McKinley Tech Students Visit WARL bearing Gifts!

Students don sterile garb to handle pups

Dogs love tug toys and they love tennis balls.  Put the two together and you have a super-toy that guarantees hours of fun.  McKinley Tech students wanted the dogs at WARL to have plenty of toys to choose from.  They gave their colorful, student-made braids to shelter dogs, and to patients visiting the clinic, and still left a big bag full  of toys that staff  distributed to the dogs in quarantine.  The dogs had  a grand time tossing the toys and retrieving them; in the dens housing  two dogs, lively games of tug-of-war were played.   The project was led by Shaina, a Big Brothers Big Sisters of the National Capital Area  intern, who graduates from the University of Maryland today.  Thanks McKinley Tech students!  Congratulations Shaina!

Troop 6560 Enlists the Support of their Neighborhood and School Communities

When  Capitol Hill Girl Scout Troop 6560 decided to earn their "Community Organizing" badge, they chose to organize an activity that would help the animals who need it most -- the cats and dogs at the Washington Animal Rescue League.  On Sunday, the first day of Be Kind to Animals Week 2014, they delivered their collection of linens to the League.  The girls solicited donations from their neighbors and classmates which resulted  in several heavy bags full of towels and blankets. 
The scouts, not only learned a lot during the course of organizing their project, but learned even more about homeless animals from Michael, a loyal WARL volunteer who led their Sunday shelter tour. 
Thanks Troop 6560!

Happy Be Kind to Animals Week!

CELEBRATE ALL 

YEAR LONG!!!

Animals brighten our world.
 It is our responsibility to make theirs
a safe and happy place.
Click on the link below

http://www.sharedots.com/dogs-a-cat-dance-to-happy-by-pharrell-williams-255.html

A Short Foster Stay, Bert at Home -- Forever

Bert, formerly known as Kid Rock, did not even spend a full week in his foster home. A couple saw his picture on the WARL web site and knew  that he was the kitty for them.  In no time at all, they consulted with our Behavior and Training staff at the shelter,  met the love of their life in his foster home, completed the adoption application, adopted Bert and took him home.  While Bert was enjoying in his foster home, he is obviously quite content in his forever home.  Have a good life, Bertsie!   

Neighbors Create Toys for Shelter Dogs

Ms. Gillig's Capital City Public Charter School  class spent the winter learning about WARL through classroom visits and trips the League. The students wanted to do something nice for the animals; so, the class talked over their options and decided  to make tug toys for the dogs.   Before the large box of tug  toys went to the shelter -- where the dogs are thoroughly enjoying the colorful ropes -- the students posed for a photo  with their creations.
Thanks, neighbors!

Happy Earth Day!!!

It's still  National Poetry Month and today is Earth Day.   Isn't April great ?  And, to top it off, one of my favorite kitties -- who was fortunate to end up at WARL from another shelter, but stayed here for a very long time without being adopted --  is now luxuriating in his foster home where he decided --  immediately --that the bed in the main bedroom, with  the people in the bed, and the dog in the bed, too, were where he would spend his nights.  ( Yes, I know, that is one, very long run-on sentence!!)  So much more comfy than the nice, but lonely, cat tree in the tower where he resided in Kitty City at WARL.   His foster person is watching him closely before choosing the most perfect name.   At the shelter, this handsome boy was dubbed Kid Rock, not a particularly fitting moniker.  So in honor of the boy's temporary placement and National Poetry Month and Earth Day I have written my own  Haiku that really doesn't reflect Earth Day at all, unless you consider that said foster kitty is not on the street killing birds.

Street wise, scrappy guy

Foster care, cat paradise

Adoption pending -- soon

A Favorite Cat Poem for National Poetry Month

Every Cat Has a Story  by Naomi Shihab Nye

The yellow one from the bakery

smelled like a cream puff-

she followed us home.

We buried our faces

in her sweet fun.

One cat hid her head

while I practiced the violin

But she came out for piano.

At night she played sonatas

on my quilt.

One cat built a secret nest

in my socks.

One sat in the window

staring up the street all day

while we were at school.

One cat loved the radio dial.

One cat almost smiled.

Takoma Park 's 4-H Club's Collection for the Animals Bigger and Better!

