How to care for your cat in the cold winter months

From keeping your cat’s bed away from draughts, to ensuring they have spare litter trays inside so they don’t have to venture out into the cold, we have lots of top tips on how to care for your cat in the cold winter months.

Top tips

• Provide a cosy bed for your cat – igloo style and radiator beds are very popular with fussy felines.
• If there’s been heavy snow, check the cat flap and make sure it’s not blocked.
• Provide extra indoor entertainment for days when your cat just doesn’t want to go outside.
• For brave cats who still want to explore the garden, create a sheltered area outside so they can still keep warm.
• Check garden sheds and garages before locking up at night. These are less likely to be opened as often as they are in the summer months. Cats often seek covered outbuildings to shield from the cold.
• For outdoor cats, make sure they have access to a fresh, flowing water source.

Things to consider

Just like us, it’s natural to spend more time indoors during the winter months and the same goes for cats. Some just want to stay indoors where it’s warm and cosy. We have lots of things to keep us amused, so it’s worth providing things to keep your cat entertained too!

• Scatter a few more toys around the home to keep your cat busy too. This will prevent them from getting bored and displaying tricky behaviours.
• The best toys for the job are ones that mimic the chase, catch and kill cycle, just ensure they have a real treat at the end to keep them happy.

Some cats will be so comfortable indoors that they don’t want to go outside to do their business.

• Always make sure they have access to a litter tray indoors.
• Place this away from any draughts and if you have more than one cat, provide one each and a spare in case both litter trays have been used. This will prevent any accidents in the home.

Cats that live outside may need support with their diet over winter. There will be less to hunt so here are a few things you can do:

• Leave out a little extra food for them to give them the calories they need to keep warm.
• Try not to treat them too much though or your risk over-feeding them.

Beware of toxic substances

On those icy days when you need to top up your car with antifreeze, make sure you mop up any spillages and firmly tighten the lids of the bottles. Antifreeze is highly toxic to pets including cats and they’re attracted to its sweet taste and aroma. If you think your cat may have consumed antifreeze, contact your vet immediately.

Check your cat’s paws if they’ve been out and about in the day time. Although many will walk on grass and venture into wooded areas, salt and grit used on pavements in urban areas can cause sores.