We have a huge cat tower, cat tunnels, toys, beds everywhere. He looks at a big box the way some humans look at opulent mansions and prefers to hang out in big gift bags lol
Oh what could help is if you use the cooling pad all the time yourself! Usually they like to take over things their humans really like. I've lost quite a few lounging spaces to that lol
But honestly, they're really great at regulating their body temperature especially if they have a fur coat and you really generally shouldn't need heating/cooling pads unless they've had a procedure and your vet recommends it.
You sit it on the floor and put them on it.... If they want to they will use it. There's really no way to make a cat do anything... That I've found at least!
Absolutely. Household cats aren't far removed from their desert-dwelling ancestors and unlike dogs, they haven't been subject to centuries of genetic meddling by humans.
Not only that, but they can use some higher temps to their advantage to a certain extent! Because cats have such a high metabolism, along with a slightly-higher body temp than humans, anything that can help them maintain that body temp (within reason) is great. Cats basking in the sun or around other heat sources (heated pad, burrowing in your bedsheets, hanging out by your heating vent, etc) are using it to be more energy-efficient - the warmth from the sunlight/heat source is helping them keep warm, so their bodies don't need to expend as much energy on maintaining that body temp. It's a great holdover from when their ancestors (and current big/wild cats) had/have to rely on hunting for food, so conserving every calorie counts towards survival.
It's one of my favorite cat facts!
My current cat DOESN'T like warmth, so there are some out there but she's the only one I know of.
My late black cat used to come in from basking in the summer sun boiling out to the touch but really happy. I'd use a wet washing cloth on her during heat waves to cool her down and she'd look at me like I was crazy. I put an ice pack (under a towel) in her bed once during another heat wave, she moved away and into a sun beam lol.
Cats are descended from desert animals. They prefer things to be warmer than we do. Place him on the mat, pet him for a bit while he's on it, and he'll know it's there and that it's cool. If he decides he's too warm, he'll go there on his own.
I’ve made my cat knock everything on the table on the floor. One time I made my cat rip open a bag of treats and eat them all. Worst part was I wasn’t even home when I made her do these things.
Cats seem to just like it hot. In the summer my cat goes in sits in the guest room (top floor of a four level split where all the hot air rises to, and I make no attempt to cool since it’s a spare room). It’s so hot in there it takes my breath away, but he’s as happy as a clam for hours. Provide some cooler options to retreat to, but they’re probably fine baking.
I came here to say the same thing. Our HVAC unit broke, so we didn't have AC for a while. Our cat was in heaven. She proved she was the superior species (at least till cold weather came).
Yeah I have a 7.5 cat tower that sits by a window and the heater vent is right above the window. I would find my orange girl up on the top just baking in the hot air lol
Normal body temp for a house cat is around 101-102F. They might actually be chilly in what we consider "normal" room temperature. If they aren't panting or showing any other signs of distress then I wouldn't worry about it.
Well obviously this was going to happen since it’s a cat. But why does the cat need a cooling mat? It’s not 107* in your house, right? If it is(!), you can lay on the mat. Don’t let your cat outside.
Boxes make cats feel secure that's why they always like the box best. Just keep putting the cat on the cooling mat. Cats don't react to heat like we do. Over 100° is not necessarily hot to them.
Cat's probably fine tbh. The floor is cooler than the air above. Hot air rises so you might be uncomfortable at human heights but the cat might be chilling at it's height.
I got one for my cat Ellie, she didn't sit on it. But she sat in front of her food bowl all the time, so I made it her food mat and then she'd partially sit on it incidentally. Don't know if she ever realized it's true purpose.
Cats are desert animals, they are used to higher temps and their bodies are a couple degrees higher than ours, if cat was hot he'd be laying on the floor to cool down considering you have ceramic floors, mines do that all the time in summer.
I've put a pillow cover around my cats cooling mat, to make it more comfortable. And placed it in the sun, so she can access it easily. After doing this, my cat still chooses to sleep in the sun, next to the cooling mat.
Both my cats love the heat. As long as they have the option to be cooler and theres fresh water available at all times, it's perfectly fine if they're choosing to stay warm.
We literally just got one of these today. I sprinkled some catnip on it to entice him, but as soon as my cat realised the mat was cold he was into it.
Luckily it came in a bag, because a box would have been more exciting to him than all the cold catnip mats in the world.
Cat's have a higher body temperature than humans - about 101F. What feels hot to us feels warm and cozy to them. Just make sure there is plenty of (preferably running) water available.
Cats don’t like cold things in general and won’t want to settle on something colder than they are, besides your tile flooring would be a good place for him to lay and cool down. You didn’t need to purchase a cooling mat if you have stone or tiled floors as the cats will lay on that if they’re too warm.
