Creature Comforts

Shannon Pecora

Stream Valley Veterinary Hospital

            When temperatures drop and the possibility of snow and ice is on the horizon, it seems like it would be nice if we all came with warm built-in fur coats.  We think our dogs and cats—and even our rabbits—are lucky because they have that furry luxury.  If they’ve already got coats, they can withstand extended periods of freezing temperatures in the winter climate, right?  Well, not exactly…

            In spring, fall, and even the less extreme conditions of summer, some of us keep our dogs, cats, and rabbits exclusively outdoors, especially in fenced-in yards.  We offer food, water, and options for shelter.  As long as we maintain appropriate flea/tick and heartworm prevention and vaccinations, some pets thrive in the outdoors.

            So it would seem to follow that any outdoor pet could be a year-round outdoor pet.  But winter weather can just be too much to endure, no matter how much furry insulation your pet has.  A plastic dog or cat “igloo” or a wooden and wire rabbit hutch simply can’t offer the protection your pet needs against a snow shower or ice storm.  Even the famously sled-ready and durable Siberian Husky isn’t truly equipped for a twenty-four / seven life out in the snow.  For example, wild dogs use the body heat of the pack to stay warm, but a lone dog in his back yard does not have this opportunity.

            Our seemingly prepared pets aren’t meant for solely-outdoor living because, over the years, they’ve been bred to adapt to our comfortable home lives, complete with energy-efficient insulation, automatic gas fireplaces, and digitally controlled heating systems.  We do our best to keep our houses fixed in the mid-seventies, and all kinds of pets, from hamsters to hounds, from parakeets to Persians, have grown to enjoy that temperature regulation, too.  Some pets are even used to wearing coats and boots and sleeping with fleece blankets just like we do—have you checked out the pets section of an L. L. Bean catalogue lately?!

            Therefore, it’s important to remember the “reverse evolution” that our pets have gone through.  While they may share ancestry with the modern day timber wolf, snow leopard, or arctic hare, they don’t share the same winter survival skills.  So, when you spend the holidays gathered around the warmth of a crackling fire, consider including your pet in that family time.  It just may be one of the best gifts you could offer your pet this time of year!

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