Published Mar 5, 2025
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As the Northern Hemisphere enters the final few weeks of winter, we share this dramatic story about a house cat’s ordeal in subzero temperatures as a cautionary tale.
A fluffy gray cat named Loki, who had been an indoor family pet all his life, managed to sneak out of the house during his family’s recent relocation to a new house in a cold climate. Mike Walsh, Loki’s human, panicked about his missing cat because the weather was so harsh that temperatures were dipping into the negatives overnight. Loki’s human family combed the outdoors in search of the missing cat, who had limited hunting skills as a household pet. The poor cat was all alone out there in the frigid, dangerous cold, according to the story in PetHelpful.
While Loki could have frozen to death out in the cold, thankfully, this story has a happy ending. Mike, the cat’s human dad, had all but given up hope of finding his beloved cat alive, but he found Loki 10 days after the cat went missing. Loki, not a spring chicken at 9 years old, was alive but had lost nearly half of his body weight!
“It damn near broke my heart thinking that I had let him sneak past me and that it was my fault he was gone,” Mike told PetHelpful. “I’m just glad he’s a tough old man and that he found his way home to me.”
While many cats in a similar winter ordeal develop disfiguring frostbite, thankfully, Loki was spared this cold-related injury. The veterinarian found no other injuries, but the weight loss was dramatic. Loki has spent the past few weeks eating a lot and regaining strength, Mike says.
Meanwhile, Loki seems to sense how close he came to losing his life and leaving his human behind because Mike reports that the cat has been super affectionate since he came home.
“Loki for most of his life has been a sweet boy, but not overly clingy. He pretty much just ignores people until he’s hungry or he wants pets,” Mike tells PetHelpful. “Since I found him … whenever I’m home, it is nonstop head butts, purring, meowing if I’m asleep, following me everywhere like I’m the one who ran away for 10 days or something. I love it.”
It sounds like Loki had the feline version of a near death experience, came back bursting with love and gratitude, and will never be the same. We wish Loki many more happy and healthy years!
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We are glad that Loki survived his ordeal, but many cats tragically do not. Please keep your cats safe and warm inside, and watch them extra closely in the winter, lest they slip out the door with curiosity and end up freezing. Cats may have natural fur coats, but they are still vulnerable to the elements and can become seriously ill and die. We talk about whether cats can survive cold in this article.
How cold is too cold for cats? Cats can experience hypothermia when temperatures drop below 45 degrees. Read our article about what temperatures cats can tolerate here.
If the unthinkable happens and your cat goes missing, whatever season it is outside, do not despair: There is hope you can find your beloved pet, who probably hasn’t gone too far. Read our tips here for finding a lost cat.