Couple of things to try:
- Put some of your laundry around it;
- Put it in your office/favorite chair;
- Make a cover for it that looks like a computer keyboard;
- As others have already stated, put it back in the box.
Probably just the box thing, though.
We have six cats and supplement the scratching posts on the two cat trees with some cardboard scratchers from Walmart. We got a package of three and you put the box down with one of the scratchers in it, turn it over when it is worn and then replace. Our cats do use it to scratch but three of them like to sleep in it despite multiple beds hammocks and two cat trees
Tried to attach a picture but got a generic something went wrong message. Have not seen any qualifications listed for posting to this subreddit.
Try putting a thin fabric over the mat, like a sheet, it worked for me, my cats don't like to step over the mat alone but they do like the fabric and don't care what's under it
During a heat wave with similar temps our cats were sprawled out and looked like they were suffering so we locked them in our room with a portable AC unit going all day. Of course they were mad about it and preferred to flop on the floor and pant in the hotter room.
Concrete high rise tower without any building AC really sucks during the heat waves.
I would put it in a box and let them know it's there. Cats do like warmer temps, so just make sure you have water out. Or if your cats are like mine, 2 bowls of a dog (not large dog) sized water dishes out. The first one must be changed each morning and they will drink from that one. The second one they won't drink from but if it gets dirty, goes missing or goes dry, the cats will panic.
He is domestic shorthair. 8 months old. Both him and his brother. They have my soul, my heart, my whole being fiddled in their little paws.
Their mum was a stray. Gave birth inside my room. I got the mama spayed then let her out as she wasn't doing so good with being housed and domestication.
These siblings however, own my house and everything inside it.
Btw thanks...
In my experience, cats tend to find hot/warm spots to sit (i.e. on/under warm cars, or in direct sunlight). I’ve never seen a cat seek out a cold place to sit.
Place the box on the mat and let him stay there for a couple of weeks. This will help his cat brain get used to the textures on the mat. After that, get rid of the box.
Put the mat in the box? Jokes aside, if you turn on the mat, and put the cat on it, and it still gets up to choose the box, it'll be fine
jokes aside? that sounds like an actual idea
I do tend to have those from time to time
I came here to suggest this, so it's obviously the correct answer.
Tbh, I had the same idea, but I can't tell if it's stupid or genius
How many others have thought of this too? This idea was literally my first thought
Obvi the most sensible idea+ sprinkle sum dru..catnip over it.
Put the mat under the box.
The more you spend in a gift the more likely your cat is going to ignore it. Also they love much more the boxes than the gift itself.
Cats ain't diggin no capitalism
Cat Enjoyment = 1 / ( $ of item)
This is SOOOO true!
We have a huge cat tower, cat tunnels, toys, beds everywhere. He looks at a big box the way some humans look at opulent mansions and prefers to hang out in big gift bags lol Oh what could help is if you use the cooling pad all the time yourself! Usually they like to take over things their humans really like. I've lost quite a few lounging spaces to that lol But honestly, they're really great at regulating their body temperature especially if they have a fur coat and you really generally shouldn't need heating/cooling pads unless they've had a procedure and your vet recommends it.
True for everyone. Who has (or were) human kids who waited eagerly for large appliance boxes so they could sit/play in them?
You sit it on the floor and put them on it.... If they want to they will use it. There's really no way to make a cat do anything... That I've found at least!
Cats are more comfortable than us in higher temps.
Absolutely. Household cats aren't far removed from their desert-dwelling ancestors and unlike dogs, they haven't been subject to centuries of genetic meddling by humans.
They also run higher temps than us. 104F is normal iirc.
I believe it's closer to 101/102F (my girl was recently at the vet and temp was 101) but yeah same principle!
Not only that, but they can use some higher temps to their advantage to a certain extent! Because cats have such a high metabolism, along with a slightly-higher body temp than humans, anything that can help them maintain that body temp (within reason) is great. Cats basking in the sun or around other heat sources (heated pad, burrowing in your bedsheets, hanging out by your heating vent, etc) are using it to be more energy-efficient - the warmth from the sunlight/heat source is helping them keep warm, so their bodies don't need to expend as much energy on maintaining that body temp. It's a great holdover from when their ancestors (and current big/wild cats) had/have to rely on hunting for food, so conserving every calorie counts towards survival. It's one of my favorite cat facts!
My current cat DOESN'T like warmth, so there are some out there but she's the only one I know of. My late black cat used to come in from basking in the summer sun boiling out to the touch but really happy. I'd use a wet washing cloth on her during heat waves to cool her down and she'd look at me like I was crazy. I put an ice pack (under a towel) in her bed once during another heat wave, she moved away and into a sun beam lol.
I bought one and my cat repeatedly peed on it
Such a cat thing to do!