2014

2011

When the Takoma Park 4-H Club visited the League on Sunday, April 6th,  they brought their annual WARL donation.  In fact, they had so much to donate, staff used wheelbarrows to help haul in car-loads of donations.  An article in the Takoma Voice newspaper announced that the group would be collecting for the animals at the Takoma Library on March 22-23.  People gave generously to the drive -- blankets, towels, toys, crates & cash.  In addition the collection, the 4-H members refurbished a number of kids' cast-off stuffed animals so the animals at WARL now have newly stuffed toys, complete with squeakers.  WARL volunteer, and head stuffie maker, Kathy D., gave a couple of the members a crash course on recycling the toys, which means taking off anything that a dog or cat could swallow, like plastic eyes. 
Every year the 4-H members choose community service projects  -- many kids  choose  WARL because of their love for helping animals.  And, a few  4-H families have adopted dogs or cats from the League and many others are regular visitors.  This is the fourth year that WARL has been the recipient of the group's charitable work.  Thank you Takoma Park 4-H!

Another Happy Update

A picture --or two-- really is worth a thousand words, or maybe one big long, "OOOOHHHHHH HOW CUTE!" sigh.   We got an email update today saying that the pup, now named Lucky, is almost a year old.  Ryan, her person, said it was love at first sight -- I bet it was mutual.©

First photo at home.

Lucky, all grown up!

Happy National Poetry Month!!!!

I love April.   Flowers bloom, temperatures rise, and we celebrate National Poetry Month!  and, that's no April Fool.   First thing I did this morning was grab Patricia MacLachlan and Emily MacLachlan Charest's Cat Talk book off the shelf.  Barry Moser's illustrations, coupled with the cat-capturing verbiage gave Nigel and me lots to discuss.  I've known many cats like Princess Sheba Darling, the cat featured in the poem that Nigel is reading.  But, the poem that really got me, was Sylvie, the Boss.  It made me miss my Bruce cat.  Nigel, however, the sweet guy that he is, didn't offer an opinion.

Sylvie, the Boss
I am the boss cat.
I twitch my tail to prove it.
I boss the dogs.
I boss the people.
I boss Romeo, the cat I live with.,
  whenever I can.
I like three thing: 
My food
My windowsill
My people.
And that's enough.

It's our birthday! 

The year of celebration begins today at 12 noon.  

A Four Tissue Heartbreaking Story

 Buddy, by M. H. Herlong, was my St. Patrick's Day snow read.  I had to encourage Merl to get off of my lap twice so I could get more tissues.  This is a powerful story about love, loss, friendship, family, disaster, pain, recovery and so much more.  In 2005 the mighty Hurricane Katrina nearly wiped out the city of "brotherly love."  It wasn't just the initial hit of the storm, but the decay of the infrastructure that lead to the evacuation of approximately 1.5 million people from their homes.  Nearly 2,000 people died in Louisiana as result of the storm, and scores more were killed  in  neighboring states.  Many others were still missing weeks after the waters receded..

Less than a decade later, M.H. Herlong writes a punch-in-your gut story about a boy, Lil'T and  a three-legged dog, Buddy.  Lil'T's ' Buddy.   Needless to say it is a story of lost and found.  Nothing in this book is easy.  Even Lil'T's chance meeting with the dog is painful.   The stray dog is struck by the car Lil'T's dad is driving to church.  The congregation rallies to pay for the dog's medical expenses, and in turn, it is because of Buddy that a congregant is helped by Lil'T.  

Lil'T and his family are poor before the hurricane and  totally wiped out after the disaster.  But they have each other, their faith, and their unwavering determination to persevere.  That resolve is what keeps Lil'T working to get Buddy back, long, long after the levees broke.  

Be forewarned.  It's not exactly a happy ending, but the right ending.  Buddy was the perfect snow read to devour with Merl on my lap, Nigel by my feet and Charlotte being Charlotte -- getting into trouble.

SNOW AGAIN!

Happy Snowy St. Patrick's Day to all.  Wear your green pjs in the house and pet your dog and cuddle your cat.  Three days until the first day of spring and there is a fresh, thick blanket of snow on the ground.  Again!  How many snow days this year?  Will students be in school in July?  Charlotte ran out onto the screened-in porch last night.  She loves watching the huge flakes take hold of the screen and cover  all of the brown.  She even likes to scurry in the dusting that makes it through the screen, onto the porch.  But, she doesn't do that for long. Just a  few minutes and she's back inside, on a chair, under the heat vent.  

