Baby, It's Cold Outside for Pets

   This is the time of year when warnings about leaving your pet outdoors in the cold weather are everywhere. The temperatures in many parts of the country plunge into the single digits or below. There is a time when it is just too cold for your dog or cat to be out in the elements without proper shelter.

 It would be nice if every pet had a warm cozy bed to relax on beside a roaring fireplace. However, there are many dogs that simply prefer the great outdoors and are bred to withstand the cold. Breeds like the Husky or Newfoundland LOVE the cold and many refuse to come indoors. That doesn’t mean that they should be left without any means of protection from the bitterly cold wind, freezing rain, ice, or snow. Every dog that lives outside should have a dog house that they can take refuge inside when the weather calls for it. Those houses need to have blankets or even hay inside to help keep the dogs warm. You can hang a towel over the door to cut down on the wind.

   Cats are simply not made to endure sub-freezing temperatures although many are forced to do so each winter. You need to make sure that if you have an outdoor cat, there is a place that they can be shielded from the weather. It can be a small dog house or a utility shed, but they should not be left without a warm place out of the elements. Many cats are killed each year because they seek warmth on the tire of a car or in the engine area where it is warm. That is why if you park outside, it is so important to give a short honk of your horn before you start the engine.

   Before winter is over, you will surely read about dogs that were left chained in the yard where they died of hypothermia. In a perfect world, there would be no pets allowed to suffer in the extreme cold. Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world. Many people still consider their pets “just dogs” or believe that because they have fur, they are somehow exempt from feeling the cold. While I strongly disagree with both of these mindsets, I certainly don’t fool myself into believing that I can change their minds. You know the saying, “You can’t fix stupid!” #StupidIsAsStupidDoes

   Here in the south, we usually don’t get the extreme temperatures that our neighbors to the north experience. That means that many pets in our part of the U.S. are left outside all of the time. That being said, if we experience temperatures in the teens, our dogs and cats are no more used to it than we are. I am hoping that everyone will take their pet’s comfort and safety into consideration as we face the winter months ahead.

   I will be the first to admit to being a cold weather wimp. We had considered moving to Colorado and enjoying life in the mountains when we retired. Then I realized I’d probably spend the winter months curled up in a fetal position crying about the sub-zero temperatures! Bentley and Pierre aren’t big fans of the cold either. They both received jackets for Christmas so that we can continue to go on our walks. Normally, I can stay burrowed in my nice warm home until spring. The boys usually go outside to take care of their business and hurry back inside if the temps drop below freezing. Not this year! We are going to bravely get out there and get our exercise. It will do all of us some good and I know that we will be proud after we are done.

Baby, it's cold outside for #pets.You know that they'd never leave you out in the cold. ♥ #Opinion https://t.co/APw903TKbE

— M. K.Clinton (@mk_clinton) January 7, 2016

   How about you? Do you love to frolic in the snow and ice? Let me know in the comments and feel free to share any tips that you use for keeping warm.

This is Thoughtless Thursday’s blog hop with Ruckus  the Eskie, Love is being owned by a Husky, and me! No fancy rules and no need to think…just link!