Why do cats avoid nice cool places?

[Lizzie]

We are being hit with a very rare and extreme heatwave in the Pacific Northwest, as Nomilynn (?sp) from B.C. noted on the Max thread. Last night, in spite of feeling pretty awful from the heat, I set up a bedroom downstairs for the two cats who normally have free roam of my daylight basement living area, and opened up the door so my upstairs cats could move down into a wide open space that is a good 20 F cooler.

Did they all rush down to the cooler area? Of course not. They lay prostrate all over the floor upstairs leaving me to carry the most comatose looking ones downstairs. Did they say "oh, this feels good and here's a cosy chair all set up for me"? No, they nosed around (they are used to being downstairs until a few months ago, so it's not a strange area to them) and then went back upstairs to lie around prostrate again. The only cats who went downstairs themselves, and stayed for a while playing, were the few really young ones who were the least affected by the heat anyway.

I mentioned this to a friend at work and she told she'd just gone through the same experience. She ended up shutting her two cats in the cool rooms when she left. As with mine, this was not a new space for them, it is one they've enjoyed many times the rest of the year.

So, what is the reason. Contrariness? Enjoyment of being overheated? Death wish?

[kokopup]

I have always assumed that cats prefer warm weather. All of my cats will lay in the sun on the warmest day. Rascal will move onto my sun porch during the hottest part of the day and just curl up in the heat.

Koko my dog is the opposite and can usually be found laying on an air
conditioning vent.

[Grace]

My cats will lie in the sun in the winter, and Reese will sleep on a heat register.

In the really hot weather, they will seek out cooler locations. In front of a fan, in the back bedroom which is always cooler than the rest of the house.

[happylabs]

Got this off of a web site:

Why do cats like to sleep in the sun?
Cats like to feel warm and secure before they fall to sleep. They also use the sunlight to help make up the slight drop in body temperature that happens once they fall asleep. Some cats will change their sleep positions to follow the movement of the sun

Here is the link:

http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/whydo.html

[katladyd]

I have one cat that loves to sleep in the hottest room in the house, and it is hot here in the summer. The other cat parks himself in front of the A/C vent and will not move until evening! Go figure cats!:rolleyes:

[kuhio98]

Cats are contrary, aren't they? :)
Cammie can't get warm enough. Even when it is 84 degrees in our house (rare, but it has happened), she would like it hotter.

Halo sleeps in the bathtub when it gets too warm for her. She stretches out on the nice, cool porcelain. Ahhhhhhhhh

[Lizzie]

Halo sleeps in the bathtub when it gets too warm for her. She stretches out on the nice, cool porcelain. Ahhhhhhhhh

Now that's a smart cat! I have to wonder about the brain power of some of mine. Cordelia decided to sprawl out on a wool blanket on top of a dresser, not even staying low like the other cats.

I know cats like warmth but it's 90F in the house and they are limp from the heat, surely they know it's better to move somewhere where they can breathe.

[catmandu]

My Cats like thier enclosed areas where there not direct sinshine and generally speaking a nice breeze to cool them off!!
Or on the window sills sunning themselves.
Only Tubster Panther whos in and out actively seeks the cool of the basement!!
:):):):)

[Freedom]

My first thought : all cats are decended from Bastet, the great Cat God of Egypt and love warm weather.

My second thought was: gosh aren't all these cats hilarious!

My next thought: just thinking about all the cat owners in the hot parts of our country, running up and down the stairs moving their cats from the warm upper rooms to the cooler lower rooms is making me tired, hot and sweaty! :D

[Nomilynn]

I wish I could provide a cool space for my girls! They are just laying around the house and I'm so stressed at work worrying about them. My blessed manager said that I could bring them to work if no one else had allergies, but unfortunately there are some staff members with severe allergies :( I was so sure I had a solution!! Tonight Brian and I got take out for dinner and I asked him to get them to give us a large cup of ice, and I've poured them into a bowl for them. So far Nutmeg is the only one who's bothered with them :rolleyes:

[krazyaboutkatz]

I don't have A/C so when it gets hot here I have to rely on fans. My cats are smart though. They'll lie on my glass table that's under my ceiling fan, they'll lie on my kitchen counter tops or on the kitchen or bathroom floors, or even in front of one of my tower fans. Some times they'll even go in the bathtub.

For the past 2 years I've also been getting lion cuts for my long haired cats to help them feel more comfortable. It really seems to help. This year I took them in for their lion cuts a bit too early. Now their fur has already grown back quite a bit and I know that there will still be plenty of hot days coming up.