A Snow Day Read -- Cover-to-Cover

The two best things about snow days are being home with Nigel, Merl, and Charlotte, and having a good book to read cover-to-cover.   That's what I did Monday, I read Joan Bauer's heartfelt and heartbreaking novel for middle readers, Almost Home.  The dog, Shush,  an important supporting character, is a constant reminder of the power of the human-animal bond.
Good Reads succinctly encapsulates the book, When twelve-year-old Sugar's grandfather dies and her gambling father takes off yet again, Sugar and her mother lose their home in Missouri. They head to Chicago for a fresh start, only to discover that fresh starts aren't so easy to come by for the homeless. Nevertheless, Sugar's mother has taught her to be grateful no matter what, so Sugar does her best. With the help of a rescue dog, Shush; a foster family; a supportive teacher; a love of poetry; and her own grace and good humor, Sugar comes to understand that while she can't control the hand life deals her, she can control how she responds.

It's a good summary, but it doesn't highlight the heart, truths, and emotional roller-coaster that makes Almost Home an ideal snow-day read.   Sugar Mae Cole, the narrator/protagonist acquaints readers with her dead grandfather, King Cole, through his writings -- he left behind an autobiography complete with all sorts of King Cole-isms, email exchanges with her beloved 6th grade teacher Mr. B, and her own poetry,including a poem about her father that was written in response to the prompt, write a stirring paragraph on one way you have seen persuasion misused.... Sugar's poem begins -
There are people in our lives we cannot trust
One of those people in my life is my father.
That poem sets the stage for a sequence of events that spins Sugar's life out of control.   There are many folks who are rooting for Sugar Mae Cole.  But, all of the support, including that from Shush, the little dog who was formerly kicked when he barked and spooked by just about everything, does not offer what is most important to a 12-year-old -- stability.  As the pieces start coming together, Reba, Sugar's mother, tells her, "You go out there, Miss sugar, and show'em what it means to be sweet."   In spite of all that life tosses her way, Sugar is filled with sweetness.  But, she is  also got a tenacious pre-teen who, in the words of Mr. B, is Exceedingly Courageous and Insightful.
I sat in my rocking chair Monday, looked over at Merl snoozing in the sunshine, wrapped my fleece blanket around me and  enjoyed Almost Home -- a nice snow day treat.

Neighboring Students Adopt WARL

Capital City Public Charter School (CCPCS) students care about animals.   And, they want their school community to know that their neighbor, the Washington Animal Rescue League, could  use their help.  Ms. Gillig, Ms. Korinek and Ms. Downer's 5th grade classes have spent the semester learning about why animals end up in shelters .  The students want to make the animals' stay as comfortable as possible, so they are  making toys for the animals and collecting items for the shelter.  Signs are posted throughout the school announcing the collection and Ms. Gillig's class is experimenting with various braids to create the best tug toys ever.  
There is just one problem  -- kids don't go to school much these days.   Another snow day!   And, by looking out the window, I'm guessing that this is going to be another very, very short week.  Ms. Korinek and Ms. Downer's students had a big day planned for today -- they were scheduled to tour the League at lunch time.  We will have to reschedule their visit.  And although the shelter, like schools, is closed today, the very dedicated WARL animal care staff is busy caring for the cats and dogs.
Thank you CCPCS kids and teachers for raising awareness.  And thank you amazing coworkers for being THERE for the animals!!  I bet there are a number of WARL volunteers helping out, too.   Our volunteers are the BEST!!!!

A Good Deed that Grows and Grows.....

"You have to see all of the donations, " a co-worker told me.  The bags of towels, blankets, and items from our wish list, including books for kids and hedge clippers for our garden  came from Bella's birthday celebration. Two  carloads full of donations were unloaded  in front of the shelter on Saturday.  
I asked Bella's mom how they were able to collect so much stuff!  She explained  that  Bella decided to continue a tradition this year that her mom started 4 birthdays ago requesting donations for homeless cats and dogs instead of traditional birthday gifts.  In addition, Bella's mom decided to involve the entire Francis Scott Key Elementary School community in the effort.  She asked the  Community Service Committee to announce a donation drive for the animals. She suggested items and even included a link to WARL's wishlist.    For three weeks families brought much-needed items to the school.   Helping animals is a long-held family value -- Bella's grandmother is a veterinarian.  If Bella doesn't follow in her footsteps, perhaps she will grow up to be a shelter director. Thank you Bella and family and friends, and the entire Key community for helping us to help the animals! 

