How cold is TOO cold for my pets?

With the blistering cold winter months here, I am trying to determine what the right temperature for my house.



I have a German Shepherd and Maine Coon. They both have very thick heavy coats. My dog will go out in -30 F windchill weather and be fine running around. If it is below that I tend to take her to an indoor track to exercise, especially because my parka starts to not do it's job around -40 windchill.



I keep my house around 56-58 F usually.I know this seems ridiculously cold but with blankets and little $$ it just makes sense.



Since I am keeping it colder I want to make sure this is okay for my pets, no this is not cruel so I'm not interested in hearing any of that. My pets both have very thick coats and I've never once seem them shaking in the past, but regardless it may still be uncomfortable...



I would put a little heater in the bedroom and keep them in there during the day - however that makes me very nervous (duh, fire). And I would give my dog a big warm blanket in her crate but the first thing she does when she sees it is go in her crate, grab a hold of it, pull it out, and go back in her crate... obviously she prefers to be without it.



Does anyone have any suggestions of the minimum temperature to keep my pet family comfortable? Last night it was 58 in here and they were all about snuggling, which means they get along better!



Again, avoid "you are hurting your pets and killing them" because I know that is simple not true. I live a very cruelty-free lifestyle and just need a comfortable temperature for the pets.How cold is TOO cold for my pets?
Just be aware that as dogs get older, especially large dogs, they tend to get arthritis and maybe a pet safe heating pad will be in order. I do ferrets and have had shepherds and cats. I also have ferrets and they LOVE the cold weather. If they get out the front door they start doing the weasel war dance. They bounce a lot higher in the cold weather.How cold is TOO cold for my pets?
I have had GSDs and cats...and unless they are shivering or look really uncomfortable I think you are fine. A biggy is to just avoid drafty areas, but if you are giving them a choice of laying on a blanket in a crate and they aren't utilizing it then I'm sure they are okay. The time to be more concerned is when they get older and can't handle the cold as well, similar to us humans.How cold is TOO cold for my pets?
Well it sounds as if they are fine. They have a nice winter coat on them.



But if you are worried about the cold you can put a blanket on there kennel so they can have a little more warmth. Or you can buy a thermo blanket and keep it on your bed and have your dog and cat lay on the bed with you.



I have a friend that does the same as you do and that is what she bought. And she has more animals trust me she rescues any cat or dog off the road and takes it in. They are all fixed happy and healthy.



You can get a space heater for when you are in the home so you know that it is on when you are there and turn it off when you leave to be safe because the heat isn't just going to go away. But I think your dog and cat are going to just be fine :D