Hurricane / Emergency Disaster Prepardness For Your Pets

With the upcoming hurricane approaching southeast US and people trying to get themselves and their pets to safety, here are some kits and lists to print out to have on hand so you can prepare. There are good for everyone to have on hand no matter where you live

Disaster Preparedness
Pet Preparedness Social Media Toolkit | Ready.gov
https://www.avma.org/public/EmergencyCare/Pages/Pets-and-Disasters.aspx
Pet Disaster Preparedness & Recovery

Downloadable AVMA Saving The Whole Family guide: AVMA Store - Product (Spanish version here)

Thanks so much for posting this!

Thanks bunches for posting this info!

We try to have everything organized and stocked about a month before hurricane season starts every year, but there's always something we manage to forget. So these links are most helpful to make sure we don't overlook anything.

And make sure you know which emergency shelters along your planned evacuation routes will accept pets. We learned that lesson the hard way when we got stuck in the traffic jam from hell that lasted for over two full days during the Hurricane Rita evacuation. We almost didn't make it in time to the hotel room we had booked, and the shelters along the way wouldn't take us in because we had a cat with us.

Oh my gosh!

Ditto for CA. Make sure you are prepared for earthquakes. I just updated all supplies this last week. Sending good thoughts and prayers that those in the southeast will be safe, along with their pets.

Earthquakes aren't so prevalent in northern California, what we prepare for is wildfire.
We dodged a bullet just last week, sudden fire closeby, stiff winds, we were even in the evacuation zone but opted to ride it out since the property is more easily defended and the logistics of moving pets, livestock and us is a nightmare.
Still things were packed and ready to go.

And micro chip your pets!

Thank you for the timely reminder!

When Harvey happened in Houston, the city opened up some large shelters but refused to accept pets at first. They relaxed the rule soon after, probably because people were bringing their pets anyway.

maggie101 said:

And micro chip your pets!

Click to expand...

Yes

If your pets already have microchips, give the customer service phone number of the microchip company a call and update your info.

If your pets don't currently have microchips, schedule an appointment with the vet to have one inserted. Sometimes pet stores and shelters have microchip events. Be sure to call the microchip customer service number after the appointment and register your pet's microchip with the company with your info. The vet does not do this for you. Customer service may try to sell you annual memberships and other things but just having your contact info in their system associated with your pet's microchip number is FREE.

Since September is National Preparedness month in the US, some vets offer a free microchip with any full exam. Check with your vet. This is how I got Leroy microchipped.

Just wanted to add, if you haven't already done so, you might want to consider including some calming treats or supplements in your kitty emergency kit (such as Zylkene or L-Theanine), and maybe some Feliway wipes or spray to help your fur babies deal with the stress.

They were a godsend for us during Hurricane Harvey, as we were all working our butts off pretty much 24/7 for several days trying to keep as much water out of the house as possible, and no one was available to help comfort the cats.

Good Idea! I gotta find a good one again. I was using one for awhile, that worked great, but they stopped carrying it/making it. I used it when thunderstorms were coming because Lily is extremely terrified of thunder. Everyone stay safe with this nasty hurricane. I'm watching closely too, wondering how far north will it come, if we need to prepare in Virginia.

Hurricanes produce very loud noises as well so dimming the noise for the pets in crates with blankets, pillows, matress, furniture like couches so that the noise doesnt make the cats and dogs freak out, animals already are sensitive to the changes in the weather so they will be stressed out allready. Maybe some pet ear muffs if they sell them in the pet shops. They use ear plugs for horses which looks like a hat that covers the ears when they shoot guns, maybe there is something similar for cats. some websites suggest cotton balls or normal foam ear plugs made from foam , also mouldable wax ear plugs but they say to speak to the vet to show you how to insert them.

Thank you for posting the checklists, LTS3 . I try to have everything ready by the beginning of the summer. I make a box to take with us if we have to leave home.

I thought all shelters accepted animals after the Hurricane Rita disaster (when people didn’t go to shelters because they didn’t want to leave their animals). Is that not true?

silkenpaw said:

Thank you for posting the checklists, LTS3 . I try to have everything ready by the beginning of the summer. I make a box to take with us if we have to leave home.

I thought all shelters accepted animals after the Hurricane Rita disaster (when people didn’t go to shelters because they didn’t want to leave their animals). Is that not true?

Click to expand...

More shelters are willing to accept pets these days, but there are still many that don't.

Also, pet friendly shelters often require separate accommodations for pets and people. Some are more generous than others as to how often you're allowed to visit your fur babies to feed or otherwise care for them. But they won't let you camp out there the whole time with them like I'd want to.

With all the hurricanes, natural disasters, wild fires etc lately please have a plan in place of what to do with your pets, where to evacuate to, etc.