Weather Advisory: Bring Pets in From the Cold !

It’s a fallacy that just because dogs and cats have fur they can survive severe cold weather outdoors. Pets suffer  from frost bite and die from hypothermia as people do!

Cheryl Nelson a weather and preparedness advisor for Cummins, manufacturers and distributors of   power generation products has these tips for pet parents everywhere as those winter storms are getting started!

• Keep your pets inside the home or a barn as there are many dangers outside during the winter.  Curious pets could also attempt to wander onto a frozen lake on thin ice, or seek warmth under a car hood. If indoor pets are used to the house being at a certain temperature, keep your heat on even while you’re at work or out of town.
• Make sure you keep antifreeze away from your pets and clean up any spills or leaks immediately. Pets are attracted to the sweetness of antifreeze, but antifreeze is very dangerous for pets.
• Block off potentially dangerous heat sources to prevent your pets from getting burnt.Pets are curious and make want to get a closer look at the wood-burning stove, radiator or fireplace.
• Keep extra towels handy. You may need these to wipe off your pets paws if they spend time outside.  Protect their paws from rock salt and ice by applying paw balm (always check with your veterinarian first) before going outside and wiping their paws clean with a warm wet rag after coming back inside.
• Winter storms can cause trees and power lines to fall – knocking out power for hours, days, weeks or longer. Consider investing in a home standby generator  that turns on the moment the power goes out and stays on for the duration of the outage, giving you peace of mind and a warm, cozy home.
• If you look after feral cats, there are special outdoor houses designed for the that can offer them protection of th extreme cold.