Winter Pet Safety: Keeping Your Pets Safe All Season Long


As temperatures drop, it’s important to take a few extra steps to keep your pets safe, warm, and healthy this winter!

❄️ Keep Them Warm

  • Bring pets indoors: If it’s too cold for you, it’s too cold for them. Pets can suffer from frostbite and hypothermia just like humans.

  • Limit outdoor time: Shorten walks on very cold, windy, or wet days — especially for small, senior, or short-coated pets.

  • Bundle up: Consider a sweater or coat for dogs with short fur, thin builds, or low body fat.

🐕‍🦺 Protect Paws

  • Wipe paws after walks: Salt, ice melt, and chemicals can irritate paw pads and cause burns if licked.

  • Use pet-safe deicers: If you treat your sidewalks or driveway, choose products labeled safe for pets.

  • Check for cracks or redness: Keep paw pads moisturized to prevent splitting.

🚗 Watch Out for Hidden Hazards

  • Check under your car: Outdoor cats sometimes crawl into wheel wells or under hoods to stay warm. Tap your hood before starting your car.

  • Avoid antifreeze: Even a small amount of antifreeze can be deadly to pets. Clean up spills immediately and store products out of reach.

🍲 Keep Them Nourished

  • Adjust food intake if needed: Pets who spend more time outside may need a few extra calories to maintain body heat, while indoor pets may need less if they’re less active.

  • Ensure fresh, unfrozen water: Check outdoor water bowls often and use heated water bowls if needed.

🛏️ Create a Cozy Space

  • Provide warm bedding: Keep their bed away from drafts and off cold floors.

  • Use blankets or raised beds: Simple additions can make a big difference in warmth and comfort.

🏠 Provide Proper Outdoor Shelter

  • Straw is for strays! If you're caring for outdoor pets or community cats, provide a sturdy, insulated shelter filled with straw for bedding — NOT hay, blankets, towels, or other fabrics.

  • Why straw? Straw repels moisture and helps trap heat, keeping animals warmer and drier. Hay, blankets, and towels absorb moisture and can become damp or frozen, making animals even colder.

  • Keep shelters dry and protected: Position shelters away from wind and precipitation, elevate them slightly off the ground, and make sure entrances are just large enough for cats to enter and exit.

🐱 Remember: Straw is for strays, hay is for horses! This simple distinction can make a lifesaving difference for outdoor cats (and dogs) during freezing temperatures.

💉 Stay on Top of Health & Preventatives

  • Don’t skip flea/tick and heartworm prevention: Pests can survive mild winters.

  • Schedule a winter wellness check: Older pets and those with arthritis may need extra support when it’s cold.

BG Hamrick