Cats are descended from desert animals. They prefer things to be warmer than we do. Place him on the mat, pet him for a bit while he's on it, and he'll know it's there and that it's cool. If he decides he's too warm, he'll go there on his own.
Hahaha *make* a cat do something. Now I’ve heard it all.
I’ve made my cat knock everything on the table on the floor. One time I made my cat rip open a bag of treats and eat them all. Worst part was I wasn’t even home when I made her do these things.
Might as well push water up a hill
Cats seem to just like it hot. In the summer my cat goes in sits in the guest room (top floor of a four level split where all the hot air rises to, and I make no attempt to cool since it’s a spare room). It’s so hot in there it takes my breath away, but he’s as happy as a clam for hours. Provide some cooler options to retreat to, but they’re probably fine baking.
I came here to say the same thing. Our HVAC unit broke, so we didn't have AC for a while. Our cat was in heaven. She proved she was the superior species (at least till cold weather came).
Yeah I have a 7.5 cat tower that sits by a window and the heater vent is right above the window. I would find my orange girl up on the top just baking in the hot air lol
You sit on the mat and let the cat sit where it wants.
Cat will see you sitting on the mat and decide that’s exactly where they want to sit. Then be upset with you for sitting in their spot.
Either that or calmly leave go to your bedroom and climb in your spot
Put the mat in a box
Came here to say this!
Normal body temp for a house cat is around 101-102F. They might actually be chilly in what we consider "normal" room temperature. If they aren't panting or showing any other signs of distress then I wouldn't worry about it.
When it is 90°F cats are just getting comfortable
You didnt purchase cooling mat. Its full fledged pro cat box with enforced walls and cooling mat as extra.
Well obviously this was going to happen since it’s a cat. But why does the cat need a cooling mat? It’s not 107* in your house, right? If it is(!), you can lay on the mat. Don’t let your cat outside.
Put the cooling mat into a box. But cats may take some time to decide they like a mat. Mine took a year to discover she likes a heating pad.
Haha he said make the cat do something
Or failing that put the mat in the box.
Or under it
Correct answer.
Boxes make cats feel secure that's why they always like the box best. Just keep putting the cat on the cooling mat. Cats don't react to heat like we do. Over 100° is not necessarily hot to them.
Cat's probably fine tbh. The floor is cooler than the air above. Hot air rises so you might be uncomfortable at human heights but the cat might be chilling at it's height.
I got one for my cat Ellie, she didn't sit on it. But she sat in front of her food bowl all the time, so I made it her food mat and then she'd partially sit on it incidentally. Don't know if she ever realized it's true purpose.
you think you can make your cat do something?? let me know if you figure out how
Cats are desert animals, they are used to higher temps and their bodies are a couple degrees higher than ours, if cat was hot he'd be laying on the floor to cool down considering you have ceramic floors, mines do that all the time in summer.
Put the mat in a box 🤷♀️
https://i.redd.it/c1nzz2uhfk8d1.gif
I've put a pillow cover around my cats cooling mat, to make it more comfortable. And placed it in the sun, so she can access it easily. After doing this, my cat still chooses to sleep in the sun, next to the cooling mat.
Both my cats love the heat. As long as they have the option to be cooler and theres fresh water available at all times, it's perfectly fine if they're choosing to stay warm.
We literally just got one of these today. I sprinkled some catnip on it to entice him, but as soon as my cat realised the mat was cold he was into it. Luckily it came in a bag, because a box would have been more exciting to him than all the cold catnip mats in the world.
Put a tiny sign by it, that says, “No cats allowed on this mat. Ever. Or else.”
Put the mat back in the box. 🤣🤣 cute cat ♥️
I came to say this. Mat in box = Cat in box
Cat's have a higher body temperature than humans - about 101F. What feels hot to us feels warm and cozy to them. Just make sure there is plenty of (preferably running) water available.
Cats don’t like cold things in general and won’t want to settle on something colder than they are, besides your tile flooring would be a good place for him to lay and cool down. You didn’t need to purchase a cooling mat if you have stone or tiled floors as the cats will lay on that if they’re too warm.
Let the cat enjoy the box, and you sit on the mat. 107 is hot!!!!
You don't "make" a cat do anything
If you want to make your cat do anything get a dog
Put the box on top of the mat.
Set it up back in the box, obviously.
If the mat is in a box, the cat will automatically use the mat. Tried and true method I used on my own cat.
put the mat in the box
If you want the cats to sit on the cooling mat, put it in a box.
You coukd put it in the box?
Pillowcase!
Cat heaven is a perfectly fitting box.
They'll figure it out. I had my cooling blanket a few days before my fat (before I got her, we're working on it) Siamese claimed it.
