Preparedness Tuesday: Pets And Disasters

It's Preparedness Tuesday - each Tuesday I post one thing you can do to help prepare you and your family for everyday disasters - be it job loss, bad weather (between being stuck in the middle of hurricane season, and the coming colder winter we're predicted), or even that ugly recession they keep talking about (blech!)

Today I'm talking about pet preparedness.

If the situation is serious enough that you have to evacuate, that means your pets need to evacuate too. Be prepared by having up to date records taped to their travel crate. Use a ziploc bag or recycle the clear sticky envelopes packing lists come in. Also have your name and current address as well as contact number written on the crate itself in waterproof ink. Remember most emergency shelters will not accept pets, and the ones that do will ask for up to date vet records before allowing your pets in. Even most hotels will ask for up to date rabies information. You may not have enough time to search for their records, so by having a copy available with the carrier, you can save precious time.

If they aren't used to a crate, try to get them used to it. No emergency shelter will take a pet without it for safety reasons. If you can't afford one, try asking on Freecycle or Craigslist for one. The larger kennels are harder to come by, but if you have a small pet such as a rabbit, cat, or under 20 pound dog, it's much easier.

Each pet should have a nylon collar and leash set ready to go with their rabies tag, as well as an ID. If your pet usually wears a metal choke collar, replace it with the nylon collar in case your pet's fur is wet - you don't want metal against wet fur for several days while in a shelter.

Each pet needs to have a three to four day supply of food or water ready. The sample size bags, which you can often get for free from many pet shops, make perfect meal portions. We keep several in a giant ziploc ready to go. Remember, pet food has a shelf life of about 6 months, so try to remember to change them out when you change the batteries in your smoke alarm. It's not suggested that you pack canned food for every meal even if your pet doesn't normally eat dry food - during a disaster, your pets surroundings will be off and their stomachs quite possibly upset. Dry and bland is better during this situation.

If your pet is on medications, and you may be separated from your pet, have instructions written down. Just like with humans, never let yourself get below a one week supply of the medication just in case.

For cats, have a small litter pan with liners, and a small jug of clumping litter even if you don't usually use clumping. Tidy Cats makes a small 2 pound jug of litter that is perfect for emergency situations.

Also try to have something familiar for the pet if you have time to retrieve it - if they have a favorite blanket or toy, take that along. While I am not usually fond of rawhide, I've heard it recommended for dogs to take a little of their frustration out on in these situations, especially if they have separation anxiety.

For tornado and other home situations, make sure there is room in your safe space for your pets. Have a supply of water included for pets with yours, as well as a puppy pad or two for dogs, or the small litter pan and litter for cats. If you have small pets such as rabbits or ferrets that are usually in large cages, it's good to have a smaller "travel" cage for them to be in during situations like these.

For more random preparedness thoughts from my blog, click here.