Winter brings a certain magic—blankets of snow, cozy evenings by the fireplace and the joy of seasonal festivities. Although I love winter, my thoughts are filled with an ever-present worry over animals who have very little (if anything) to protect them from the bitter cold.

Luckily for all of us who care about animals, there are many simple and humane ways to mouse-proof a home that don’t involve glue traps or poisons, which are exceedingly cruel and indiscriminate, and will almost always backfire.