98.6, this helps keep them a little warmer as does
    their coats.  I have mostly shorthairs, and if their pads are
    very cold or their tails are cold, then I know they need a little
    warmth - Katenka especially - her undercoat is not in yet, and she
    is bathed frequently for shows so she doesn't have much extra hair
    - night before last, I noticed that her pads & tail were COLD -
    so I checked the temp in the house - I had been doing stuff & had
    on a sweatshirt so I was warm, but the house was a little chilly!
    Sasha, my Siamese, will be where it's the HOTTEST - she would be
    2 inches from the fireplace, if it were possible , but Timothy
    would really prefer to sleep in the fridge if I would let him.
    
    E.T.