It's going to be another Cold Paws day, Q13 Fox News meteorologist M.J. McDermott, "reported" on this morning's Pet Walk Forecast, which you don't really watch for the weather but for pet photos. Today, the forecast star was Cooper, an Australian shepherd with Elizabeth Taylor-blue eyes.
The Pet Walk Forecast has been around since 2000. Apparently, it was started on a lark when fellow Q13 meteorologist, Walter Kelley, featured a viewer-supplied shot of a dog named Buddy wearing a rain coat with an umbrella and the message, "Buddy says it's going to rain today." A few months later, another Buddy photo, this time in Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses, accompanied a sunny day prediction. Kelley started to request images and the furry forecast was born. Get the gist of the thing in a YouTube clip [1] capturing a cat named Shadow's seven seconds of fame, view the Pet Walk photo archive [2], or send your best buddy's headshot to MJ@Q13.com [3].
For Renzo, the husky-mix I recently adopted from a Fairbanks rescue -- where the mercury this time of year regularly dips to 40 degrees below zero -- these sorts of temperatures are puppy play. But local dogs and cats aren't used to this cold. The Seattle Humane Society [4] recently posted a few sensible precautions for protecting pets [5]during this cold snap.
Some of them are pretty logical. No short clips right now. Sweaters for short-haired dogs. More food, especially protein, to keep bodies and fur in chill-fighting form. But two tips stood out for me.
One was a reminder about seasonal poisons, stuff like antifreeze and road salt. You know the way dogs or cats will groom their fur after an outing, especially on wet days? The Humane Society suggests wiping their paws, legs and stomachs when they come in, so they won't ingest any nasty chemicals picked up outside.
Also, outdoor cats -- yours, your neighbors, or just free-roaming types -- like to climb under the hoods of cars for warmth. Be safe by banging loudly on you car's hood before starting your engine, to give sleeping cats a chance to skedaddle.
From dogsledding in Fairbanks to tracking down lost pups with a pet detective in Fresno, Pet Dish blogger Lisa Wogan explores the world of dogs and their people for Bark magazine, and in books such as Unleashed: Climbing Canines, Hiking Hounds, Fishing Fidos, and Other Daring Dogs . She lives in Seattle with two dogs, Lulu and Renzo.
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