HELOISE: Outdoor pets need some extra care

Dear Readers: Winter and cold weather mean outside pets need extra care. Here are some hints to keep in mind:

Pet shelters and doghouses should be kept dry and up off the ground.

The doghouse should be the correct size for the dog; larger is not better.

Fresh, clean water is a must; check it often so it doesn’t freeze.

Outdoor pets need to consume more calories (to keep their energy up) than indoor pets.

The best place for our furry friends in the winter? Ideally, indoors.

Heloise

Dear Readers: Cathy Brookshire of Fort Wayne, Ind., sent a picture of her 3-year-old black-and-white cat, Murphy. Murphy is lying on top of the fax machine (maybe because it’s warm), watching for incoming faxes; he’s all business! To see Murphy and our other Pet Pals, visit www.Heloise.com and click on “Pets.”

Heloise

Dear Heloise: When preparing to evacuate for a hurricane, my daughter could not find enough pet carriers for her cats. My clever husband came to the rescue with a large, plastic storage bin with a lid. He drilled lots of air holes in the sides and the lid, and put the cats in their new “home.” The cats traveled quite safely and even stayed in the boxes minus the lids upon arrival. We also keep bags of food, hay, fresh cedar shavings and bottled water in an emergency box for our other small pets. We are prepared!

Barbara in Texas

If you live in a disaster-prone area — whether hurricanes, floods, fires, earthquakes, mudslides or tornadoes — and have pets, you should be prepared with a “pets-to-go” tote.

Heloise

Dear Heloise: I just thought of a wonderful pet tip for bathing small animals, such as cats. I took a deep, plastic storage tote bin, put it in the bathtub and used a large pitcher for water. I turned the faucet on and bathed my cat inside the bin. This made it really hard for her to jump out of the tub. I emptied the bin into the yard without getting hair in my bathtub. Just be sure not to get so much water in the bin that you can’t lift it. I hope this will help others with a safe and convenient way to bathe pets.

J. Thompson in Huntington, Ind.

Dear Heloise: When my family and I go away for vacation, our neighbors help us with feeding my fish. I got the correct portion of fish food and placed it in a cupcake liner. I set up seven of these, because we were gone for a week. This made feeding the fish very easy for my neighbors.

Jim in Newark, N.J.

Dear Readers: If you have pets, think about including them in your will. If something happens to you, you want to make sure your pets are taken care of.

Heloise

Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, fax it to 210-HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.

King Features Syndicate