When it's below freezing, cats like to climb inside a car's hood to seek residual warmth. Watch video
Winter can be a dangerous time for pets, and particularly dangerous for dogs and cats that don't have homes.
The Humane Society of the United States offers these tips on assistance that everyone can provide for animals in the cold.
Many neighborhoods have stray or feral cats; sometimes, something as simple as providing them with some food and drinking water makes the difference between surviving the cold months and perishing. They note that to keep water from freezing, a thick plastic water container that's deep and wide is better-insulated than a thin plastic or ceramic container.
When it's below freezing, cats like to climb inside a car's hood to seek residual warmth, and can be injured or killed when the engine is started. Banging on the hood of your car before starting it will cause a cat to leave.
If you see a dog being left out in frigid temperatures by an owner, snap a photo and then call local authorities; documenting the situation will help in ending a possible abusive situation.
Stray and lost dogs should be reported to authorities immediately, as some breeds are not as suited to cold temperatures as others and might not last one night without shelter in winter.
Finally, animal shelters are always in need of donations of blankets and comforters to help keep the animals in their care warm during colder months.
Here's a gallery of homeless pets in need of adoption. More pets can be viewed here and here.
Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find The Star-Ledger on Facebook.