We’ve been having an “arctic blast” here in the Pacific Northwest… and boy has it been COLD! I worry about keeping my dogs warm when we’re out walking — I bundle up with coat, hat, and gloves, but they’re out there in just their fur.
My dogs Moose and Lally tolerate wearing clothes reasonably well. So if I were to buy them coats to wear, I think they would be willing to wear them. But booties to protect their feet? No way. A hat to protect their ears? Doubtful.
So what can you do to protect your pets from the cold on short outings? Keeping the walks short is a good one — don’t stay out in the cold too long. You might need to up the number of walks in order to make sure your dog gets enough exercise and potty time. You can also up the pace of your walks — if you and the pups can keep moving, you’ll feel a little warmer. Save longer walks for when (if) the sun is out, rather than before or after the sun is up.
In the house, make sure your pet has a bed off the cold floor and away from outside walls (which may feel colder than inside walls). Keep pet beds out of drafty areas, too. If your pets like to nest, offer a pile of blankets or towels for them to burrow into. There are beds out there that reflect body heat, helping to keep a pet warm while they snooze.
I also worry about the feral cats who hang out behind the cats-only boarding facility where I work. When the colder weather hits, we take our old, beat-up towels and tuck them into the two little shelters out back.
One trick I learned from a feral cat rescue is to use Styrofoam coolers as shelters for outdoor pets. Coolers can keep the cold in when you’re picnicking or keep the cold out for those wintery nights. You can use a jigsaw to cut a door in the cooler, then line the inside with straw, towels, or blankets.
In general, a smaller space is better than a bigger one — the more space there is inside, the harder time an animal will have staying warm. In a more enclosed space, the animal’s body heat can keep things nice and toasty.
Make sure your pets — indoor or out — always have plenty of fresh water available and healthy meals to fuel their systems. When the weather is cold, you may have to check water dishes several times a day to make sure things haven’t iced over.