Cold Floors & Warm Hearts: Protect Your Pet

It’s something that I often want to hammer into people’s heads. When it is cold like this for you, it is equally cold for your pets – your cats and your dogs.

Sometimes I’m tempted to walk barefoot on the floor after a shower. My feet are still wet. Although I’ve dried myself to the best of my ability, I’m still too damp to get dressed. So I’ll put on a dressing gown just to help dry myself off and to keep myself warm. Then I think I’ll quickly run to the kitchen to put on the kettle and make some tea or coffee. And I realise – oh! – the floor is so cold.

But I don’t want to put my damp feet into slippers. The slippers are too cold, and I’m debating what kind of shoe is best just to get to the kitchen. I’ve got a spare pair of slippers I call my “wet slippers” – cottony and woolly, absorbent – they help dry your feet. I like to sleep in them too, because they’re quite warm. But obviously, I don’t want to get into bed with damp slippers.

So I pop them on, dash to the kitchen, and dash back.

Then I watch the cat tiptoeing skittishly. I thought he was just being cute – but no, the floor is freezing, and he doesn’t want to put his paws down. We don’t have carpets, only tiles. And those tiles are colder than ice chips.

It infuriates me when I see people leaving their pets outdoors in this weather. Even worse: without any padding or clothing. One of my neighbours has his dogs in little jackets – which is better than nothing – but they’re still being left outside.

This is something Johannesburg needs to understand: domesticated animals are not built to survive like wild ones. They’re not used to fending for themselves. They’re not hunting prey or escaping predators. They’ve evolved to live in our homes. They respond not to survival cues, but to the sound of a packet rustling or a tin opener clicking.

I remember my previous cat – who passed recently – losing his mind whenever I ate baked beans straight out of a tin. Maybe because I was using a spoon and not a plate. But still – cats have standards!

Our pets need warmth and care. When I see my cat run outside in this cold, do his business, and sprint back – he’s not being playful. He’s freezing.

In summer, it’s the opposite. I’ve seen people walk dogs on tarmac hot enough to cook an egg. You can see the dogs tiptoeing for dear life. If it’s too hot or cold for you, it’s too hot or cold for them.

And because I’m not the kind of animal lover who doesn’t like people – I hope you’re warm, well-fed, and looked after too.

Comment: What is your favourite memory of your pet?

Follow JoziStyle online and listen to us on air.