Winter can be a challenging time for pets, requiring extra care and attention from their owners. This extensive guide offers in-depth advice on how to protect your pets from winter sickness, choose appropriate gear, maintain balanced nutrition, and more. By following these guidelines, you can ensure your furry friends are comfortable, healthy, and happy during the colder months. How to Protect Your Adorable Pets from Winter Sickness Understanding Winter Sickness in Pets The cold season can exacerbate existing health conditions in pets and introduce new risks. For example, older pets may suffer more from arthritis due to the cold, while younger pets might be more susceptible to respiratory infections. Awareness of these issues is crucial for early detection and effective management. Regular check-ups with your veterinarian can help identify and mitigate these risks early on. Understanding and Managing Winter Allergies Pets can suffer from allergies in winter too, often due to drier air and indoor allergens. Symptoms can include itching, redness, and discomfort. Regular cleaning and vacuuming of your home can reduce allergens, and humidifiers can add moisture to the air, alleviating dry skin. If you suspect your pet has allergies, consult your vet for appropriate treatments. Read more: 100 years after his birth, world’s most loyal dog Hachiko still winning hearts Preparing for Emergencies Winter weather can be unpredictable, so it's important to be prepared for emergencies. Have a pet emergency kit ready, including food, water, medications, and any other essentials your pet might need if you're unable to leave the house. Also, have a plan in place in case of power outages or if you need to evacuate your home. Signs Your Pet is Uncomfortable in the Cold Your pet may not be able to tell you when they're cold, but they can show it. Look for signs such as reluctance to go outside, shivering, or seeking shelter in warmer areas. These behaviors indicate that your pet is feeling the cold and needs additional warmth and care. Ensuring your pet has a warm place to retreat to inside, away from drafts, can greatly enhance their comfort. Choosing the Right Winter Gear for Your Pet Proper winter gear is essential for pets, especially those that spend time outdoors. When choosing gear, consider your pet's size, breed, and the specific weather conditions of your area. A well-fitted coat or sweater can provide much-needed warmth, while booties can protect their paws from cold surfaces. Remember, not all pets will be comfortable wearing clothes, so it’s important to introduce any new gear gradually and monitor their response. Read more: 10 houseplants that are bad for your pets

A statue has been standing — in remembrance to his loyalty towards his owner — outside Shibuya Station in Tokyo since 1948. The cream white Japanese Akita Inu — popularly known as “Hachiko” — has been memorialized in everything from books to movies to the cult science fiction for his loyalty. All these movies, books tell the true story of Hachiko, the faithful dog who continued to wait for his master at a train station in Japan long after his death. Hachiko was born in November 1923 in the city of Odate in Akita prefecture, the original home of Akitas. Read more: Benefits of Pets for Kids: Why Raising Children around Livestock? The Akita is one of Japan's oldest and most well-known breeds. For its calm, sincere, intelligent, and brave personality, they used to be taught to hunt animals like wild boar and elk. The breed was designated as a national icon in 1931 by the Japanese government, according to the BBC. The famed puppy arrived at the Ueno residence in the Shibuya neighborhood on January 15, 1924. Ueno named him Hachi, or eight in Japanese. Ko is an honorific bestowed by Ueno's students, according to the BBC. Read more: 10 houseplants that are bad for your pets Hachi’s owner took a train to work several times a week. He was accompanied to Shibuya station by his three dogs, including Hachiko. The trio would then wait there for his return in the evening. When Ueno died of a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 53 on May 21, 1925, Hachiko had been with him for just 16 months. "While people were attending the wake, Hachi smelled Dr Ueno from the house and went inside the living room. He crawled under the coffin and refused to move," Prof Mayumi Itoh wrote in a biography about Hachi. Hachiko spent the next few months with different families outside Shibuya but eventually, in the summer of 1925, he ended up with Ueno's gardener Kobayashi Kikusaburo, according to BBC. Read more: First all-female police dog handler team introduced today After returning to the area where his late master Ueno lived, Hachiko soon resumed his daily commute to the station, rain or shine. According to Hachiko’s biographer, Hachi used to stand on four legs at the ticket gate and look at each passenger “as if he were looking for someone." He gained nationwide fame after Japanese daily Tokyo Asahi Shimbun wrote about him in October 1932. The station started receiving donations from across the country. Later, a fundraising event in 1934 to make a statue of him reportedly drew a crowd of 3,000. Read more: Gulistan blast: RAB dog gets award for heroic role Hachiko's eventual death on March 8, 1935 made the front page of many newspapers. At his funeral, Buddhist monks offered prayers for him and dignitaries read eulogies. Thousands visited his statue in the following days. Every year on April 8, a memorial service for Hachiko is held outside Shibuya Station. His statue is often decorated with scarves, Santa hats and, most recently, a surgical mask.

