Residents should include pets in their freeze plans when temperatures dip near or below freezing. The same provisions taken for humans should also be put into place for pets.
Pet owners should take the following precautions:
- Pets should not be kept outdoors during the cold weather. Adequate shelter from the elements should be provided. Like humans, they can also suffer from hypothermia and frost bite. Ear tips are especially susceptible to frostbite.
- If you cannot bring your pets indoors, their outdoor shelter should provide adequate protection from high winds and lower temperatures. Provide them with a sheltered enclosure and include blankets and pillows to provide them with additional warmth.
- Be aware that puppies and kittens and senior pets are particularly sensitive to colder temperatures and should never be left outdoors.
- Gas furnaces and electric heaters should not be left on in a home unattended. It can create a fire hazard and animals left alone cannot signal for help.
- Be cautious if your cat likes being outside. Cats left outdoors have a particular hazard; they often crawl into a warm car engine to get warm. When that engine is next started up, the cat can be seriously injured or killed by the fan blade or belt. It's much safer to keep your cat indoors in cold temperatures.