Cold Weather Safety Tips For Your Pets

Don’t forget to keep your furry friends warm and cozy this winter!  Here are a few helpful tips from Rescue Village to make sure the animals in your life stay safe and snuggly all through the winter months!

• Bundle up! Create a cozy spot for them inside using bedding or blankets. Make sure it is away from drafty areas of your home. See if your pet will wear sweaters, coats, and/or booties when going outside! Not only will they be more comfortable, they will also look pretty adorable.
• Puppy Pawdicures: If they have longer fur, you can reduce the amount of snow that collects between your pet’s toes by clipping the fur between toe pads. Also, be sure to rinse your pet’s paws with warm water and wipe them dry each time they come inside. Make sure wherever you are putting down salt, that it is the pet-safe kind.
• Hey, More HAY! Make sure to have plenty of hay to eat and bedding for extra warmth for all of your barn critters! They will greatly appreciate a little extra lining in their stalls and in their bellies. Some of the adoptable pigs at Rescue Village really enjoy snuggling under big thick comforters and blankets that we place in their stalls.
• Fresh never frozen: Make sure all of your animals have lots of fresh water (liquid not frozen) to drink, especially if they are outdoor animals. Use deeper containers and change the water frequently. If you are feeding an outdoor cat and can keep it from freezing, give it wet food. It is easier for them to digest so they can save more energy for keeping warm!
• Pop your hood: Before starting your car, give the hood a tap and check between the tires. Believe it or not, cats will sometimes crawl into the engine or hide underneath the car for warmth.
• Don’t forget the neighborhood stray! Stray cats need extra winter warmth too! Make a homemade cozy cat shelter by cutting a hole in a plastic container and a hole in a foam cooler, lining them with lots of hay for insulation, placing the cooler inside of the container and covering the container with its lid (See more detailed instructions here). While you’re at it don’t forget to check the stray cat for an ear tip and bring it into Rescue Village on a TNR day if it doesn’t have one!
• When in doubt, keep them inside. Whenever possible, if the temperatures drop, keep your pets inside as much as possible. Quick poddy breaks if they have to go outside and then right back into the warmth! If you have an indoor/outdoor kitty, make sure to get them back inside until the temperatures go back up again. Remember, if it’s too cold for you, it’s probably too cold for them!

If you see an animal outside with no access to shelter at a time when you think it might be unsafe for them, please do not hesitate to contact our Humane Agent and report the situation. Stay safe and warm everyone!