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Hi, I'm Dr. Colleen and this is another edition of Petsecure pet health tips.
Today we're talking about winter hazards and your cat.
In the winter, we all want to keep warm, but we need to be aware of the hazards in the home to keep our cats safe.
Most of us keep our cats indoors in the wintertime and that's the safest place for them to be.
However, we do need to be concerned about other hazards that come about with the cold weather.
Things like have candles lit more often or lighting your fireplace and having a roaring fire going.
We want to make sure that cats can't singe their whiskers or catch their tails on fire.
By keeping fireplace screens in place and candles out of reach, we can prevent our cats from getting singed whiskers or actually being burned by fire.
Fire is not the only hazard we have. Space heaters may also present a hazard.
Your cat may enjoy cuddling up against a heater but that can actually cause thermal burns that you won't see very easily until it's actually caused a lot of damage to your cat.
If your cat does go outside, he or she may seek shelter in a garage or perhaps a shed. We want to make sure you keep your cat out for as short a time as possible to prevent that particular occurrence.
Frostbite or hypothermia for cats who are outdoors for any length of time with no shelter are also grave concerns.
If you do notice the effects of any of these hazards, please take your cat to the veterinarian right away for a full assessment and check-up.