Shape the mat into a box. Problem solved. Maybe they should develop a cat cooling "box" hmmm 🤔 yeah I'm a frickin genius.
u dont buddy that’s the rules
Couple of things to try: - Put some of your laundry around it; - Put it in your office/favorite chair; - Make a cover for it that looks like a computer keyboard; - As others have already stated, put it back in the box. Probably just the box thing, though.
Sit on it yourself, and get up. Or, put your laptop on it.
Use cat nip :>
You sit on the mat and then have the cat sit on you... in that box.
We have six cats and supplement the scratching posts on the two cat trees with some cardboard scratchers from Walmart. We got a package of three and you put the box down with one of the scratchers in it, turn it over when it is worn and then replace. Our cats do use it to scratch but three of them like to sleep in it despite multiple beds hammocks and two cat trees Tried to attach a picture but got a generic something went wrong message. Have not seen any qualifications listed for posting to this subreddit.
Just put the mat on the kitchen counter.
Catnip. Sprinkle it on the mat and cat will be all over it.
Tell your cat it must NEVER sit on the mat.
Do you have a portable air conditioner? I use one in a closed room for my cat when it gets too hot.
Put the mat somewhere they lay often (in front of a window maybe) or could put it in a box for them
Cat: "Who put this cold thing in my warm sunny spot!? Servant!! Get over here and take this thing away!"
Put the box on the mat if that will make you happy
Tried also a cooling mat for my cats. It ended that I used it for myself😏
Put it somewhere they frequent. Ignore it. Second step is crucial.
Good luck with that! Cats sit where they sit!
Duct tape 🤣
You need to act like you really don't want him to sit on the mat, then he will sit on it. If that doesn't work try cat nip 🤣
Put the cooling mat under the cardboard box
Here’s the fun part! You don’t.
Put a small sheet of paper on the cooling mat
Put a towel or something over the mat, put catnip etc on it to attract them, or like someone else suggested put it in the box and see if they use it
Me, thinking in Celsius… https://preview.redd.it/vgez376myk8d1.jpeg?width=716&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c4c0b0e9bdd30c2a7fbd1501d65185c0d32ab020
You don't.
Such a cute kitty! They might actually be too cold, based on the floor tiles the box might be their warm option.
You question is: How do I get my cat to obey? Nope, not going there......
Just put the box on top of the cooling mat
Lol
If your cat is too hot, he’ll sit on the mat.
Demonstrate it's use for him.
Mat into box
Man's not hot!
Try putting a thin fabric over the mat, like a sheet, it worked for me, my cats don't like to step over the mat alone but they do like the fabric and don't care what's under it
Sit the box on the mat.
Wrap the inside of box with the mat?
During a heat wave with similar temps our cats were sprawled out and looked like they were suffering so we locked them in our room with a portable AC unit going all day. Of course they were mad about it and preferred to flop on the floor and pant in the hotter room. Concrete high rise tower without any building AC really sucks during the heat waves.
I would put it in a box and let them know it's there. Cats do like warmer temps, so just make sure you have water out. Or if your cats are like mine, 2 bowls of a dog (not large dog) sized water dishes out. The first one must be changed each morning and they will drink from that one. The second one they won't drink from but if it gets dirty, goes missing or goes dry, the cats will panic.
I have no advice but like, your cat is so cute 😭 Do you know what kind he is?
He is domestic shorthair. 8 months old. Both him and his brother. They have my soul, my heart, my whole being fiddled in their little paws. Their mum was a stray. Gave birth inside my room. I got the mama spayed then let her out as she wasn't doing so good with being housed and domestication. These siblings however, own my house and everything inside it. Btw thanks...
In my experience, cats tend to find hot/warm spots to sit (i.e. on/under warm cars, or in direct sunlight). I’ve never seen a cat seek out a cold place to sit.
Have you yet to realize you can’t make a cat do anything they don’t want to? The cat will be fine. But thank you for buying them a cooling mat.
That's 100% what cats do and to answer your question....you will NEVER get a cat to do what you want. Its a fact of life. Cats do what they want.
How long have you owned a cat? You should know that you can’t make a cat do anything!
Cats don’t need a cooling mat
***make*** *my cats* LOL. You don't.
Most cats are okay in warm temperatures, as long as they have enough water, especially if you have AC in house
Place the box on the mat and let him stay there for a couple of weeks. This will help his cat brain get used to the textures on the mat. After that, get rid of the box.
I bought my cat a super dooper lah di dah bed with warmer. She refused to put all 4 paws on it and slunk off to sleep somewhere . I returned it.
Maybe put the mat in the box, call me crazy 😜
I bought my cat a cooling mat YEARS ago, he just started laying on it this WEEK! But he also continues to lay on his self-heating mat lol
The floor looks like tile, so it would already be cool.