Expert: Norman Auspitz - 1/12/2011

Question
QUESTION: Hi Norman.,
I got my cat 3 yrs. ago and the vet told me that he was approx. 5 or 6 yrs. old. That would make him 8 or 9 now. Our main living area is heated with a wood stove. He "never ever" went near it before, however this year he has started sleeping "directly" in front of it, and tonight he actually went as far as to put his paws up onto the brick platform that the stove sits on, which is less than a foot away from the stove doors! It is HOT there. I said no to him and removed him from the spot. He is a Turkish Van and has long thick fur and I cannot understand how he can stand to be near such a source of heat. When he lays there, I feel him and his fur is actually hot. Like I said, this behaviour is new and I am wondering if I have any reason to be concerned. His behavioural patterns have not changed in any other areas. He is still playful and loving and has a good appetite. He is totally an indoor cat. Sometimes when he is fast asleep in front of the stove I go over and slide him further away from it.Please tell me what you think as I am worried that if he is feeling cold that he may be sick or something, because I have been told that it is hard to tell when a cat is not feeling well.
Thank-you Norman, looking forward to hearing back from you. :)
Carrie.

ANSWER: Carrie,

In general, all cats like warmth and hate being cold. Even though a Turkish Angora has a longer coat, it does not have any undercoat, so the coat is not, truly, all that much protection against the cold.

Like people, as cats get older, their circulation is not as good as it once was, and, so, the cat will crave even more warmth.  There are stories of cats seeking warmth so much, they will even crawl into a fireplace before all the embers have died out?

So, unless he is showing symptoms of some illness, I would not worry too much. Eating, litter pan habits, and general attitude are always the first indicators of a medical problem.  So, it is probable, he is just feeling colder due to age.  BTW, we consider 10 years old geriatric in cats.  So, if the age calculation is a year or two off, he may, actually, be a bit older than 10 years.

Once you have had a cat for a few years, behavioral changes tend to indicate illness, so it is a bit easier to tell if the cat is ill than some would lead you to believe.

Please let me know if you have any further questions.

Best regards... Norm.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Is a Turkish Angora the same as a Turkish Van? You don't have to put the answer to this question on your high priority to answer list, but I am just curious..(lol). As I asked about my "Van" and your response said "Angora". My cats fur seems to have 3 layers. A long coarser outer coat followed by a medium length softer coat with a dense downy coat underneath it all. Thanks Norm..:)
Carrie

Answer
Carrie,

I apologize deeply!!!!!  I know your question talks about Turkish Van, but in a senior moment I read Turkish Angora. They both come from Turkey but are very, very different cats.  The Turkish Van DOES have a much more substantial coat than the Turkish Angora, so it is not cold due to lack of coat, but more so due to the aging process and the circulation probably getting a bit poorer.

Yes, the Turkish Van does have all four coats (let's not forget the whiskers). They are also known as Turkish Swimming Cats and generally love playing in water.

Sorry for the gaff.

Best regards... Norm.