For The Pets

Winter has come, and with it a whole slew of preparations to keep your home happy and healthy throughout the season. We recommend during the winter months you do things to be energy efficient, like keep your heat to a minimum. For most people, this means lowering the heat while nobody is home, but for some of us there’s never “nobody home.” So, what’s the ideal temperature when you’re away and your pets are stuck inside? When setting your away temperature, consider the following characteristics for your pets comfort:
–Size: The size of your pet matters! Not because they need to fit into a size 6 jeans, but because if they’re smaller, they typically run cooler. This is the opposite for larger pets, they usually run hot.
–Coat thickness: Pets with thick coats are better at handling cooler temperatures, they often overheat before their owners will. Pay attention to your furry friends that pant, or clean themselves incessantly. Cats clean themselves as a way to cool off, as well as for grooming. If it’s too hot, you know to lower the temp. Pets who have slick short coats feel better in warmer temperatures as they retain less body heat.
–Age: Young puppies or kittens are often not equipped to handle cooler temperatures, and benefit from keeping things toasty. Middle aged animals are capable of handling cooler temps, but if it’s too cold for you it’s probably too cold for them. Older animals require warmer temperatures as well, and this is especially true of pets with joint or bone problems.
–Weight: This is similar to how it works for humans, the heavier your pet is the more insulated they are. If your pet is on the heavier end, they are less likely to get chilly while you’re out.

During winter months, it’s important to keep the temperature comfortable for everyone in your home. When you’re at home during the winter, try to keep the temperature between 69 and 72 degrees. The higher end for those little fuzzy ones and the lower temperatures for your burly hound or extra fluffy kitty. When everybody is out, our recommended temperature is no lower than 60 degrees. Providing your pet with warm bedding and cozy places to nap will allow you to keep the temp cooler and closer to that 60 degree mark. If your home is full of tile and hardwood floors, 60 may even be a little too chilly. It’s important to keep in mind that each pet is different, there are many differences in breed on top of huge differences in species. We are writing this article to the average, but for further knowledge on the subject please continue and further your own research!