With some of the coldest weather to hit the UK in almost a decade vets up and down the country are issuing warnings to keep pets and beds warm during the winter.

Any hutches, cages and beds should be moved inside and extra warm bedding should be provided. Even if it’s not feasible to bring your pet in to the home moving them to a garage or shed is the next best thing. Animals in hutches or cages in the garden are the most easily forgotten about; this is mainly due to it getting dark early. Even though most animals are covered in fur or feathers the weather is so severe at the moment that it could be life threatening.

Land animals are not the only ones to be threatened by the weather. If you have a pond it’s a good idea to float a large ball on the surface so that if the surface freezes over you can remove the ball and provide enough oxygen for any fish.

Dogs and cats should not be allowed to spend too much time outside and when you do go outside don’t let them lie on the ground for too long. Obviously dogs need exercise, however it’s recommended that you take dogs for shorter walks more often if possible. If your animal gets wet, make sure you dry them off with a towel as soon as possible.

It is not just standard house pets that need care in the winter; wild birds need extra help also as snow and ice make it difficult for them to find food. Feeding birds with nuts, seeds and making sure they have enough water could be key to their survival. A nesting box with some warm material could also provide them with much needed shelter.

Finally it is essential that all animals are not dehydrated so make sure to provide them with fresh, clean water whenever you can.

A book about a cat in a library? How interesting a story can that be? The answer is – VERY interesting! Dewey is a great book – the biography of a real cat in a real library, Spencer Public Library, Spencer, Iowa, USA. I read the jacket, and knew I was in for a treat!

A ginger kitten, found in the library book return chute, on the coldest Iowa morning ever. With frost bitten paws, but still trusting, loving. It seems no matter what the animal or what it has had to endure at the hands of a cruel human, they know when they are in good hands – they have a 6th sense about these things.

Well Dewey Readmore Books – as he was christened by the townsfolk – although full of mischief, like any kitten, felt the love from the humans he had been dumped on, and he returned it 10 fold! He lived happily in the Spencer Public Library for 19 years. First becoming a town celebrity, revered by the townsfolk, and then becoming an international celebrity. People travelled from all over the world to meet him. Travelling 100′s, even 1000′s of miles, sending Christmas and birthday cards. Amazing the effect he had not just on the town, but on the world.

I knew this book would be sad, and in some places it really is. But also funny and, dare I say it about a book, “cute”. It is a touching and entertaining tale, sensitively written by Myron – the lady who found Dewey on that fateful January morning. Vicki loved Dewey, as if he were her own, and although he belonged to the town, in his heart he was hers.

This book made me laugh, it made me cry, it even made me relate it to my own cats! The ending – I wont spoil it – touched me to the core. Dewey loved everyone he came into contact with, and shared something special, and something of himself with every single one of them. He knew who needed his comfort, having that 6th sense, not just to know when he was in the right hands but also to know when his special comforting nature was needed by those around him. He forged hundreds of deep and loving friendships with the unlikeliest of people and many of those are described in the pages of the book.

For a cat to have had such an effect on so many people’s lives, truly shows how special Dewey was. This book also highlights the beauty of owning pets and the rewards one can get from it. A special book, it truly is worth the price and the time invested in reading it. Buy it now its purr-fectly enchanting!