Your cat is outside in the rain or a thunderstorm: should you worry, and where can they shelter?
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A cat outside in the rain is usually not in danger: a shower only becomes a problem if their coat stays wet for a long time, on a cold day, or if they have nowhere to get dry. A thunderstorm, on the other hand, is best spent indoors. Ideally they can come in whenever they like; failing that, a fixed refuge under the eaves.
Should you worry when your cat is outside in the rain?
Rarely. A cat who roams freely knows their dry spots: under a hedge, beneath an overhanging roof, behind a large pot. The rain itself bothers them little; what matters is the water that stays in their coat.
According to the PDSA, the UK veterinary charity, a pet who dries off after getting wet is unlikely to get cold. The risk rises if they stay wet, especially on a cold day, if the water was very cold or if they stop moving around. The same charity lists young, old, frail and small animals among those most at risk.
A soaked coat loses much of its insulating power. Temperature thresholds, and the cats who shouldn't go out when it's cold, are covered in taking your cat outside in winter.
When they come in, the PDSA gives these signs of a pet that has become too cold: shivering, then a pet who stops shivering even though they're cold, drowsiness, confusion, clumsiness and pale gums. If you see them, call your vet straight away.
Where can your cat shelter outside?
A good refuge is dry, out of the prevailing wind and always in the same place. In its advice on shelters for stray cats, Cats Protection recommends protecting the shelter from the weather, for example under a bush or an overhanging roof, and facing the doorway away from the wind, towards a wall. The same pointers work for your own cat.
An outdoor cat house gives them that corner where they already spend their days: a semi-enclosed little house measuring 38 × 35 × 38 cm, with a pitched roof, walls that shield from the wind according to the supplier, and a single 22 × 18 cm door. It weighs only 650 g, so in an exposed spot, anchor it with pegs threaded through the strap loops at the foot of the walls (pegs not included).
What it doesn't do:
- It isn't sold as waterproof. The material is splash-resistant according to the supplier, with no rating given. In heavy rain, it only protects when placed under the eaves or an awning, away from gutters.
- It isn't insulated or heated. It blocks the wind; it won't warm up a soaked cat. No cushion is included: a blanket that smells of them helps them settle in, but Cats Protection prefers straw, which stays drier, and advises checking and changing blankets and towels often, as they get damp.
- It has only one door. Cats Protection advises two entrances if possible, so the cat can't be trapped inside; with only one, it suggests placing the shelter where the cat can get out quickly and easily. So leave some room in front of the door.
- It suits a medium-sized cat. For a Maine Coon or a big, solid cat it will probably be too small: compare their width with 18 cm, the door's smaller measurement.
A dry corner of their own, always in the same place
A pitched roof and walls against the wind, to set under the eaves on rainy days. Discover the outdoor cat house →
Rain, wind, thunderstorm: what does your cat need in each kind of weather?
Each kind of weather poses your cat a different problem:
| The weather | What bothers them | Where they need to be able to go |
|---|---|---|
| Short shower, mild day | Very little, as long as they dry off | A dry corner, or home if they ask to come in |
| Steady rain, cold day | A coat that stays wet and chills them | Home first; otherwise a shelter under the eaves |
| Strong wind | Wind chill, and a light shelter that gets blown about | A refuge anchored to the ground, doorway away from the wind |
| Thunderstorm or gale forecast | The noise, fear, the risk of bolting | Indoors, with every way out shut |
For thunderstorms, the PDSA advises locking the cat flap, closing doors and windows as soon as one is forecast, and putting down a litter tray, even if your cat doesn't normally use one. A panicked cat can get lost, so check their microchip details are up to date.
Fear of thunder is something to manage indoors: according to the same PDSA article, a cat may need a safe space to hide away. The other outdoor risks, from roads to poisons, are gathered in the dangers of the outdoors for a cat.
Why is home still the best shelter?
According to the PDSA, a cat who likes spending time outside should always be able to get back into your home, so a sudden downpour doesn't catch them out. No garden shelter beats a door that opens at the right moment, especially for a cat who panics at thunder.
If your back door or a wall opens onto the garden or courtyard, a cat flap becomes that door for you: they come in whenever they like, and you no longer have to get up to let them in. If a storm threatens while they're still out, the in-only setting lets them come in without going back out. If you rent, cutting into a door needs your landlord's written permission first.
With no direct access outside, or when you're out all day, the shelter helps in a shower. It doesn't replace home in heavy rain, in the cold or in a thunderstorm.
The shelter belongs to our beds and scratchers range.
Frequently asked questions
Should you dry a cat who comes in soaked?
Yes, if they'll let you. For a wet, chilled pet, the PDSA advises towel-drying them, putting blankets underneath and over them, putting the heating on without warming them too quickly or burning them with a hot water bottle, then having them checked by a vet, even if they seem fine.
The storm has broken and your cat isn't home: should you go and look for them?
Better not to rush outside under the lightning. Leave them a way in: a door left ajar while you keep watch, or the cat flap set to in-only. A frightened cat often hides, so wait for things to calm down before calling them with their dinner. If they still don't come back, an up-to-date microchip helps you find them.
Should you keep your cat in whenever it rains?
No, ordinary rain is no reason to shut them in if they can come home or shelter somewhere dry. Keep them indoors when a thunderstorm or gale is forecast, as the PDSA advises, and on cold, wet days if they're a kitten, elderly or frail.
Key takeaways
- A cat outside in the rain is mainly at risk of staying wet: according to the PDSA, a pet who dries off afterwards is unlikely to get cold.
- Shivering, drowsiness, clumsiness or pale gums in a cat who comes in soaked mean a call to the vet.
- When a thunderstorm is forecast, the cat comes in and the cat flap gets locked; a litter tray and up-to-date microchip details complete the picture.
- A garden shelter helps under the eaves in a shower or wind, but nothing replaces being able to come home.