Did you check on your neighbors during the blizzard of 2015? Not just the human kind, but those who share our environment and exist outdoors in the most brutal conditions? The wind was gusting to 70 miles an hour, but the tiniest birds manage to navigate their way to the bird feeder. There was a flurry of feathers visible at the suet cake as they clung to the cage container with their tiny talons. The larger birds, cardinals, blue jays, woodpeckers come in flocks to feed. It is a colorful sight made all the more so by the backdrop of stark white drifts. Examining the footprints outside our doors will reveal the presence of many other critters sharing our real estate The squirrels, rabbits, mice, voles, and other living beings forage under the feeder in hope of leftovers. Most of them are in their burrows underground which they stock with groceries in the warmer weather, but they will emerge for a snack of sunflower seeds. So put on your boots, get out there and keep those feeders full!

The all boys club that is the cat room at the animal shelter has a new member, so far unnamed. We have a pride of black cats which he will now join. This is a young one, exact age undetermined as he was a stray, but a teenager by the looks of him, maybe eight or nine months. Fortunately he was rescued before the blizzard. Our other residents, Oliver, the old man; Forrest and Bubba, the brothers; and Big Baby, the deaf tuxedo cat, were warm, well-fed and comfortable during the big blow. Any cats caught off guard by the weather are undoubtedly hunkered down in someone’s barn or garage or maybe under a house. The felines are clever at finding shelter when needed.

Keep your own pets close to home. Wipe their chilly paws when they come in after outside forays. Their furry bodies are perfect foot warmers in this freezing weather.

Shelter hours are Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The shelter is closed Sunday and Monday. The telephone number is 508-627-8662.

Contributions are always gratefully accepted; the shelter is funded solely by donations. Please make checks out to The Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard; the mailing address is P.O. Box 1829, Edgartown, MA 02539 or visit animalshelterofmv.org.