If You Can’t Handle the Cold Weather, Neither Can Your Pets! They Get Cold, Too!

  Posted on November 21, 2014  by joyofliving  No comments

Okay, all you Party Marty fans out there! I have come out of hibernation briefly to provide my routine advice on this blog. What would you do without me? It is freezing outside! I simply cannot take it. I am not cut out for this kind of weather, and, quite frankly, neither are your pets. So, thanks to some information from Wayside Waifs, I am setting forth a few cold weather safety tips. If you are doing all you can to keep yourself warm, then you should be doing the same for your furry friends! Look, I may be a cool cat but I certainly don’t want to be a cold cat!

**Please limit your pet’s outside time for bathroom breaks when the temps begin to fall. If your pet is an outdoor pet, then at least move him to a sheltered garage or heated dog house away from the wind. You know how cold you get just going out to get the mail or the newspaper!

**Be sure to check your cars. It is not unusual for an outdoor cat to seek warmth and comfort under the hood of a car. Once the car is started, the cat can become injured or even killed by the engine. If you have an outdoor cat, be sure to honk the horn before you start up your car to give it a chance to escape. Or, at least check under the hood first!

**Now is a good time to use a leash. Pets can lose their scent in the snow and ice and will seek refuge in unfamiliar places. Be sure to also have your pet’s ID tag updated in the event he becomes lost or stolen. And if you haven’t had your pet micro-chipped yet, now would be a good time to do so!

**When it is time to groom your pet, you don’t have to shave him clear down to the skin. Allow for a longer coat during the winter months so he can get more warmth from it. And if you bathe your dog, be sure to completely dry him before taking him out on a walk.

**Please do not leave your pet alone in a cold car. You wouldn’t leave him in a refrigerator or freezer, so why would you do this?

**After bringing your pet in from outside, be sure to wipe his paws thoroughly with a towel, as salt, antifreeze and other poisonous chemicals used in the winter can hurt your pet. Plus, pieces of ice in his fur can be painful to him.

**Keep your pet’s bed in a warm space, too, away from drafty areas, and be sure to throw in an extra blanket or two or a large pillow!

Thanks! And stay warm! I am now going to resume my nap so I can continue dreaming about Florida…or the Caribbean!