A general misconception most people have about animals is that winters won't affect them because they have a coat of fur. They believe that animals can withstand cold better than humans because their fur coat will keep them warm.
If this is how you think too. Then you can't be 'wronger' than wrong.
Like humans, animals too can feel seasons. They are prone to heat strokes during summers just as much as they are prone to catching a cold. The cold weather can be just as hard on strays as it is on pets and people.
Whether you live in Karachi, Lahore or any other part of Pakistan - the cold weather can be just as harsh to the animals as it is to you and maybe more. We all are big on not forcing pets outside during the cold weather because it can lead to serious illness. But what about the stray animals? What about the birds, cats, dogs and other stray animals who have no choice but to stay out in the cold?
How can you help stray animals during winters?
Here are 5 Tips on How You Can Help Strays Stay Warm During Winters
1. Bring Them In
Now I don't say this lightly when I say, help the strays. The first thing you need to ask yourself if you want to really help stray animals is what can you do to comfort them? Can you adopt an animal? If you can't then can you take it to a shelter? If the shelters are full and not taking in any more animals, then what is it that you can do in your maximum capacity to help them stay warm?
I have over a dozen stray cats and sometimes dogs too that me and my family care for, so I know what I am saying. Offer a stray animals some space in your garage or backyard. Better yet, adopt it if possible.
2. Create Warm Beds
Most strays can keep themselves warm in the sunlight during the day time so it's the night time when they especially need your help. Have old worn out baskets or cardboard boxes which you were planning on throwing out? How about recycling them for strays as beds?
If bringing an animal in is not an option then you can help them survive the cold by providing the strays with shelter with a sturdy cardboard box lined with a thick towel or a soft pillow that will make for a warm bed on chilly night.
3. Offer Food & Water
Regular food and water is a major issue for stray animals. They have the most difficult time finding food and water. Sometimes they cannot find it for days and some even starve to death from the lack of it.
By keeping a bowl of fresh water and food outside your house, be it summer or winter, you can help so many stray animals survive and fight off hunger.
4. Check Under the Hood
If you own a car or drive one, in winters please be careful before starting your car. Always check under the hood of your car because cats and small animals tend to seek shelter in warm and dry places, crawling under the hood of the car and falling asleep. So many kittens and cats die every year in winters only because the drivers fail to open the hood of their cars and check.
Kittens are smaller in size and hide easily so make sure you bang something on the engine or under the car's hood just so you can scare them enough to come out of their hiding place.
5. Feed the Birds
Keep a bowl of 'bajra' or grain that birds like to eat out in the open, possibly on the rooftop of your house or a balcony. In areas where there is snow, animals have a hard time finding food and by keeping a bowl of fresh food every day you are saving them hours of hassle and energy.
There is so much more that you can do for stray animals. There are things you can recycle and ways you can provide food and shelter for those in need. In any case... if all else fails... donate to a shelter and leave regular bowls of food & water outside your house.