WARL Animals Benefit from Generous Kids!

Audrey, Elise, & their friend Rebecca

 Presents are a big part of birthday celebrations.  When twins, Audrey and Elise, invited guests to their party they had a present request -- instead of bringing gifts for the girls, friends were asked to bring gifts for the animals at WARL.   On Sunday, they, along with their friend Rebecca, delivered two bulging bags of toys & treats for the cats and dogs.  Providing enrichment for shelter animals is key to keeping them comfortable while they are awaiting their forever homes. 
     This is not the first time that Elise and Audrey thought of the animals.  They, along with neighborhood friends, raised $171 at a summer lemonade stand a couple of years ago.  

Ari & Dori

     Brothers, Ari & Dori, also visited the League on Sunday.  Each boy had a contribution of his own.  The young philanthropists  participate in an on-going savings plan -- each boy saves a portion of  his  weekly allowance  to help others.  Not only did they choose to help the animals at the League, but they were able to double their donations with a matching grant from their parents!  
      Thank you Audrey, Elise, Ari & Dori!

Happy Valentine's Day

My Valentine wrapped up!

My lovable pooch is liking this weather less and less.  This morning he flew off the ice-encrusted steps, did what he needed to, and then did his best to hurry back up the steps and dash inside, where he will remain until I force him to take another potty break.   The salt trucks came through.  No walks for Nigel!  Maybe not until June!  More snow tonight.

SNOW!!!

Ten inches in my front yard this morning.   Nigel is lucky to be a big dog.  A smaller dog would have had a harder time relieving himself.  We tried walking down the street early this morning -- kids were already being pulled on sleds, neighbors constructed an igloo.  I was curious to see the snowmen that had sprouted up.  The roads were totally car-less.  It was a good time to walk.  Nigel, however, was interested in going home.   He lifted his leg once, pooped fast, and made a mad bee-line for home.  Walking in the salt sprinkled road of recent storms was tough, but Nigel used to like to gallop in the  heavily-packed snow from big storms several years ago.  Not this time.  Age is catching up with Nigel.  Snoozing on a purple rug, under a heat vent is his idea of a perfect snow day!
Meanwhile Charlotte, who loves to try to escape out the front door, did just that.   Three seconds into her mad-dash  she made a quick u-turn and bolted into the house.   Freezing wet stuff on her soft pink pads was not to be.  
And, in case you are wondering -- the shelter animals are safe and warm thanks to the incredible dedicated WARL staff and volunteers!!

An Animal Tale and a Young Girl's Journey

Snow days are enjoyed best with a good book  and a cat on your lap. Today, I enjoyed both .  Merl kept me warm as a read Angela Cervantes new novel, Gaby, Lost and Found (Scholastic 2013) from cover to cover.  Merl even moved up a little on my chest as I sniffed and dabbed my eyes at certain parts of the fast-moving novel.   This book, however, is not a tearjerker from cover to cover -- it's insightful, funny, hopeful, and at times, sad.  Gaby Ramirez Howard, the strong Latina protagonist, volunteers as  the adoption advertisement "scribe" for the Furry Friends Animal Shelter. Her involvement starts as just a 6th grade service project, but becomes much more.   The cast-off animals, through no fault of their own, are looking for their forever homes, and before long Gaby realizes that she is too.   At the shelter Gaby meets animals that are abused, neglected and abandoned.  The young cute ones are adopters'  favorites.  Cervantes must have real life animal shelter experience, because she paints an accurate  picture of the common throw-away society that shelter staff see every day.   Her depiction of life as an illegal immigrant is probably right-on-the-mark too.  When the story opens we learn that Gaby's mother was deported 3 months earlier; Gaby is eagerly awaiting her mother's return -- any day now she thinks.   Life is rarely that simple.  The  book's supporting cast, Alma, Marcos, Enrique, Dr. Vilalabos (super-cool, tattooed veterinarian), Mr . and Mrs. Gomez, and the assorted shelter animals, add spirit and life to the  220 page book that hooks the reader from  Gaby's very first encounter with an ornery Siamese cat on page one, to the last page that unites Gaby with an abandoned tabby cat.  Add this book to your library, give it as a gift, read it more than once.  

