Your car needs antifreeze in order for it to work properly during cold winter months. But most antifreeze is also toxic, and unfortunately it has a sweet taste and smell, so animals like to ingest it when they find it spilled in a driveway or on the street. When buying or choosing antifreeze, look for (or ask for) antifreeze made with propylene glycol instead of ethylene glycol. The former is nontoxic. And you can also buy brands that include an added ingredient -- a bittering agent -- the taste of which is unappealing to animals.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

When cats are roaming outside, they like to find warm, hidden places to climb into. During the winter months, many cats will climb into a car’s engine compartment to be near the heat of a recently run engine. To avoid accidentally killing a cat when you start your car, make a habit of banging on the hood before you get in and turn on the ignition. The loud noise is usually enough to convince a cat to abandon its perch and run away to safety. And if you are a cat owner, don’t allow yours to roam outside during the winter months at all.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

While most wild animals adapt to survive even the worst of winter conditions, frogs could use a little help. Even though frogs become a bit dormant in water, when the top layer of the water freezes over, it can cut off oxygen and trap harmful gases inside. And while one might think cracking the ice manually could help them, it actually creates disruptions in the water that can harm dormant frogs. The solution? Toss a tennis ball into the water. It floats and prevents the pond from totally freezing over.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION