During this holiday time of giving, we should also remember the animals in our lives, domestic or wild. Each December, my resident and rescue cats get treated to additional heated beds, window seats (can never have enough of them), automatic drinking fountains, old-fashioned toys and electronic ones that keep cats of all ages entertained until the batteries go dead. One of my cats’ favorite (and thankfully inexpensive) toys is The Cat Dancer (sold at Across the Way), a piece of rolled cardboard on a stiff wire that bounces with the enthusiasm of a Broadway dancer. 

With my cats warm, cozy and entertained inside, my thoughts turn to animals outdoors that are cold, hungry and thirsty. Homeless dogs and cats are even more vulnerable to freezing to death than humans because their normal body temperatures are so much higher. Animals also get frostbite and hypothermia very quickly. And sadly, because of the increase in artificial lighting everywhere around us, feral cats may never go out of estrus and are giving birth 12 months of the year, delivering kittens in snow and ice storms. 

Water, in liquid form, is a real gift to animals in the winter. We tend to forget that water supplies become less available to outside animals once the temperature hits freezing. While animals can live with reduced amounts of food, they cannot live without water. A real winter lifesaver is an outside water heater (found online or in pet-stores) with specially designed water-submersion coils, or a heated water bowl to place outside during the winter. Mammals and birds both benefit.

Warm shelters are a gift for any creature in need. Go to www.AlleyCatAllies.com for instructions on how to build a cozy refuge out of a purchased storage container or even a large styrofoam box like those used to ship food. Remember that cardboard boxes with blankets do not provide adequate warmth for animals. Blankets retain moisture and freeze. The best insulator in any container is straw, available at any garden center. Animals burrow into it; straw traps body heat and dries easily. 

Please, please, please feed the birds. Gift them with a few birdhouses, tray feeders, misters or suet holders. You don’t have to buy expensive preformed suet cakes. You can make your own inexpensively; check online for recipes. Debris piles from garden cleanup, fallen branches and pruned limbs can provide excellent night roosting sites and shelter from the weather. 

And don’t forget one of the most essential creatures on the planet — our bats. Bat boxes are an excellent and unique gift for that human friend who has everything. We need to welcome bats into our neighborhoods as they help us stay bug-free at night. 

I would be remiss if I did not remind readers to remember the animal rescues and rehab centers that help care for animals, domestic and wild, throughout the year. Most are run by volunteers who use their own funds to care for the animals they take in, and get no support from the state, county or city. They are fueled by compassion and donations and are always in need of supplies, volunteers and money.