I had a big scare -- what to do about cats in an emergency?

[Cataria]

I had a big scare last night and I'm still freaked out about it. Fortunately everything was actually fine, but it gave me a reality check to some unpleasant truths I didn't want to acknowledge.

So yesterday, I went to visit my parents'. I took my rabbit with me, but none of my cats went because my parents are allergic. Around 9 PM, I headed home.

I got to my street and there were police cars, ambulances, fire trucks everywhere. The parking area for my house is in an alley, so I turned down a street to get into the alley and discover all the emergency vehicles were in the alley. I drove around the block to get a better idea of what was going on, and I could see my backyard. There was smoke *everywhere* and the emergency vehicles were parked in my parking area and around my house. I couldn't see anything else.

I felt so sick and horrified. I realized my house might be burning down, and worst of all, my cats were still inside. And I was terrified that I lost them.

I had to park two blocks away. I grabbed the rabbit out of the car and rushed back (longest walk/run of my life), and asked a police officer what happened. He just said "a lot" and wouldn't tell me anything. I point to my house and thank God he tells me my house is fine and I could go home. The air is thick with smoke and yes, all the vehicles were parked in and around me. It's dark, but the only thing I could see is that the fireman were hosing down my neighbor's car and it was clearly damaged. No idea if any houses were damaged or if it was just the car.

But yeah, this freaked me out, a lot. And I know that if something really did happen to my house, my cats don't have much of a chance and I don't know what to do about that.

1. I have ten cats. That's a lot of cats for anyone to try to rescue. They are all indoor-only and most of them are completely terrified of being outside, so I'm not convinced that if someone opened a window/door for them, they'd go out on their own, or where they would go if they did.
2. I live alone. If I'm home and there's an emergency, I don't think I could get them all out. And when I'm not home, there's not going to be anyone else there to tell me something is going on.
3. Many of my cats are terrified of strangers. Since my parents are allergic and all of my friends live an hour or more away (most in a different state entirely) most of them have not socialized to anyone other than me. And two of them are ex-ferals and don't even like *me* that much. Some of my cats went in for their yearly check-up at the vet two days ago and I'm reminded by how long it took to catch them when it wasn't even an emergency.
4. I don't really talk to my neighbors. Honestly, nobody in my neighborhood really talks to each other, and I have some anxiety about meeting them because I've had bad experiences with previous neighbors harassing me for money, intruding on my property, etc. When I was renting, I was at least able to move and get out of the situation, but now that I own a house and have a crap ton of cats, that's not so easy.
5. I have considered getting emergency stickers to put on my windows that say how many cats are in the house, but I also have a lot of anxiety about that. It is absolutely legal to own ten cats in my area, but I'm always stressed that if I advertise it someone will report me for it, is that weird? My cats are all healthy, fixed, and go to the vet regularly so there's no reason, but my siblings drilled it into my head that the cats are a bad thing and are going to somehow get me into trouble someday.

I guess I don't know what I can do to prevent an emergency situation from ending my cats, especially when they are so uncooperative and I don't have anyone nearby I can depend on to help me either monitor what's going on or help me socialize them better to react better to emergency people. Anybody have any suggestions?

 

[Furballsmom]

there's not going to be anyone else there to tell me something is going on.

For this part you could look into an Alexa, a ring doorbell system or even just cameras where you can access information about the condition of the house through your phone.

Get the stickers. Firefighters will do all that they can.

Start practicing getting the cats into carriers. No matter the situation, if they're more amenable to getting into a carrier it can only help.

You might talk to your vet and see if there is a technician who'd be close enough to stop in and help socializing for a few bucks, or see if rover. .com has someone who can help with socializing etc.

 

[iPappy]

Definitely get those stickers. If some Karen wants to report you, let them since you're breaking no laws.
I absolutely agree with training the cats to a carrier as best you can. You could start feeding them in there.
I live on my own too and it's a constant worry. Maybe you could have electric and gas inspections done for peace of mind.

 

[CatladyJan]

Unfortunately, it's a harsh reality that we all have to deal with. I would get the stickers, but there is no guarantee the fire department can save them.
I completely agree that you should get a security system of some sort. We have Simplisafe and it's about $27.00/month. If there is a fire or one of our door sensors goes off the police are called immediately and we are called by Simplisafe. We also have just one camera in the house and you can get as many as you want.
Many years ago, I lived in an apartment and around 5am I could smell something burning. The apartment below me was on fire and smoke started filling my apartment. My cats hunkered down under furniture and did survive and lived out long lives.

 

[treeclimber]

Although it’s best to have one cat per carrier, in an emergency what’s “best” matters a lot less than what gets everyone out alive.

I’d suggest getting the largest travel dog crate you could handle getting out of your house and into your car on your own. Consider a folding hand truck/dolly thing that might make it easier to carry/move when it’s full of cats.

Have it out in your living space, get them used to playing/sleeping in it, and have sessions where you put a special food or treat in it and try to get as many of the cats to go in at once as possible. Never close the door, just make it a fun place to go that’s never bad or threatening. If there are personality conflicts you might consider two dog crates, but I wouldn’t suggest more than two because each one is probably a separate trip in/out of your house during an emergency.

Also keep in mind that people help strangers in emergencies. If your house is visibly on fire, even if your neighbors don’t know you, some of them are going to check if you need help. As long as you can get the dog crate out of the house by yourself, there’s a good chance someone would help you lift it into your car, or even let you put it in their house to keep the cats warm if it’s cold out.

Next, MEDS. You can buy cat food, you can buy litter, don’t worry about those things - but make sure any meds (and any supplies needed for giving the meds like an inhaler spacer) are somewhere you can grab them quickly when you and the cats evacuate.

Finally, pre-plan where to evacuate to. Pet-friendly hotel, 24-hour vet clinic with kennels that could hold the kitties for a night until you can make other arrangements the next day, etc.

 

[Tobermory]

You could also consider buying webcams like the Wyze cam. They’re relatively inexpensive (the Wyze Cam v3 is currently selling for about $35 on Amazon), allow you to check in on your kitties when you’re away from home (sight and sound), and send alerts to you when motion is detected. At least you would know what’s going on. I’ve used webcams for years. They help worriers like me feel better about being away from home.

 

[Alldara]

C Cataria , T treeclimber gave some amazing advice!

When we lived in an apartment we had two cats and 10 rats. The best thing we could do was to ensure everyone loved their crates. It's a safe happy space and you can hide there!

Also, we learned to block of ANYWHERE where you cant get them out in less than a few seconds. That few seconds is already too long.

We began to transport our rats to their 'out' play area in a cat carrier. So basically if we opened the cage and held the carrier up they'd all go in. Basically you are trying to get the cats to view it as a safe space they can go, fast.

Consider a cage where you may have a door on the top as well as one on the side. You do not want to have one run out everytime you put another in.

You can store some separate mesh or collapsible carriers, a bag of litter and a disposable litter box in your trunk. This is in case say, you have to put 4 in a cat hotel and take the rest with you or who knows. Or if one gets stressed and starts lashing out, or it's not safe for you to keep them all in the crate while driving for whatever reason.


You can keep an emergency bag on the dolly with a meal and some dishes for your cats. (And perhaps a few days medication, if applicable).

 

[game misconduct]

i know they have signs/stickers that you can place on or around your door for fist responders to see that let them know there are indoor pets. whether or not they pay attention to them i dunno i would hope they make an effort to save the pets. but yeah that was for sure a scary thing to go through

 

[JamesCalifornia]

I have ten cats. That's a lot of cats for anyone to try to rescue.

~ Welcome to the '10 Cat Crazy Club' . I also have 10 abandoned adult cats .
Some people install cameras at home that can be viewed on any smartphone. Veterinarians usually have references of people who will help with pet care in emergency situations.
When I leave there is an open 'cat door' just in case .

