You could go through your closets and pick out a warm coat as soon as the weather gets cold. Dogs and cats need a head start to grow that warm winter coat. In order to do this, your dog or cat will start shedding it’s summer coat a few months before it gets cold. There are a few factors that influence the time to start shedding. They are breed, age and temperature.  The most important signal is the change in the amount of daylight. For your dog or cat, the shorter days are signs that they have to get out their winter coat.  As soon as the days get longer again, the winter coats will start coming off.  If your cat is an indoor cat, it will probably shed continually because it’s body can not recognize the change of seasons. Even though your dog will grow his winter coat, it’s a good idea to buy him a nice warm dog coat especially if he has short hair.