Houseplants serve a variety of functions within your living spaces. They add visual appeal to your home, cleanse your air and could be edible or even medicinal. Some plant species are harmful to your pets and can result in death in the event of their ingestion. Therefore, while choosing a houseplant for your home make sure that it won't be a risk to your pets.  Check here the top 10 poisonous household plants for pets and tips to save your pets from toxic plants.  How Plants Can poison Pets: -The cause of poisoning is: -Touching or eating leaves -Ingesting berries, blossoms, or roots -Contacting the skin with juices or sap -Eating soil -Drinking water from a plant tray. Read Benefits of Pets for Kids: Why Raising Children around Livestock? The 10 most poisonous houseplants for pets Sago Palm Scientific Name: Cycas revoluta; English Name: Sago Palm; Bengali Name: Moniraj Full Features: This beautiful plant is among the top choices for landscapers. It is a source of a toxin known as Cycasin that can cause liver problems. Sago palms are poisonous to dogs, cats and cattle. Toxins: Cycasin; Severity: Extremely High Key Symptoms: Vomiting, hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, bleeding, clotting disorder, liver damage, and even death. Cactus Scientific Name : Cactaceae; English Name: Cactus; Bengali Name: Foni Monosa Features: Cactus species are usually planted as ornamental houseplants. Most plants in this family are poisonous and could pose a danger for pets like dogs and cats because of their thorns and spikes. Toxins: Different species are prone to various harmful substances. Spikes pose a threat too. Severity: Moderate to High Key Symptoms: Inflammation in the face, injuries. Read Top 10 Bathroom Plants to grow in humid environment of shower Aloe Scientific Name: Aloe barbadensis miller; English Name: Aloe Vera; Bengali Name: Ghytokumari Feature:  Aloe vera is a variety of leaf succulents. It has huge medicinal benefits. But it is poisonous to dogs when they consume the plant. There are approximately 500 species that come in a variety of forms, including trees and sometimes vines. The geographic range of species in this category comprises those of the Arabian Peninsula, Africa, South Asia, and Madagascar. Toxins: Saponins; Severity: Mild to Moderate Key Symptoms: Vomiting or diarrhea, changing color of the urine. Calla Lily Scientific Name: Zantedeschia; English Name: Calla Lily; Bengali Name: Unknown Feature:  Calla Lilies are gorgeous. In the same way, they are poisonous plants for dogs and cats. If they are chewed on, symptoms of a clinical problem are evident immediately. Toxins: Calcium oxalates insoluble and unknown harmful alkaloids; Severity: Mild to Moderate Key Symptoms: Pain in the mouth, diarrhea, drooling, inability to eat, and chewing on the lips. Dieffenbachia Scientific Name: Dieffenbachia seguine; English Name: Dieffenbachia; Bengali Name: Not specified Features:  Also known as dumb cane, it is among the most simple to care for house plants to grow in your house, but be cautious when you have a pet or cat that plays. Biting or chewing on the plant may cause injury. Toxins: Insoluble calcium oxides and proteolytic enzyme; Severity: Moderate Key Symptoms: Irritation of the mucous membrane, extreme burning, irritation of the lips and mouth, excessive vomiting, drooling, and difficulty swallowing. Read Terrace Gardening: Tips, Tricks, and Guidelines for Beginners Desert Rose  Scientific Name: Adenium obesum; English Name: Desert Rose; Bengali Name: Unknown Features: It has a Succulent shrub with a smooth, thick trunk and gray-green stems. You can use it as an ornamental plant and plant it in pots. However, adenium is among the plants that are poisonous to dogs.

