Heat-seeking in an elderly cat is sensible behaviour, not a quirk. Older bodies carry less muscle and fat, circulation slows, and stiffness feels worse in the cold, so she follows warmth around the house like a sunflower. Your job is to make that warmth safe and reliably available, because the sources she chooses for herself, radiators especially, can hurt a cat who sleeps deeply and reacts slowly.
Radiators: Nearby Warmth, Never Contact
Direct contact is the danger. A cat pressed against a hot radiator can burn gradually through thin, sparse fur without waking promptly, and the sleepiest, frailest cats are exactly those least able to move away in time. Set her bed a short distance from the radiator instead, close enough that rising warm air bathes it, far enough that stretched paws cannot rest on hot metal while she sleeps. A simple barrier, such as a guard or a piece of furniture offset in front, turns good intentions into a physical guarantee on nights when she shuffles closer in her sleep. Seal the traps radiators create. The gap behind a radiator, warm and narrow, invites a small cat in and then defeats her attempts to turn or back out, particularly if she is stiff. Block the gaps at the back of and underneath radiators and boilers with firm material she cannot dislodge, and check behind washing machines and other warm appliances for the same reason. If she loves one particular radiator, honour the preference safely: bed beside it, barrier between, and a folded blanket over any nearby cold windowsill so she has a second warm option in the same room. Sunny spots deserve the same thought. Glass lets a winter sunbeam feel glorious for an hour and then leaves her lying against cold glass as the light moves on. Deep bedding in the sun's regular path, moved as the season shifts, lets her follow the warmth without ever ending up chilled on stone or tile when the patch travels.
Draught Control at Cat Height
Humans judge a room's warmth standing up; she lives in the coldest layer of it, where air sinks and slips under doors. Sit on the floor in her favourite rooms and feel for moving air at ankle height. Draught strips under doors, a rolled blocker at the worst thresholds, and beds lifted just off cold floors on their own padding all change her world more than turning the heating up a degree. Keep at least one completely draught-free sleeping place available on every floor she uses, because an old cat who gets cold at night may not relocate to a warmer room at 3 a.m. Offer layered options rather than one perfect spot. A covered bed that traps her own body heat, an open padded bed near gentle warmth, and a sunny daytime perch let her regulate herself by moving, which is what healthy heat-seeking is for. Fresh water in winter matters too, since heated indoor air is dry and older kidneys dislike concentrated urine; placing water away from the warmest spot keeps it palatable and encourages drinking.
When Cold-Seeking Is Telling You Something
A cat who has always loved warmth and still eats, grooms, and moves as usual is probably simply old and wise. New or extreme cold-seeking is different: a cat who suddenly cannot seem to get warm, shivers, feels cold at the ears and paws, or becomes lethargic alongside the seeking should see a vet rather than receive another blanket, because feeling cold can accompany illness that needs investigating. Weight loss also removes insulation, so a thinner cat seeking more heat is giving you two linked observations worth reporting together. Write down when the seeking intensifies and what else changed alongside it. Written up inside KinsLe next to her weight history, that winter record helps a vet interpret the Pet Passport during her following check.