Kitties and Cold...

[coonhoundmama87]

I have some really small kittens for this time of year so I hung a 60 watt bulb in a cage with some blankets for them. I normally don't give the cats anything but being so small I don't want them to get chilled too bad. Esspecially my runt Boots, he's adorable but so tiny! Also cats love to sleep in straw! I'm sure if you gave them some straw most of them would snuggle right into it.

 

[clairabean]

Skip the heat lamp. It is make the cold worse when they are toasty, then have to go out in the cold. They will get a chill. Cats need a draft free area, and more food. Make sure you up their feed in winter. Consider giving them canned food to up their calorie intake as well.

We have had barn cats forever. In the winter they have a large Rubbermaid bin set up high on a stable shelf. There is vent holes drilled in the top (about 1/2"), two high on either side, and two doors just big enough for them to go through. The doors have fabric flaps to keep drafts out. We keep a towel in there for them to snuggle in. They go in at night, and I see them pop your heads out if they hear us come int he barn. I have also seen these 'cat houses' made from coolers- foam or plastic coated- for stray cats. We also feed them cans of wet food a day (mixed with DE for worming).

 

[Orchid]

A small insulated area that they can heat with their own body heat is the best thing. A little "house" made out of hay or straw bales works great. Barn cats usually sleep in holes in the hay stack.

If they are too exposed, especially to drafts, their ear tips can and will freeze when it is really cold.

 

[babyblue2]

For all the years we had the horses at home we would constantly find the barn cat buried in the hay in the mornings. She was tiny as a adult and still was quite happy.

 

[EweSheep]

Quote:
My barn cats did the same thing with straw houses and they were warm and toasty! I put my hand in there, it was WARM!

 

[zzGypsy]

you might have your thin cat checked for worms - we've got one my hubby rescued from a dumpster as a starved feral kitten - he's smaller than most cats, and always slim. he's an outstanding hunter and eats much of what he kills, but probably because of that he does get worms ... we watch to see if he's losing weight, and if he is, we check. he needs to be wormed several times a year to keep healthy weight on. interestingingly, our other hunter doesn't seem to have as big a worm issue and keeps weight on just fine year round. as a rule, if one's got worms, they probably all do, but different individuals seem to have different ability to defend against them, or keep the worm load down enough to not show anemia or weight loss.
anyway, it's not something that needs to be done for the weekend, but might be worth looking at after you get back.