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MetPet.com Staff Writer
Domesticated animals do not often live in their natural
surroundings and are often unable to live with the weather without some help. Most cats are
creatures of the desert and love temperatures that are uncomfortably high
for us. Dogs, especially those with short, fine hair, can feel chilly even in the middle of summer. They really need extra help in the fall and winter to maintain their body heat especially when sleeping. For some dogs, clothing is a necessity rather than a luxury. Exposure
to constant chill and damp is tough on everyone but is especially hard on
the very young, the very old or the sick. It makes sense to invest in
warmth in order to avoid having a sick pet
or a young pet that fails to thrive. The warm zone can include a bed and blanket, a space heater or a floor vent. It can also include a microwaveable or plug-in heating pad, blanket or throw made especially for pets or a kennel with a blanket covering. Since heat rises, a teepee style pet bed or a tent made from a blanket and two chairs will help keep heat near your pet instead of on the ceiling. Choose an area that isn't directly in front of a door, doesn't have drafts and is contained as much as possible by walls or by furniture. Space under a desk can be made into a den simply by adding a bed covered by a blanket. For cats, a warm zone can be as simple as an empty file or kitchen drawer lined with a blanket or towel and made so it can't close and lock kitty inside. Other cats and small dogs enjoy a blanket or thick towel placed underneath a chair or bed or even a large basket stuffed with a down-filled or fleece throw and placed underneath a shelf. Still others find a warm refuge in the linen cabinet or even in the laundry hamper. If you have a good southern exposure, you can take advantage of winter sunshine and put the warm zone near a window. Otherwise, windows are a big source of heat loss so warm zones should be against windowless and, preferably, interior walls. Another source of heat are gas fireplaces with pilot lights. They add a bit of warmth even when they're not 'on'. Pet Safe Heating Pads These are an option when electrical appliances are too dangerous or
inconvenient. These are very nice for the stray cat that may be camped
out in the garage or in the yard outside. Another option is a thermal pad that gathers and reflects your pet's own heat back. This type of pad does not require any electricity although the material does make a crinkly noise that frightens some cats away. Mats and discs have a smaller coverage area than other heating devices. For multiple animals sharing the same space, a space heater may be more economical and efficient.
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It
is cold out there! Unless your cat,
dog, parrot or gerbil has a coat like a polar bear and is spending the fall
and winter trying to keep cool, he may be colder and less comfortable than
you think.
There
is no need to keep the entire house toasty if you can segment the house
into warm zones. Segment out a room or a corner of a room as a warm
zone for your pet. Since heat rises, the upstairs and the top of the
room (say on top of a shelf) will be warmer than the downstairs or the floor of
a room.
These discs are placed into the microwave for a few minutes and then
dispense heat
for 6-12 hours depending on how cold it is. An optional
cover can keep it from being too hot or it can be placed under a mat or
folded blanket.
