File photo.
Did you feel that little nip this morning? Not the one your cat did to your big at 4:00AM demanding breakfast but the one in the air when you walked outdoors.
The cat and the dog feel it, too, particularly if they, like us, just experienced the extreme summer weather we had. Even though temperatures here don’t dip into subzero, it can still get pretty cold inland, and it’s going to be wet, wet, wet if the forecasts are correct. And when our SoCal weather manically zigzags from 70 during the day to 50-something at night, there’s a difference, too!
Here’s an aggregate of cold-weather tips for pet owners gleaned from spcaLA, ASPCA, Life with CH Cats and Alley Cat Allies.
- Pets should always have a warm, dry place to sleep. Of course, they’re always safer inside from weather extremes as well as predators, cars and other dangers.
- Dogs of all sizes can benefit from a sweater or a jacket to keep them warm. Make sure the clothing is intended for dogs and is the right size
- Most cats, of course, prefer not to wear anything. Their winter coats get thicker when cold weather approaches and are pretty good at both insulating cats in the winter and cooling them off as they shed all over the place in summer. What’s nice for them are cozy beds, warm blankets, heating pads for arthritic cats, cuddling with you, and that nice, warm basket of clean laundry just out of the dryer.
- When you bring your pet to a clinic, particularly an outdoor one like Fix Long Beach or the low-cost shot clinics at Stearns Park, bundle your dog up in a jacket. If you’re carrying a cat or a puppy in a carrier, line the carrier with warm blankets or a towel that’s been heated in the dryer.
- After your dog or harness-trained cat goes for a walk, wipe off wet paws. This is important in very cold temperatures where ice balls may form between the little pads.
- Extremely cold weather can be just as deadly as extreme heat, so don’t leave a pet inside a car during cold or hot weather.
- Keep an eye on older or ill pets, as they are more sensitive to colder weather.
- Brush your dog regularly to promote a healthier coat and circulation. Heaters make the air inside dry during the colder months, which depletes moisture from your dog’s skin and fur. Bathe them less frequently, as this dries the skin. If the dog needs a bath, use a conditioning rinse.
- If the ground is cold or slippery, those little booties go beyond cute. They protect a dog’s pads from temperature extremes.
- If you live in an area where salt is used to defrost streets, a little petroleum jelly on the pads will help soothe them.
- Please, please bang on the hood of your car before you start it! Cats are known to climb into an engine that’s still warm and fall asleep. (This is another reason to keep cats indoors.)
- Add blankets to your pet’s-emergency preparedness pet kit.
- Don’t overdo it, but give your cat or dog a little extra to eat to build up the winter bulk.
If it’s too cold for you, it’s too cold for the dog and the cat. Warm wishes to all of you!
Cats are smarter than dogs. You can not get eight cats to pull a sled through snow.
~ Jeff Valdez, media producer