A Limited-Duration Examination
of the Environmental Temperatures Experienced
by the American Housecat
(Felis domestica/Felis catus)
or
Mr. A's Day Out

The Cat

Mr. A (at left) is my cat. The A stands for "affection." It was one of those temporary names that stuck.

Mr. A is a ten-year-old all-black domestic shorthair of unremarkable lineage. He is obese (15 lbs, but who am I to talk?), but quite active for his age. He enjoys his catnip, but tries to keep it from becoming a habit. Though often ill-tempered, he can be charming when he wants to.

The Experiment

On October 7, 1999, Mr. A wore a Dallas Semiconductor Thermochron iButton around his neck all day. (He wears a dashing red collar by Hertz with a bell to keep him from killing little critters; the Thermochron was affixed to the collar.) October 7 was a crisp autumn day--cool in the morning and in the evening, and sunny throughout the day. His owners--me and my wife--were at work most of the day, but there for breakfast and dinner. In short, it was a fine day to be a cat.

The Thermochron was programmed to take temperature readings every two minutes.

The Data

Things You Should Know When Interpreting the Data

• In an attempt to keep him from biasing the results, Mr. A was not told about the experiment. Mr. A was not harmed in any way during the experiment.
• Mr. A has a cat door which is open from around 6 AM to 9 PM; during those times he's free to come and go as he wishes.
• Mr. A's body temperature was not measured. Rather, it was inferred from his cool, moist nose and shiny coat.
• The outdoor temperature was measured at nearby Willard Airport (CMI) in Savoy, Illinois.

Conclusions

• Mr. A is much more active overnight than expected; he was thought to sleep on the bed continuously between 10 PM and 6 AM. He is either getting up periodically or he is shifting sleeping positions and/or locations.
• Mr. A's morning nap is of considerable duration. This may explain the extent of his grumpiness on weekends when he is distracted from his morning nap.
• Mr. A can warm himself quickly when he wants to (see 7:00 AM and 3:05 PM).
• Mr. A can cool himself quickly when he wants to (12:45 PM, 5:00 PM) or when getting us up to feed him breakfast (4:45 AM-6:00 AM) necessitates it.
• Mr. A is most active in the afternoon and early evening. (Hypothesis: a little sun, a little snack, a little nap; repeat until the people come home.)
• Despite all his grousing, Mr. A has it pretty easy. (Not bad for a cat born on the streets of Tucson!)

Remaining Research Questions

• Where was Mr. A around 3:05 PM?
• How do I submit this work to the Swedish Academy for consideration?