How to help animals in winter - show mercy to wild and homeless creatures

Tell us how to help animals in winter? All their lives they lived in an apartment and in the cold they fed all the stray cats in the area. I think they taught me to take care of our younger brothers and children. They constantly bring someone home, then a kitten, then a dog, and once even a sparrow with a broken wing. We take care of everyone and set them free or find owners. Last year we moved to a private house on the edge of the forest. There are many living creatures, they saw a squirrel, a fox, a hare, and my husband met a handsome deer. Here comes winter and I would like to somehow make their life easier. We hung birdhouses in the garden and feeders. What else can you think of?

It is good in spring and summer, when it is warm outside, there are a lot of greenery and insects around. But with the arrival of autumn, this fertile time for the inhabitants of the forest ends and the harsh time of survival begins. Children are taught how to help animals in winter at a young age, telling how to facilitate their wintering. After all, under the snow all the greens freeze out and herbivores are left without food. And meat-eaters have a hard time, as the number of small animals decreases. They suffer from the cold and birds that stay overwintering. From food they have only larvae obtained under the bark of trees or the remains of food from garbage cans. They cannot do without human help, so let's take care.

How to help animals in winter

Forest dwellers will not give up a bit of attention. If possible, take care of three things:

1. Food. Artiodactyls will come to feeders in the forest filled with fragrant hay, grain, and vegetables. Set up a sheltered nursery near animal trails. Do not forget to spread the salt side by side in large pieces. It will protect animals from disease and poisoning.
2. Water. Place containers where animals gather and add water. If there is a body of water, throw a large log into it so that the ice does not hold it down for a long time. You can break the crust periodically.
3. Asylum. Provide compost heaps for small mammals, reptiles and amphibians. They will be warm there. And small animals can bask in a pile of firewood or stones.

Access to water is needed not only for animals, but for birds that have remained for the winter.

Taking care of the birds

Do not forget about the birds, especially the inhabitants of megalopolises. In the warm season, pigeons and sparrows may well feed themselves, but in winter they cannot do without us. Hang up the feeders and add grain, raw sunflower seeds, dried berries, and white bread crumbs to them every day.

Do not hang feeders close to the trunk - cats can catch birds busy with breakfast there. It is better to place them on the edge of a branch, or simply sprinkle the grains on the window if you live in a high-rise building.

In addition, it does not hurt to take care of shelters so that the birds can keep warm in the bitter frost. Birdhouses and the nest boxes will become a cozy place for them.

Helping stray cats and dogs to survive the winter - video