Baby it's cold outside.

On Saturday December 21, our state was hit by an ice storm, and wow what a mess. I only lost my power for about five minutes, and felt very fortunate. Some people in our area are still without power. I am not sure how I would have coped with five cats and one dog. Of course they do have fur, but still the cold does effect them. Especially cats, if you have one you know that any blanket not tied down is fair game for a cozy cover up, you know that lump underneath it is not a bed made wrong it is a cat. Cat's internal temperature is much warmer than ours. They can if given a good place to stay can of course stay outside if that is the type of cat they are. You just need to make sure if they are barn cats there is plenty of wind cover and a small shelter with a blanket to get into. A dog house is even ideal that has straw around it and bedding inside. Make sure they have fresh water, as of course it freezes. Also please watch all your animals for signs of stress in the cold weather. Jake the dog loves to go outside and roll in the snow, and as he is a long haired dog, he gets lots of snow balls attached to his fur, you have to stop him at the door and check the pads of his feet for snow, also if you put salt down you need to make sure to wipe their feet with an washcloth rinsed in warm water. If they have any little cuts it will smart like heck and make them crabby. Also if you have any elderly neighbors with pets check in on them and see if the need any help walking the dog or such, they will appreciate it, and hey you might just get a warm feeling in your heart or a nice plate of chocolate chip cookies. Well I need to clean out the litter boxes and feed my furry babies, then on to other things like fluffing a cat or two. Happy Cats.