Most children naturally adore animals and love keeping pets. It is really good to rear pets in a home with children. Pet ownership allows a kid to learn how to care and treat an animal with kindness and patience. Thus, the child gets invaluable training to treat people the same way. The pets love, teach, delight, and offer special kinds of companionships for children. Let’s discuss the awesome benefits of raising kids around pets and domestic animals. Advantages of Pet Ownership for Children Raising children with pets has a lot of benefits. Children can grow their self-esteem and self-confidence by developing positive feelings about pets. By building positive relationships with pets, children can develop trusting relationships with others. A good relationship with a pet can help the kid develop non-verbal communication skill, compassion, and empathy. Pet ownership can serve different purposes for children: -        Pets develop the power of secrets and private thoughts in children. Kids talk to their pets and this process helps to grow their thought processes. -      Children get lessons about life, including reproduction, birth, illnesses, accidents, death, and bereavement from pets. -        Pet contributes a lot in developing responsible behavior in the children. -        Undoubtedly pets or animals provide a pure connection to nature. -        A child who owns a pet can know how to show respect for other living things. Read Baby Massage: Know the Pros, Cons, Safety Issues of Infant Spa Pet ownership can contribute to developing the following physical and emotional needs: -        Physical activity -        Comfort contact -        Love, loyalty, and affection -        Know how to adjust to a loss as they experience a pet is lost or dies.  Most of the children are kind and gentle to pets but some may be rough or even abusive to pets. If such behavior continues in a child, it may be a sign of significant emotional problems. Children who abuse, torture, or kill animals should be referred to a child psychiatrist for a comprehensive evaluation.  Read Benefits of hobbies: Ways to help your child find a hobby Why raise children around livestock and domestic animals? Some proven benefits of raising children around livestock and domestic animals Boosts immune systems Children who play outside with mud and animals have powerful immune systems. Besides, research shows that children who stay outside in a less sanitized environment and around different bacteria can boost immune system function. So, it is important to let your kids get outside and play in the dirt and with farm animals. Learns to care another living being Baby animals are lovely and they love to be taken care of them by humans to give them food, water, and shelter. They also wish for a clean environment for human beings so they can grow and thrive. So, the children who can take care of tiny pets, know how to take care of another living thing. Without keeping your kid with pets, it may be difficult to teach them such an attitude. Read Mild Autism: How to identify a child who is slightly autistic? Improve emotional health Nature soothes human’s mental and emotional health. Animals are part of nature. So, it is natural that kids will get mental and emotional soothing keeping in touch with animals. Keeping in touch with pets can soothe the souls of kids. The children who are raised around livestock are naturally calm and quiet. Understands the life cycle dots Although kids cannot tolerate pets' death, whenever they goodbye them finally, they understand that nothing lasts forever. And because of that, kids make sure they help give these animals the best life possible. These kids also treat their siblings better. They are kind to their friends. And they are gentle with nature. Read How to Teach Growth Mindsets to Your Child? Keep kids active and healthy Farm animals are generally messy. We need to make sure that their living place is neat and clean to keep these animals safe and healthy. Children raised around farms are naturally involved with cleaning activities. Kids involved with barnyard chores get the scope to soak in the sun and fresh air and build and strengthen muscles as they work. Farm animals provide a natural source of nutrition Children who are raise around domestic animals, generally get an excellent source of nutrition like farm fresh eggs, milk, meat. You can also make natural butter and cheese from fresh milk. Moreover, farm-fresh products are also reasonable in price. Read Childhood Cancer: Risk factors and causes of cancer in children Keeping farm animals is heart-healthy A good connection with animals can be beneficial to your heart : -        Reducing stress -        Lowering your blood pressure -        Decreasing your cholesterol -        Reducing the risk of obesity -        Improving your physical fitness -        Giving companionship and love—all good for the heart. Spend less time on technology It is proven that if children have anything extra to do, they spend less time with technology or gadgets. As the children living near to farm require spending time there to take care of animals, they don’t get too much time to spend long hours on screen. Rather they stay involved in diverse physical activities which are beneficial for their health. Read Pregnancy Anxiety? How to reduce the stress of pregnant mothers? Risks of pets for children Although there are a lot more advantages to raising children around animals, pets can pose risk to your child’s health and safety including medical and others. The injuries or illness are caused by pets to children are as follow: -        bites and scratches -        knocked by the pet -        choking on pet toys or food -        allergies or asthma caused by animal fur, saliva, feathers, or skin flakes -        diseases and infections that can go from animals to humans generally by poo, food, water, and debris trays -        difficulty in breathing and asphyxiation from a pet lying close to your child's face  Read 10 Essential Life Skills for Teens to Learn before College Never be late to talk to your doctor if you face any health or injury issues. Safety concerns of pets or animals around children Children become ill easily from germs that animals can carry because their immune systems are in the process of developing. But there’s good news! You can take the following steps to keep your kids healthy while still enjoying animals! -        Always supervise children around animals. -        Don't allow children to kiss animals, put their hands or other things into their mouths while handling animals. -        Make sure to wash children’s hands properly with soap and water if they touch, feed, or care for animals or clean their habitats. -        Don't forget to wash your hands before breastfeeding or making food for the baby. -        Keep children away from animals while they are eating so that you can save them from the risk of bites or other injuries.