 

[Jcatbird]

All excellent advice above. You are within legal rights so maybe you can try to ignore whatever your siblings have said in the past? You escaped a bad place and I totally understand the anxiety it caused. It’s hard to shake that kind of experience. I have experienced similar things but if you can see one neighbor who has a cat, that might be a good way to start a bond. I do think.the stickers could make a difference. Maybe an emergency number to your vet or a vet tech you like would be something you could post on windows too? They could relay the numbers of occupants. Around here, the authorities know I have multiple cats. A good relationship with fire and police really helps. Animal control, local shelters and cat rescuers near know me and would help. I would suggest you go and visit a shelter and maybe take some treat to the nearest fire station. Talk to the people there about your concerns. I think you will find them to be very caring and it may give you some help. Often they will make note of homes that have pets or individuals with special needs. The more they see you, the more that will enter their minds should they ever be called to your home. I actually had an officer come here to offer tips on security. He saw the cats (some hid) and fire departments often offer similar services. The security system is another answer and the Simplysafe is very easy to install yourself. There are outside sirens they sell that are loud. Fire alarms, cameras and lots of helpful items can be bought with their system. You can be called as well as rescue authorities according to your desires.
As for the cats being timid, I have gotten the cats here used to carriers and cages being their safe haven. When they are scared, they retreat to them. If they get along then using one or two main carriers as safe sanctuary is ideal. Even if they don’t get along , having them hide in any carrier means they can be gathered and put into a larger one for quicker removal. A large one placed near each exit would be helpful. I have had multiple pets and had a fire. They all retreated to one main room and if the fire had continued, I could have removed them. Keeping a carrier low to the floor will put them near the best air. A catio might be another resource. While cats may hide, many also seek an exit they know. A catio they already know would put them outside the actual house and make them more visible to rescuers but still protected from neighbors. I have done some evacuations and maybe a practice run with the cats would help you and the kitties. Using an alarm will be scary at first but cats are smart. They can learn that an alarm means to go hide in a specified place. Their safe place. From day one I have made carriers a sanctuary. It is the place I give the new toys, the cat treats, favorite blankets and catnip. When it is time go to the vet, the cats always seem to know I am trying to get them gathered up. Lol Where do they hide? The carriers! Ha. I gotcha! That’s okay though because after the vet does whatever is needed, they go straight back in their safe place without a fuss. It’s a calm place for them. The big trick is getting them out and not in! I have top loading carriers now for ease of removal. I learn as I go. Practice and please share with us any tips you learn along the way.

 

[Tigger's Mum]

One very important thing no-one's mentioned is get a smoke detector. We have two in our house. One in the lower hallway and one at the top of the stairs. They are very loud and can be heard from streets away. They go off at the least hint of smoke. Can be a bit annoying when you're making toast but rather that than something horrible happen.

Also the Alexas. The Echo Shows can be used as a camera to feed to your cellphone (we call them mobile phones in the UK). I haven't set my one up for that but I believe it's fairly easy and there are a lot of tech guys on YouTube who show you how to do it. I also have a Blink video doorbell (similar to Ring) which is really good too - let's you see who's at the door without having to open it. In this day and age there are too many nasty people around. I have mine set to motion so it goes off if anyone comes down my path. We have a fox that visits frequently and I caught him swinging from my pear tree helping himself to my pears.

Might also be an idea to contact your local rescue centre or ASPCA as I'm sure they've had people asking for similar advice.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Make sure your cats are microchipped, and that you register every chip, and keep the information updated. If someone came in, and the cats ran, you need a way to reclaim them, and microchips are your best chance at that. I thought that my indoor-only girl didn't need microchipping, then there was an electrical surge and my water heater blew up while I was at work. Fire and police made an emergency entrance, and my shy girl made an emergency exit. Thankfully, when I got home in the midst of it all, one of my neighbors came to tell me that my cat was in her apartment. She was chipped the next week at the first available appointment.

 

[Astragal14]

I am part of my county's Emergency Animal Response Team and I want to offer you some reassurance as well as some advice.

Don't worry, first responders definitely check for pets! Two locations are checked for pet information: entryways and the kitchen refrigerator. You have some options if you're apprehensive about using a window sticker at the front door. You could place decals at entryways other than the front door, or you could even use a decal at the front door and instead of writing the number of pets, write something to the effect of "check kitchen" or "info inside". And it's a good idea to have a decal on the refrigerator regardless because any entryway has the potential to be blocked in an emergency.

It is absolutely legal to own ten cats in my area, but I'm always stressed that if I advertise it someone will report me for it, is that weird? ...but my siblings drilled it into my head that the cats are a bad thing and are going to somehow get me into trouble someday.

