If you’re like me, your pet is a full-on family member. My cat is a fluffy Persian, who excels at getting white fur all over my black clothes and loves getting his chin scratched – he is spoiled absolutely rotten. Because he’s part of the family, he’s a part of our
emergency plan. Whether you’re a cat person, dog person, rabbit person or general pet person, here are some ways to make sure your pet is ready.
Here at the Red Cross we always encourage
having a kit on hand that will meet your family’s needs for 72 hours in the event of an emergency or disaster. Don’t forget to include items your pet might need, such as:
- 72 hour food and water supply
- Copies of medical/vaccination records
- ID tags or microchip info
- Newspaper/cat litter
- And, if your pet is used to the finer things in life, don’t forget to include some treats and toys!
Here are some ways to include your pet in your emergency planning:
Escape plan: Have a crate or a carrier for a small pet, or leash and harness for larger pets, ready and in an obvious place. If you have to leave in a hurry you will not have time to go looking for it. I keep mine next to our emergency kit.
Know your role: Part of our plan is that I’m the go-to cat wrangler - knowing roles like this can be extra helpful during an emergency. When practicing your emergency plan be sure to include your pet.
Room for kitties? Call ahead to hotels and motels outside your immediate area to find out their pet policy – if you’ve got a larger pet make sure to ask about size restrictions.
Buddy system: For when you’re out of town and don’t have your pet with you, make sure a friend or neighbour has keys to your home and can look after your pet in the event of an emergency like a power outage, or extreme heat or cold.
During an emergency:
- Bring your pet indoors immediately during volatile weather
- During emergencies pets can get as anxious as humans, be aware of changes in behaviour that might lead them to uncharacteristically lash out
- If you must evacuate, keep your pet on a leash or in their carrier until you’re in a space where they can’t run off – even if they normally wouldn’t
- If you are forced to leave your home because the building is unsafe (such as a house fire), and you haven’t been able to bring your pet do not go back in after them
Making our cat part of my family emergency plan means that we can help keep him safe in the event of an emergency or disaster. Because that little guy needs his chin scratches.
Is you're emergency kit pet ready? Show us what's
#InMyKit!
