Cats and Heat: Baby’s Obsession With the Fire

Hi, I’m Nicole! Read my introduction to learn more about me and my distinguished Burmese, Mr. Baby Cat.

We first realized that Baby Cat was ours and no longer a stray when my husband and I woke up one night and felt something furry tucked by our feet under the covers of our bed. We did not have a pet at the time. We did, however, have a broken cat door and a stray cat that kept turning up during the day.

This was our first insight into how heat-obsessed Baby was, and it has only evolved.

Shortly after we decided to start feeding the stray (he was, of course, seeking refuge in our bed, the least we could do was give him a little food), he ended up staying indoors with us nearly 100% of the time. We had a fire in that house and regardless of whether we were by the fire or not, Baby was there.

Baby Loves the Heat!

When we moved into our next home, there wasn’t a fire, but we did have a heater. I couldn’t find a photo of this so you’ll have to take my word for it, he used to put his little button nose between the coils of the oil heater, just far enough away so his fur and whiskers were not touching it, and sit there in a deep meditation for at least an hour, if not more, at a time.

We often joke that he doesn’t care much for us but really loves the fact that we provide heat, because when there is no fire or heater, he is still found curled up in bed with us. But the moment the heater or fire is on, we barely get a nuzzle, let alone a snuggle.

In Baby Cat’s retirement home (the house we currently live in), we have a fireplace in the lounge. We’re down in New Zealand, so we’re coming into winter, meaning the fire is on almost nightly (definitely more than we need to have it on, we’re also heat junkies, so the apple really doesn’t fall far).

The other day it was a bit chillier than usual with an Antarctic blast coming through (as a Canadian who grew up experiencing Arctic blasts going south, I love talking about the cold winds coming up north, even after a decade of living down under it still boggles my mind).

Mr. Baby Cat didn’t think his bed by the fire was close enough, so he weaselled his way into the safety gate so he could get as close as felinely possible without actually stepping in. Keep in mind, cold here is like 50 F outdoors, and inside it was 77 F at the time, so he was definitely living up to his name, darling boy. Sometimes I think he would get into the fire to be cozy if we let him…

Hepper actually has the perfect bed, the nest bed, for cats who want to sleep in comfort in hard to reach places, but due to us being in New Zealand it’s been very hard to get a hold of one, but hopefully Baby will be snoozing in one very soon. If you’re reading this from the States, you should definitely check it out!

Baby Loves to Sunbathe, Too

Cats have a higher body temperature than humans which is why they seek out the heat, but I often feel Baby Cat’s love and need for heat, on a scale of 1–10, goes to 11. He can often be found in the tiniest little ray of sunshine beaming through the window as the sun rises or sets, just to get that last minute tan. And seriously, he does not want to cuddle with us at all if the fire is on. To be fair, if I had a bed by the fireplace, I’d be sleeping there too.

But in the summertime, get this–he’s most often hiding in the shade! Mr. Baby Cat is quite human-like in that sense, the grass is always greener, and the fire is always the place to be.