Dear Fifi:

My cat hates being inside for long periods of time, especially at night. Is it too cold for him to be outside in the middle of the night? We have an outdoor heated pet pad/bed but we only have one place to plug in but its in the open and he doesn't like that too much.

- Allison

~~~

Dear Allison:

Well, Miss Fifi doesn't really know how to respond to this question. On the one hand, I'm totally in favor of letting your feline sleep outdoors on cold evenings ... or in a monsoon ... or a snowstorm ... or a heat wave. But on the other, I know it's important to be conscientious of all pets.

So, I would suggest that dealing with a slightly cranky cat is probably a lot better than dealing with a popsicle. Perhaps set yourself some limits, like temperatures below 40 degrees mean cranky indoor cat; temperatures above 40 degrees mean happy outdoor cat.

Good luck. Woof!