When your cat or dog is missing in the winter, it is natural for you to wonder if they can survive the cold. In 14 years of keeping records of what happened to a lost cat or dog, including my experience with at least 10,000 lost pets in Western Washington, I know of no instance where a cat or dog died specifically because of the cold. Maybe it happen once or twice and I never found out about it, but in my experience it would be very unlikely for your pet to suffer injury or death solely because of cold weather.
The very first time Kelsy and I had a walk-up find, little 12-pound Thelma had been out for a week when the overnight lows were about 16 degrees. When we found her, she had made herself a little nest for the night. She had made a hollow in the landscaping bark, and she was under an evergreen branch that came right down to the ground. She was perfectly healthy, with no signs of adverse impacts from the weather. If I was outdoors for a week with temperatures down to 16 each night, I doubt I would survive. Cats and dogs are tough and resourceful. As long as they aren’t injured or ill from some other cause, there’s no reason to worry that the cold is going to harm them. I’m sure they would rather be inside by the fireplace, but the cold weather is not something that should concern you.
Another dog we were looking for was only 4 pounds, out in freezing weather, and that dog was perfectly fine when found after a few days. In any sort of weather, cats are known to hide under sheds and decks, and in crawl spaces. They can fit into holes that seem too small for them. They can find a place to get out of the weather. There are colonies of feral cats where their members have survived outdoors for years. The dog we were searching for yesterday was seen in a makeshift shelter in the mountains. We haven’t caught up to him yet, but I feel confident he can find a way to keep warm. Snow Beau is a medium-sized dog who was lost in the mountains for 28 days when there was deep snow. He showed up at someone’s back door after four weeks, and they called the number on his tags.
If I tell you not to worry about your lost cat or dog in the cold weather, I know you will probably worry anyway. The important thing is that you don’t give up because you assume your pet hasn’t survived in the cold. Over 70% of lost pets are found, one way or another. The biggest risk to your pet is that you might stop searching. If you keep at it, maximizing all the opportunities for your cat or dog to be found, it is more likely than not that you will find your pet. Even in the coldest weather Western Washington has to offer, your cat or dog will probably be just fine.
Bonnie is a cattle dog that was missing for 7 years. It appears she lived in a ravine not too far from the point of escape. We caught her in a humane trap on a day when the snow was deep enough to making driving difficult. She was perfectly healthy. As soon as she got home, she laid down by the fireplace with her cat. Maybe she would have preferred not to be out in the cold all that time, but it didn’t harm her at all.
An additional note: I’m not suggesting you leave your pets out in the cold if they are not lost. All pets should be indoors almost all the time. This article is just stating that if your pet is lost, cold weather is not a danger to them.
Thank you for this clarification about the cold weather. Makes me a bit relieved.