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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

427.0. "ANY MORE HEAT SEEKERS OUT THERE?" by PUZZLE::CORDESJA () Tue Dec 16 1986 13:45

    A few years ago when we first got Winston, we noticed some strange
    behavior in him.  Not long after we brought him home (in November)
    he started doing weird things like sitting on the hearth in front
    of the fire until he was almost delirious.  No joke here!  I would
    have to drag him away from the fireplace because his body temperature
    would be so high that he needed to be cooled off very quickly.
    
    Soon after that he started laying on the vents to our central heating.
    He would do the same thing with the vents, laying on them til his
    body temperature was so high that he was almost passed out!
    
    After several days of pulling him off vents and away from the fireplace
    I took him to the vet to be examined.  Our vet said that Winston
    was "Heat Seeking".  I said I know that but what is wrong with him?
    (just a little joke there)  The vet acted like this was a well known
    phenomena, but I had had no prior experience of this with previous
    cats.
    
    Also, I think that it is important to note that our house is not
    overly cold.  We usually keep the temperature around 70-72.
    
    The reason I bring this up is that it is now winter and maybe some
    of you own Heat Seekers, and also , the latest addition to our cat
    family is also a heat seeker.  You should see the 4lb kitten trying
    to battle with a 15lb maine coon for the best spot on the heat vents!!
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
427.1She can't spell "heat seeker" but she is oneGLINKA::GREENETue Dec 16 1986 14:1611
    Well, Fantine probably never heard the term "heat seeker," but 
    she would certainly qualify.  In the summer, she loves the top
    of the kitchen cabinets directly over the oven -- that's in the
    *summer.*  In the winter, she sprawls flat out across the top of
    the one really hot radiator (most of the other heating is done
    via baseboard, a bit narrow for our fatcat).  I never bothered
    to ask the vet about it, because I just assumed cats are warm
    fuzzies -- in her case, very_warm fuzzies.  She never seemed
    to be negatively affected by the intense heat, however.  For
    example, she would leave under her own power if she heard the
    can opener.
427.2Hardly Ever Grates, ThoughINK::KALLISSupport Hallowe'enWed Dec 17 1986 10:456
    Karamaneh insists on sleeping/drowsing on the TV set in the kitchen.
    It's the heat; if we put an electric heating pad out for her, she
    uses that, too.
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.
    
427.3Hi-tech heat seekersVAXWRK::SKALTSISDebWed Dec 17 1986 11:264
    Mine fight over who gets to sleep on the VT125 when I'm using it.
    THey also like the cable box on top of the TV.
    
    Deb
427.4Hot KittiesNRADM2::CIAMPAGLIAWed Dec 17 1986 15:2912
    My sister's cat (which used to be mine) loved to lay directly under
    the coal burning stove, she would almost melt!  To touch her fur
    would almost burn your hand and we would constantly have to be tearing
    her away from the wood and coal stoves.   She would also love to
    sit on the mantle above the stoves and we were always afraid that
    she would jump ON the stove!  Fortunately she never did.
    
    I don't know why they do this, they just love the heat, it is a
    strange thing but I think that most cats do it...
    
    Jenny
                                                            
427.5if it will raise the body temperature....ZEPPO::ROMBERGKathy Romberg DTN 276-8189Wed Dec 17 1986 15:4712
	Becky likes anyplace that's warmer than she - between the top of
    the  refrigerator  and  the cabinets over it, on top of the cabinets
    over  the  fridge  (if  the  phone  books  are  occupying  the first
    place),  on  my  lap, on the lamp table under the turned on lamp (if
    my  lap  is  otherwise  engaged), on top of the TV, under the covers
    with  me,  under  the  covers  without  me, or even in the path of a
    sunbeam.


			kathy

427.6A WARNING ABOUT *SEEKERS*AQUA::GONCALVESWed Dec 17 1986 16:4621
My mom's cat, Sue, is an 8 year old Seal Point Siamese.  She is also
    a *HEAT SEEKER* unlike her littermate, Sam. Sue loves to sit on
    anything extremely hot.  Her favorite place during the winter is
    my folk's electric heater in the kitchen, not to mention on top
    of the VCR.  
    
    Anyway, Sue was recently spade (about a month ago).  A week later
    my mom noticed that Sue was limping.  When she picked her up, her
    left side was burned.  They immediately took her to the vet.  The
    vet said that the heat was so hot it burned her.  However, the burn
    left part of her dead skin and fur and they had to rip it off so
    it wouldn't become infected. Sue wouldn't let the vet touch her.
    The doctor told my parents to put Vaseline on the burn so she
    would continously lick at her wound to clean it.
    Well it about a month for her to completely heal.  Fortunately,
    her wound did not get infected.
    
    So, as a word of caution, please, PLEASE don't let your kitty
    enjoy the extreme heat.  It could be costly!!!!!!
    
