Jun162009
Evacuation Time? Don’t Forget Your Pets!
image by smiteme
My heart just about broke when I saw all of the abandoned pets in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. How could someone just leave behind a beloved pet? Not only were the abandoned animals in jeopardy, but as days and weeks went by, they added to the already insurmountable problems faced by workers trying to clean up and restore the city.
What plans have you made and put into place for your animals should an emergency of some type strike your area?
First, make sure your pets are up to date with their vaccines and that you have copies of the vaccine records. If you have no other choice but to hand your dog or cat over to a shelter, these records will become invaluable, and it will bring peace of mind to know that your beloved animal is in a safe, temporary environment.
Next, consider how you will contain your pet, if necessary. Our two aggressive turtles can’t be in the same enclosure, unless we want to rename one of them, “Ole Two-Toes,” so we’ve looked at small, portable enclosures for each. If you will be using a dog or cat kennel, place small food and water dishes inside them now, along with a leash, muzzle, maybe a harness. With these already pre-positioned, you’ll only need to grab your pets and be on your way!
Transporting a cat? Unless your cat goes into a carrier willingly, believe me, it’s worth the time, trouble, and scratches to help her get accustomed to being contained before it becomes a matter of life and death. Portable litter boxes, like this one, can make travel easier, but, really, a collapsed cardboard box and a small bag of litter will help your feline feel almost at home.
Small bags of dog and cat food can easily be tucked into a back corner in the trunk of your vehicle. It will be a good idea to feed your pet a little less than they are used to. In an evacuation situation, they will probably not be getting as much exercise, and less food means less poop.
image by smiteme
Many reptiles eat fresh vegetables and fruit. You could keep them fed and happy for weeks just by feeding them veggies from your Big Mac or fast food salad.
Transporting fish? Not quite so easy because you’ll need a container that is spill-proof. I’ve seen suggestions of large Tupperware containers to coolers with air holes drilled in the lids. Fish don’t need to eat as much or as often as your dogs and cats, so that’s a bonus.
If you have livestock and other large animals, probably the best solution is to make prior arrangements with the owner of a nearby farm or other rural property for emergency boarding. Plan on transporting large animals out of harm’s way long before the situation becomes perilous. I found some great tips for evacuating horses here, and many of the tips are relevant to other large animals.
You know your pets and their temperaments better than anyone. Take steps now to get them accustomed to car travel, spending time in a kennel, or whatever might be foreign to them in an emergency situation.
Remember, that often terrified animals will run away. More than anything, they will need you to be calm. (Our animals are such sensitive babies!) With just a little pre-planning and preparation, evacuating your animals will be the least of your worries.
© 2009 – 2012, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.
(13) Readers Comments
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theparanoiddad
Don’t forget plastic grocery bags for trash while traveling and doo doo picking up.
thesurvivalmom
You know what I like about plastic grocery bags? You can shove them into every possible nook and cranny in your vehicle! We’ve been known to call them, “vomit bags.” Enough said!
LIsa
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Kim84
We keep food for our cat and extra water in our BOB I could never leave my furry baby.
Hawaii Honey
Not sure if anyone can help on this, but can anyone recommend a good quality dry dog food that would be vacuum packed , not real expensive, and easy to store for a year? We love SOLID GOLD Wolf King for our two shepherds and it has worked well for them, especially since the female German Shepherd has lots of skin allergies. Good quality kibble, unfortunately , costly. I just would like to have emergency bags on hands.
Urban Man
Good for you starting this topic. I have not seen any sites talking about planning for animals.
I have been through several emergencies: ice storms knocking out power for a week, hurricanes and the aftermath, and even an embassy seige in a foreign country. During people’s rush to buy last minute items you notice the regular items in short supply like food, batteries, bottled water, candles, flashlights, etc,….but among the first things to be sold out is dog food. Imagine that.
It would be a good idea to know what you animals can eat once you run out of prepared food for them. My dogs will be eating rice and rabbits among other things.
UrbanMan @ urbansurvivalskills.com
ReadyMom
Try this for more info:
Pets http://communityawarenesspreparation.phpbb24.com/…
countrygirl
I've been thinking a lot about this lately. My dog is a valuable watch dog and hunting dog. I would take care of him like my kids and my rifle. In a pinch he eats rice/potatos, mixed with meat. I've also been known to cook fish for him and he catches frogs, mice, etc. on his own. Taking care of him in an emergency would be well worth it for the peace of mind it is to have him around.
countrygirl
Ah, the comment I wanted to make, low fat dry dog food stores best, in a mylar bag and a bucket you would be able to store this a year or more. Keep it dry. I'm sure this goes the same for cat food. I live in a rural area and store pet food and chicken feed for a year routienely and it usually is fine, unless it has gotten moist.
MrsBren
I have seen BOB for pets – it goes over the backs of, in my case, the dog. It can hold the dog’s water & food just like the 72 hour BOBs.
This is a great article. I love my dog, Princess Leia, she has been with me since my college days! I am prepping for her along with my other prepping supplies.
thesurvivalmom
In a day or two I’m going to post a short review of freeze dried dog treats. Don’t miss it. Our dogs give them four paws up!