One Happy Kitty!

Meet Jubilee.   Not only is she adorable and very sweet, but she is SO HAPPY to be living in Kitty City at the Washington Animal Rescue League.  For months, we saw the petite female cat running in the alley behind the shelter.  Guys s in a neighboring garage said that they were feeding her.  They also said that they let her in the garage.  But, on the night that the arctic air gripped  the area, I'm certain that she hunkered down somewhere outside.  She was sitting on top of a car when I got to the League the next morning.  And, although she tended to allude human touch for some time, she let me pet her -- a lot.  And then, she walked right into a cat carrier that Lauren set in front of her.   A can of food was n the bac kof the carrier to lure her in, but she didn't care much about the food on  that very cold morning.   Closing the carrier quickly we brought her inside.  Our assumption was that she was feral.  She not only is not feral, but she as lovable as she can be. Jubilee has been spayed, vaccinated, thoroughly checked out, and is waiting patiently for a forever home.   In  the meantime she is relishing her regular meals and her cozy hiding post inside her very own heated condo! Welcome to WARL, Jubilee

Cat on the Table

According to weather.com it is currently 13 degrees and feels like negative 2.   That's cold.  Like everyone in much of the U.S. this morning, I was freezing while running the short distance from my home to the car, despite wearing lots of layers under my heavy coat.  Nigel, with just his every day black Labrador retriever coat, seemed invigorated by the frigid air.  Even so, we were not about to stay outside for more than a minute.  The drastically low temperatures are not safe for us or our animal companions.   If you see an animal outside in the cold, report it immediately to the local animal control or welfare agency. 

In the District of Columbia (202) 576-6664 

In Montgomery County, Maryland (240) 773-5960

In Prince Georges' County, Maryland  (301) 780-7201

In Fairfax County, Virginia 703-691-2131

If you see a person outside in the cold  needing immediate help, please call the Hypothermia Hotline at 1 (800) 535-7252.  No one should be in these record-breaking arctic temperatures for long.

So, why the picture of Buzz (formerly Billy Elliot) sitting regally on the dining room table in his forever home?  I was combing through recent adoption photos and this picture just leaped out at me.  Nothing better on a cold day than enjoying the company of an animal companion in a warm home. 

Life Cut Short

Hachi, the beloved companion of Javier and Dana died right before Christmas.   I've been thinking a lot about what I could write  to honor the mild-mannered dog who barely survived life in a horribly overcrowded hoarding situation in Ohio.  I could recount how, after his rescue, he was shut down and depressed while  WARL staff and volunteers tried to lure him out of his deep funk.  But why dwell on the horror.  His last two years were spent in total bliss.   He was doted on, loved unconditionally, and freed from his past the minute Javi saw the pretty blond Akita mix, formerly known as Encore. "That's Hachi," Javi told his mom.  And, so he was.  I've  written about Hachi before -- when Javi made Hachi the star of his Old Yeller video book report and when Hachi moved with Dana and Javi to China in August  2012.  While some people use moving as an excuse to get rid of an animal, Dana wrote, "Hachi is off on a new adventure. I'm worried about the stress of the trip, I've gotten us a direct flight from Washington to Beijing, and Hachi will fly on the same flight. After a 7-day mandatory quarantine, he'll be ready to come to his new home."

My heart aches for Javi and Dana. Dana wrote,  Despite a successful fight against the lymphoma, yesterday we discovered a malignant tumor in his mouth that seemed to have affected his bones. As of this morning, he couldn't walk or stand on his own. We had no choice. We spent the day by his side. We were fortunate to find a wonderful doctor who came to our home. He was in his bed and our arms until the end. Only a couple of hours before, he found some energy to play with his toy and smile for us (see attached). Even during his own suffering, he was more worried about us and making us happy. We are grieving and heartbroken, but thankful for the love we shared. Thank you so much WARL for rescuing him. We thought we would have more than two years with him, but are so grateful for what we had.

I am  grateful to Dana and Javi for giving a very deserving dog a wonderful life, albeit much too short.    I am at a loss for words.

Dear Santa.... A Home for the Holidays would be Appreciated -- Greatly!

