Saturday, December 29, 2018

Christmas Continues On and On and On

Guess what? It's still Christmas! At least, to us it is. As we've said before, we celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas, of which Christmas Day itself is only the first. That means today we're at the Fifth Day of Christmas, and so our Christmas doodles continue on.


Prepare yourself for a few more days of Christmas doodles, because I won't be able to bring myself to stop until the Twelve Days of Christmas are over.

Merry Fifth Day of Christmas!

P.S. Stop by tomorrow to see the wonderful goodies we opened up from our Secret Santa Paws on Christmas morning!





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Our Tip of the Day:

Yesterday we discussed feeding feral and stray cats outdoors in the cold winter months. As we mentioned yesterday, dry food is a good option in the winter, as it will not freeze like moist food. However, moist food still has its benefits, and so today we're here to give some tips on how to feed moist food outdoors in the cold months with at least some success. To begin, you can resort to putting moist food out only when you know the cat or cats you feed are present, so that they will be able to eat it immediately, giving it little to no time to freeze. Sometimes, though, you might not know when a feral or stray cat will show up for a meal. In such cases, there are ways to potentially offer moist food to ferals and strays, without the moist food freezing rapidly.

To begin, you can simply check on the status of moist food as often as possible, and warm or replace food that has become frozen. What's more, a source of heat will obviously help keep moist food from freezing at a fast rate, although you of course have to ensure that this source of heat is safe. This could mean doing something as simple as warming the bowl in which you put the moist food, or warming the moist food itself, to a safe temperature. There are also both electric and non-electric heat sources that can work for keeping bowls and their contents warm. For example, there are microwavable, or otherwise warmable, heating pads that can be placed under bowls to help prevent the rapid freezing of moist food that is fed to outdoor cats in the winter. There are also electric heated bowls that could keep moist food warm enough to prevent freezing. Other options of course include using a more extensive heat source within an entire feeding station or shelter, details which we will further discuss in upcoming tips. One important detail, though, as we mentioned just a few moments ago, is ensure that any heat source you use is safe and that it will not cause burns or fires. Always do your research before using any item that entails electricity and heating, and choose and use accordingly and wisely.

The last note to make here is that you should still of course make sure that moist food is not spoiling, such as if it manages to get too warm or sits out for too long. If a heated bowl or heat pad causes moist food to remain warm for long periods of time, do be sure to remove any uneaten food prior to spoilage. It might be cold outside during the winter months, but depending on the methods you use and the duration of time that outdoor cats' moist food is sitting out, it is always best to be aware of the potential for gastrointestinal or other issues that could result from the consumption of spoiled food.

11 comments:

Marg said...

We really like the Christmas doodles. They are so much fun. You all have a great day.

Memories of Eric and Flynn said...

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas. I couldn't come by on the day because we went away for a few days and the internet at the hotel was almost non existent.
Your lovely card arrived today, thank you.

Melissa, Mudpie and Angel Truffles (Mochas, Mysteries and Meows) said...

The more Christmas the better!

messymimi said...

It’s great that you celebrate the whole season, i do, too, by listening to the music.

pilch92 said...

Very cute drawing. I am glad you extend the season, we do too. I am so sad that the radio stopped playing Christmas songs already. Excellent tips too.

Cathy Keisha said...

Nothing wrong with crhistmas doodles. We just don't like those who take down their trees, decorations, etc on the 26th.

meowmeowmans said...

What a fun doodle! And we love that Christmas is still going on! :)

Athena Cat Goddess Wise Kitty said...

We always love your doodles!

Purrs xx
Athena and Marie

Pam and Teddy said...

Oh I say KEEP THE DOODLES comin' !! They've added to the festivities and made Christmas happier indeed for YOU and for US too!!

Hugs, Teddy

The Swiss Cats said...

Cute doodles ! Purrs

Eastside Cats said...

We've tried heating pads, bricks heated in the oven, and heated bowls, but when it's really cold, it's a losing battle. Luckily, so far in Michigan, the temps have been hovering near enough to the melting point, that The 'O' Cats still get wet food. No doubt, that will change soon, and I have a fresh bag of kibble for them!