You and your cats are 100% completely fine here. You're legal, there's nothing to report! I understand your concern but no one will be interested in investigating you in this situation. The animal control officer's response will probably be, "You're reporting someone who has a legal number of cats? Have a nice day, goodbye". There would only be a problem if your cats are causing trouble in the neighborhood and it's provable that it is due to your cats, which sounds unlikely since they're indoor only and afraid of strangers.

Now on to the advice. Most of our materials come from FEMA and we always recommend ready.gov as a resource. The second link is a printable page of summarized advice. What I've written below are some tips we give to our local community that aren't mentioned in the FEMA materials.
Prepare Your Pets for Disasters | Ready.gov
https://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/2021-06/ready_pet-preparedness-flyer.pdf

First, absolutely make sure all your cats are microchipped. It is sometimes the only way pets are reunited with their families after disasters. In the absence of a microchip the only option is to contact every shelter in the general area with a description of your pet(s)... which will probably match the description of many other animals in shelters. The microchip information also offers proof that you are their guardian.

I have ten cats. That's a lot of cats for anyone to try to rescue.

If I'm home and there's an emergency, I don't think I could get them all out.

Second, please reach out to your local municipal services for help creating a personal preparedness plan - we LOVE it when people show an interest in emergency pet planning! Ten cats is a lot of responsibility and they will be completely dependent upon you. I wish I could offer specific advice but that many cats is outside my expertise. Who you contact will depend on your local services, it may be an animal shelter, an animal control officer, or the police or fire departments. Every municipality has a local EOP - Emergency Operations Plan, and each of these departments play a role in crafting this plan. Contact any one of them and explain your situation; they will know which Emergency Support Function manages requests like yours and can direct you to the right place.

It's very important that you speak to a local authority because they will be the best resource for how to react to an emergency in your area. For example, I live in a large urban city with many high rise residences and many people don't own cars. We counsel people to be conscious of how much they can carry in the event an elevator is not available or if they have to walk to shelter. Backpack carriers and slings are very popular around town. I have two cats and our carriers are soft-sided, roomy enough to (tightly) fit both cats in one if needed, and they have an extendable strap I can wear cross-body.

I don't really talk to my neighbors. Honestly, nobody in my neighborhood really talks to each other.

Many of my cats are terrified of strangers... most of them have not socialized to anyone other than me.

This just makes it more essential that you talk to your local services. They can offer you specific advice for when you're on your own, or they can let you know if your town has any support services or groups that can offer assistance when your neighbors can't - things like emergency phone trees (or text or email). They will also be able to describe how they handle terrified pets, because your cats will definitely not be the first ones they've come across!

Third, find a way to keep your cats' information and records in an accessible place. This could be in a smartphone app, another type of electronic record (such as emailing yourself or using cloud storage), or even a paper copy you keep outside the home (like in your car or someone else's home). Ideally, you want something that offers a minimum of identifiable information. Names & physical descriptions, microchip numbers, veterinary office contact info, etc. I personally use an old ASPCA app that is no longer supported but it still works and I can send my cats' details to anyone with one click. Pet Desk and VitusVet are two options used by veterinary offices, you can easily download your pet's information if your vet uses either of these.

Fourth, use a "my pet is home alone" card or keychain when you leave the house. First responders will check your belongings for information like this in the event you have an emergency away from home. I have a wallet card with my pet's names, emergency contact numbers and vet information; I keep this card in front of my ID so no one will miss it. Easy google searches will show you many DIY options or ones to purchase.

 

[Astragal14]

I want to provide a little more information about my team. It is a state program, SART (state animal response team), that is deployed in counties and cities and staffed with municipal employees as well as volunteers. Several states have them and many more states are developing them.

You can find out what resources are available in your area by searching "[my state] animal response team".

For more information about disaster planning:
ASPCA Survey Shows 83% of Pet Owners Are Impacted by Disasters, Fewer Than Half Have Preparedness Plans

 

[KittyFriday]

For smoke alarms, I have a Nest smoke detector. It checks for both smoke and carbon monoxide, and has an app so if something is happening in my home and I am away I will know immediately.

A security system is good, too, as well as cameras in a few places so that if I get any kind of notification I can take a look and make sure everything is okay.

It's definitely something scary, so it's good to have a plan!