Yes, It's Winter!

Brrrrrrrr! Fur baby, it's cold outside! New Orleans hasn't seen this much consistent hat, glove, and heavy coat weather in years - so much for mild winters and pets not needing sweaters... if the early cold snap and subsequent bouts of freezing temperatures didn't clue you in, it seems Jack Frost has decided he's been neglecting the Gulf South.

"Sneaux Day" 2018 photo courtesy of Nola harpist Jesse Autumn.

Some animals are perfectly at home in cold weather while others just want to cuddle up someplace warm. Is your BFF showing signs of wanting to hibernate? Refusing to go outside for a potty break? Whining or acting a bit more clingy? There's a pretty good chance they are feeling the cold.

Turning up the heat when you're home is easy enough, but most of us work during the day, and that means fur babies and other companion animals are home alone for several hours with a need to stay warm. Regulating indoor temperatures is easy enough if you have central heat, but for many of those in drafty old houses, space heaters are the norm and that presents a number of potential safety issues from burns to fire.

Christy's Cat Harold doesn't have an undercoat and is not a fan of the cold.

The best way to keep your baby warm when you're away is to take steps to make sure that no heat can escape from their "holding" area. Eventually the inside temperature will drop after you leave as the indoor air starts to fall to match the outdoor air. How soon things change depends on the size of your home and the steps you take to keep winter from creeping in.

If there are drafty areas in your home it's going to be that much harder to keep the temperature indoors above the temperature outdoors. Make sure you've sealed up any problem spots. If possible, close all doors to rooms not in use to help hold the heat in the part of the house where your BFF will be hanging out in your absence.

Since the usual measures to provide extra warmth to your home like space heaters can't be employed when you're not there, your fur baby will need another means of keeping warm. They'll also need to stay hydrated so make sure they have access to water.

PPC client, Brody, cozily snuggled up under a blanket.

Are there areas of your home that naturally stay warmer than others? Place rugs and extra bedding in spots where animals can take advantage full of advantage of their use and limit exposure to cold surfaces such as tile floors. Use draft dodgers, towels or even old sweats at the base of doors to help hold in heat.

As long as the temperature stays at around 40 degrees most house pets will be fine without heat until you return. (Try to not leave them alone for several hours when the indoor temperature can drop below freezing.) Freely roaming animals such as cats and dogs will naturally seek out the warmer spots in your home, but animals in cages will need help from you.

So how can you tell if your home is warm enough? Put thermometers in every room - the old school kind. You'll have instant access to information right at the source when trying to determine which areas stay warmest.

Our client, Girlie, staying warm in her home's linen closet.

Make sure you know what is too cold for your animal to handle. While some pets will be okay if it gets a little chilly, if rabbits get too cold they can experience a life-threatening condition called gastrointestinal stasis. Hamsters will go into hibernation if the room temperature drops too low around them, and that temperature for a hamster varies according to type.

As a precaution, you can place extra nesting materials in a corner of your hamster's cage; if they start to significantly increase the size of it's nest, this is a sign it may be too cold for them. Birds, like animals with undercoats, have layers of feathers that may insulate them, but sudden drastic changes in temperature could cause hypothermia.

Our client, Wolf, sitting on his window seat; note the padding.

Cats will tuck their paws and noses when they are trying to stay warm. Dogs may similarly curl into a ball to try and conserve body heat. Pay attention to your pet's activity and call your vet if in doubt, especially if you see signs of lethargy. As you're trying to provide opportunities for your fur baby to stay warm, be aware that human heating pads are not designed for continuous use and are not recommended for pets. There are, however, self-heating beds and heating pads designed specifically for dogs and cats that are usually incorporated into a bed or a cat "house."

Remember that when you're away you're trying to maintain the temperature that is comfortable for your pet not for you. Just as you don't want to expose them to temperatures that are too cold, you don't want to overdo it either. Air that is too warm and too dry can actually cause skin or respiratory problems.

If your dog or cat wears a sweater to stay warm, make sure to have more than one on hand. If the sweater gets wet for any reason it can lose its warming effect. Having an additional sweater will allow your baby to stay warm while the wet one dries. Even with the sweater you'll still want to leave rugs or mats for them to lie on to avoid losing body heat. Lying on the bare, cold floor can expose them to hypothermia.

For more info on taking care of pets in winter, see our Pinterest board, Winter Pet Care.

Useful links:

Cold Weather Pet Safety

How to Keep Your Indoor Cats Comfortable During the Winter

How Cold is Too Cold for Your Dog?

Ideal Temperature Ranges for Parrots

9 Ways to Keep Your Home Warm Without Turning Up the Heat

The Heat Is On!

It's that time of year again and the heat is on! Summer is in full swing and already the humidity levels are making it difficult to be outdoors for any length of time. For pet parents, summer is additionally challenging because the increased heat and intermittent rain storms also mean a number of backyard pests will have the ideal conditions to be fruitful and multiply.

Here in the deep south, biting insects such as mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks can be a problem at any time of the year, but they are a particular headache during the summer months when both people and pets are spending more time outdoors. These pests are a nuisance for the entire family, particularly because of the potential health hazards they can cause.

It's important to remember that mosquitoes can spread heartworms, fleas can spread tapeworms, and ticks can spread Lyme as well as other diseases, and those are just the problems they cause for pets! The more time your animals spend outside, the more important it will be to keep up their regular vet visits and medications that protect against these pests.

Dogs and cats aren't the only animals that can be seriously affected by these common outdoor pests. More and more people are keeping rabbits and chickens penned and cooped in the backyard and these need to be protected as well.

While it's impossible to eradicate the entire mosquito population, we already know there is a lot we can do on the preventive end to keep them at bay, from getting rid of standing water to using aromatic plants such as citronella geranium to discourage them from making themselves at home in the yard.

When it comes to deterring and fleas and ticks it's important to keep lawns and recreation areas free of leaves other debris that could provide them with a place to hide and breed. You can also create barriers around the edge of the yard with wood chips or gravel.

While getting ahead of pests is essential to summer safety, it's also important to give pets any protection you can from the intense heat. Don't forget that sidewalks and other paved surfaces heat up in the sun and can burn pet paws. Doggie boots can go a long way to keeping your pup's tender pads protected.

If your pets are going to be outside for an extended period of time, make sure they have access to adequate shade as well as an ample supply of fresh water.  Don't forget your pet can also suffer heatstroke! This brings up a topic that can not be overstated at this time of the year: Never, never, never leave your pet locked in a hot car.

Helpful links:

Keep Pets Safe in the Heat

Keeping Rabbits Cool is Crucial in Summer Heat

Dog Friendly Decks: Natural, Dog Safe Mosquito Control

Flea and Tick Season: When to Use What Treatment

Preventing Ticks in Your Yard