    Shelly   
427.7Coon on a heat gratePARITY::SICARDWed Dec 17 1986 21:3113
       My maine coon, Ruby is 15 lbs. and he loves the heat grates on
    the floor, too. He'll lie right on them, with his long fur happily
    blowing in the updraft. Sometimes he gets pretty warm and I'll ask
    him how he can stand the heat, but he just smiles. During the winter
    the fur can get a bit dry from this promoting a few hairmats for
    me to trim out, but other than that, no problems. He will get up
    and move on his own when he gets hot enough, I certainly don't ex-
    perience the dangerous sounding episodes described in other replies
    here. All my cats love to follow the sun through the house, they
    purr and smile when they're in the sun, but I guess everbody likes
    the sun!
                                                      Denise
    
427.8TV's are comfortable?ARGUS::COOKDreadful MourningWed Dec 17 1986 23:478
    
       Residual always sleeps on my TV rather than on my bed. We have
    the covers on our ducts that directs the heat forward so he lays
    in front of it.
    
       Let's face it...  Cats love heat.
    
    PC
427.9PUZZLE::CORDESJAThu Dec 18 1986 12:116
    Yes, cats do love heat, but we owners have to watch to make sure
    they don't endanger themselves.  Like I mentioned in the base note,
    Winston had to be taken into the vet because his body temperature
    would exceed the safe level.  Once he did become almost comatose.
    
    JoAnn
427.10To Reduce Risk...INK::KALLISSupport Hallowe'enTue Dec 23 1986 11:3010
    Re above:
    
    My wife's put a towel over the TV set where Karamaneh likes to sleep.
    This reduces the heat level a little, but she likes it because it's
    more comfortable.
    
    Sometimes honey works better than vinegar. :-)
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.
    
427.11Towels also filter out fur from vents!GLINKA::GREENETue Dec 23 1986 13:121
    
427.12Towels also give them something to sink their little claws intoVAXWRK::SKALTSISDebTue Dec 23 1986 14:071
427.13Kitty ThermostatsCOGVAX::HOFFMANTue Dec 23 1986 15:578
    Isn't it amazing how they seem to have thermostats in their tails?
    As soon as the wood stove gets put on, in they come--some time out
    of a sound sleep--to stretch out where they get the best benefits!
    They love winter in my house because we have radiant heat, so the
    floors are very warm, even hot over the pipes!  They each have their
    own favorite pipe!
    
427.14To each it's ownNATASH::AIKENTry to relax and enjoy the CRISISMon Dec 29 1986 14:1720
    1 & 2   Tom and Pud (rhymes w/ good) are bed sleepers (it's always
    	    a "two cat night").
    
        3   Flotsam is partial to a small kitchen table in the vicinity
    	    of a hot air register.
    
    	4   Kit N. Kaboodle has staked her claim to the stone hearth
    	    beside the fireplace.
    
    	5   Lickity Split's place is in the celler on a table with her
    	    back against the hot cement blocks of which the wood furnace
    	    is made. She's got the hottest spot of all while Boodle's
    	    field stones are always warm. Flatsom gets only the gentle
    	    warm breeze eminating from the grate. 
    
    	    Since the furnace is fired around the clock, the heat is
    	    constant offering warm places for catnapping day and night.
    
    Dick
     
427.15NAC::BRANNONThu Mar 12 1987 18:256
    Tasha loves to sprawl over the top of the cable box, even if it
    isn't quite the highest spot on the room.  She also likes to sleep
    in front of baseboard registers.
    
    dennis
    
427.16PSW::WINALSKIPaul S. WinalskiSun Mar 15 1987 17:014
Jennyanydots likes to sleep in front of baseboard registers, particularly
when there's a patch of sunlight there, as well.

--PSW
427.17Water bed heatWILVAX::WHITMANCAT SCRATCH FEVERWed Mar 18 1987 12:058
    Patches likes to sleep in my water bed.  The temperature is always at
    least 80-85 degrees and when the bed is made she will start at the
    top and work her way down to the bottom and sleep there for hours.
    Once I came home and she forgot how she got in there.  She often
    wakes me up in the middle of the night to crawl under with me.
    
    Jude
    
427.18Any source of heat!CHEFS::GOUGHThu Jun 16 1988 12:296
    One day when the central heating had been turned off, I found Oliver
    (very large and fat cat) on the kitchen work surface, curled round
    my freshly made mug of hot coffee.
    
    Helen.
427.19Lightly fried kitten?SUBURB::COFFEYJ1Tue Aug 09 1988 08:4810
    
    I know I'm a little late but has anyone any ideas on how to stop
    them going for the heat quite so much.
    
    Our recently acquired kitten Spliffy is starting to show a little
    too much interest in the Aga in our kitchen, and I'm not sure whether
    she'll learn better before she hurts herself.
    
    Jo
    Reading, UK.
427.20CIRCUS::KOLLINGKaren, Sweetie, & Holly; in Calif.Tue Aug 09 1988 14:572
    What is an Aga?
    
427.21English Lesson #1DINSCO::HOFFMANJoan Hoffman, DTN: 276-9829Tue Sep 06 1988 16:3317
< Note 427.20 by CIRCUS::KOLLING "Karen, Sweetie, & Holly; in Calif." >


>    What is an Aga?
 
An Aga is a stove, usually fired by wood, coal, oil?, is also part of a 
typical English kitchen, supplying mainly heat, but from visiting 
friends in Kent and Devon, can also be used for cooking.

Re -2:  Is there any way you can block the access to the stove?  Strange 
question, considering all cats can win Olympic Gold Medals for the High 
Jump!  If you can't block the access to the stove, how about blocking 
the access to the room for the cats?   

Regards,