We live in Florida, so our winters aren’t severe, but as an indoor cat, Cupcake thinks some of the mornings we go out to meet friends are a little brisk. To keep her included in our outings, we found some ways to keep her warm while we were on the go.

Warm Clothing for Cats

If your cat doesn’t mind dressing up, warm clothing can help cut the chill for your cat while she’s on the go for you. Most of the pet clothing on the market today is for dogs, who usually have a slightly shorter body shape than cats. This can lead to the same fit issues you run across using some dog harnesses, especially tightness in the “armpit” area, so make sure your cat isn’t going to get pinched by her warm clothing.

Cupcake is not a fan of putting her forelegs through holes of any type, even in harnesses, so that really limited the type of arm clothing we could find for her. I eventually ran across a jacket that is more the style of a cape, with a velcro attachment across her belly and one across her chest.

One thing I really liked about Cupcake’s cape is it has an opening in the back specifically for her leash to pass through from her harness. Some dog clothing assumes you will use a collar and not a harness, and it doesn’t include a way to attach a leash to the place on a cat’s back where harnesses connect. Try before you buy, or make sure you can return your cat’s warm clothing in case it doesn’t work with her harness.

Cutting the Wind

Since we don’t experience snow and freezing temperatures, one of the big sources of chill can be the wind here. If you can get out of the wind and in the sun, it often feels surprisingly warm.

The simplest solution I have found for keeping the wind out of Cupcake’s open carrier when she is hanging out with the gang is to throw a blanket over it to prevent the wind coming in the carrier’s window. You can see the blanket behind her in this photo as her buddy, Rocco, puts his head up into her shelter to say hello.

Warming with a Blanket

Since we are often hanging around, visiting with friends rather than actively exploring, a blanket is a handy way to help keep Cupcake warm until the day’s sun warms us. She will back up into the blanket to try to get it to cover her ears when she feels it’s especially chilly