How do I keep a pet comfortable in winter?

Winter advice for pets tends to be applied indiscriminately, which is why you see huskies in coats. The useful question is which animals cannot manage the cold themselves, and the answer is fairly specific. Beyond that, the winter risks are mostly chemical and mechanical — grit, salt, antifreeze and ice — rather than the temperature itself.

Safety

What you'll need

• A towel by the door
• A well-fitted dog coat for the animals that need one (optional)
• Extra hay and insulation for outdoor small pets (optional)
• A reflective or light-up collar (optional)

Step by step

1. Work out whether your animal actually needs help.Thin or single-coated breeds such as greyhounds, whippets and staffies, very small dogs, puppies, elderly dogs, arthritic animals, and any pet that is unwell or underweight genuinely feel the cold. Thick double-coated breeds do not, and putting a coat on one can make it uncomfortable. Cats regulate themselves well but old and thin cats seek warmth and should be given it.
2. Fit a coat properly if you use one.It should cover the back from the base of the neck to the base of the tail and the chest, not restrict the shoulders, and stay dry. A wet coat is worse than no coat, so it needs to come off indoors and be dried between walks.
3. Rinse and dry paws after every walk.Rock salt and grit irritate the skin between the pads and are harmful if licked off, and compacted snow and ice between the toes is painful. A bowl of lukewarm water and a towel by the door takes thirty seconds. Do not use warm-to-hot water on cold paws.
4. Treat antifreeze as the season's main poisoning risk.It is sweet, animals will drink it, and tiny quantities are lethal, particularly to cats. Store it and screenwash containing it locked away, wipe up spills on the drive immediately, and check where you park. Any suspected contact is a same-hour veterinary emergency.
5. Move the beds.Off cold hard floors, out of draughts, away from external doors, and not right against a radiator either. A raised bed with a thick base, or a bed with sides, holds warmth far better than a flat mat on tiles. Arthritic dogs and old cats particularly benefit from an insulated bed.
6. Adjust the walks rather than cancelling them.Shorter and more frequent for thin-coated and elderly dogs. Allow extra warm-up time for an arthritic dog, which will be stiffer in the cold. Avoid frozen ponds and rivers entirely — dogs go through ice, and people who follow them are the ones who die.
7. Make the dog visible.Dark afternoons mean most winter walks are in the dark. A reflective harness or coat, a light-up collar, and a torch. Drivers and cyclists genuinely do not see a dark dog on an unlit path.
8. Look after outdoor rabbits and guinea pigs specifically.They can live outdoors through a British winter but need real preparation: a hutch raised off the ground, moved to a sheltered spot out of wind and rain, extra bedding hay, an insulating cover that still allows ventilation, and water checked at least twice a day for freezing. A bottle freezes before an open bowl does, so many owners use both. Guinea pigs are less cold-tolerant than rabbits and are often better moved to a shed or garage — but never one where a car is run.
9. Check outbuildings and under cars before starting the engine.Cats sit on warm engines and in open sheds and garages. Bang on the bonnet before starting the car in cold weather, and check sheds before locking them.
10. Watch the weight and the water.Animals may eat more if they are outdoors in the cold and less if walks are shorter — check the body condition monthly rather than assuming. Indoor heating dries the air, so keep water topped up, and check outdoor bowls are not frozen.

Tips

• A coat on a wet dog does nothing useful. Dry the dog first, then put the coat on for the next outing.
• Older arthritic pets stiffen noticeably in cold weather. If your dog or cat is markedly worse in winter, that is a reason to talk to the vet about pain relief rather than something to accept.
• Cats will find the warmest spot in the house on their own. What they cannot do is get out of a shed you have locked them in, so check before you close anything.

Common mistakes

• Putting a coat on a thick double-coated dog — The undercoat already insulates, and an added layer can cause overheating and discomfort. Coats are for thin-coated, small, young, old and unwell animals.
• Not washing salt and grit off paws — It irritates the skin between the pads and is harmful if licked off. It takes half a minute and prevents a common winter complaint.
• Leaving antifreeze or treated screenwash accessible — It is sweet and lethal in tiny amounts, and it is the single most serious winter poisoning risk for cats in particular.
• Leaving an outdoor rabbit's hutch where it was in summer — It needs moving out of prevailing wind and rain, raising off the ground and insulating, and the water needs checking twice daily for ice.

If it doesn't work

Questions people ask