I live in an old nyc building and theres a hot pipe behind the door in the bathroom, its not always hot but when it is I worry about my cat touching it and getting burned. Im not sure if its a water pipe or a heating pipe, how do I tell the difference? and what would be ok to cover it with without it burning up, id like to try rope or insulting foam. I dont care if it makes the bathroom cold, I just want my cat to be safe. Any advice on how to cover it without altering any structures (im a renter)
Your cat is not dumb.It will not get burned on the pipe and is safe to leave it as is.
you can get zip up insulation from a plumbing store or you can get slip on insulation from hardware then you will have to slit it down side to get on pipe then glue or tape it onto pipe
The cat is possibly smarter than you if you think it will stay on a piece of hot material. Will you leave your hand on a hot burner?
You can go to a hardware store and get rubber pipe insulation and it is safe for hot pipes. That is the purpose they keep the pipes hot by insulating them. But they will be cool to the touch. If the pipe goes up and down just do the bottom 2 feet if you're only worried about the cat.