A cat chowing down in front of you is a very good sign.  That means the cat is super relaxed and does not feel threatened by your presence.  At least that's what I think it means.  Munch, a staff favorite, ate his entire breakfast in front of me.  I was trying to get a photo of his sweet face, but I got tired of waiting for him to finish eating.  He wasn't even bothered by my cajoling and moving his dish from side to side to try to get the shot I wanted.  This patient guy has been waiting for a forever home for sometime.   I never did get the picture I wanted, but Munch did finish his kibble.   It would be great if he could move out and eat all of his meals  in a permanent home,  if not by Christmas...at least by the new year.

The Best Way to Spend a Snow Day -- With a Book & a Cat!

Snow days make excellent reading days. That's how I read Yona Zeldis McDonough's the Cats in the Doll Shop (Puffin 2011) book from cover to cover and recommend it to any third, fourth or fifth grader who cares about animals and is interested in life from long ago.  Maybe that's too narrow.  Anyone who enjoys a good story -- one with suspense, conflict, family and cats -- should love this book.  Especially if they are able to sit with their own cat on their lap (in my case Merl) and read it in one sitting.  Readers will root for Anna, and her immigrant cousin Tania and worry about Ginger Cat and Plucky.  Readers may wonder about Plucky's leg -- while the kitten's leg appears to "fall off" in the story, more than likely the broken leg became lame and the little cat managed fine without being able to use it.  Readers will undoubtedly  want to report the mean mustachioed man to the authorities and testify at his animal cruelty trial.   The story is set in the early 1900s.  Life was much different then for people and animals.   Be sure to read the timeline at the end of the story. An interesting addition to the timeline would have been the establishment of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), on April 10, 1866 in New York City by philanthropist and diplomat Henry Bergh. 

Snow, Sleet and Slush Makes for Messy Paws and a Short Walk!

 

Yesterday's storm closed some schools, delayed openings at others, and created a slushy mess for dogs who enjoy their daily walks.  Nigel loves to romp in piles of the white fluffy stuff.  But what fell yesterday must have felt like cold pins and needles on his bare feet.  After passing just a few houses  Nigel was raising his left front paw and hobbling like he was trying his best to finish a three-legged race!  Once home, we bathed all four feet in warm water and dried him off and spent the majority of the day inside wishing for a real snow, one with lots and lots of measurable inches.   And, we may get just that.  TOMORROW!

Nigel, not exactly thrilled with the
results of the December 8th storm.

No one should be out in the cold or snow for any length of time.    Humane officers work around the clock.  Report any cases of animals left outside to your local animal control or humane agency.  You can also do your part to help keep animal companion safes during winter storms.  Choose to put out "Safe Paws" or kitty litter rather than salt to help melt snow and/or create traction on sidewalks.  And, get in the habit of bopping  on the car hood before getting in and going for a ride.  Car engines make warm sleeping spots for cats left outdoors.  Remember, animals, like us, may enjoy playing in the snow for a short time.   But, for the most part, the best place to be a cold wintery day is inside. 

 

Weathercasters Trump Santa

WARL's holiday open house has been postponed until Sunday, December 15th.    Drink hot chocolate, bake cookies and keep those animal companions warm and safe inside.  Let it snow!!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow -- but Not on Sunday!

 Santa is scheduled to stop by the Washington Animal Rescue League on Sunday, so dogs (maybe a cat or two), kids, and even adults can deliver their Christmas lists in person.   He reports that he will have no problem trekking in, even if the predicted wintery mix makes mush out of our city streets.  After all, Santa resides in the North Pole and, I just happen to know that  he has access to a Subaru!  It may be, however,  that some of the folks who might bring their dogs and kids to the event have a harder time making it across town.  Be sure to check with the League Sunday morning to see if Santa can postpone his visit to another, perhaps dryer day. 

The bitter cold wet weather predicted  for this weekend is a reminder that it is DECEMBER after all -- even if the thermometer read 68 degrees yesterday.  December, and the months that follow are COLD.  Be sure to take cold weather precautions with your animal companions.  Keep cats indoors.  Walk dogs a reasonable amount of time -- don't leave them outside unattended.  Put a coat on your dog if you want,  but the main thing is to be aware of the temperature.  If you are cold, your animal companion probably is, too!