Cats and dogs. The most common of pets, a real part of the family. Just as you insure you have a prep plan for your husband, kids, sometime parents and inlaws, you must have a prep plan for your pets.
You would be surprised how many people don’t plan for their pet in a time of emergency. Just look at hurricanes as an example, do you know how many people just leave their pet behind? Yes, the excuse may have been “the shelter wouldn’t take pets.” To me, that is no excuse. It isn’t like you don’t know you have the pet prior to the hurricane right? Now I grant you, there are situations that are too sudden, like a tornado or a fire. Sometimes you just aren’t home when an unexpected bad thing happens…you should still have some sort of rescue plan for those cases.
It really isn’t a surprise I guess when you consider that no more than eight percent of the US population has any preparation plan in place at all, if you don’t plan for yourself why would you plan for your pet? Most say I’ll just let someone else take care of me and them. The reality is in a disaster or time of trouble, the only one that will take care of you is YOU and the only one you can truly count on is God.
To be a responsible pet owner means you take care of your pet in good times and bad. Plan now for pet survival. Put stickers on the windows of your home stating you have a pet that needs to be rescued in case of fire. If you are in a hurricane prone area, start researching now as to which shelters accept pets in case you have to evacuate. Don’t wait for when the storm is on the way or when you are on the evacuation route to start thinking about it. If there are no shelters in your area that will take pets, then check with family members and friends. Your evacuation shelter just may be a family or friends house in a safe zone. Ask them ahead of time if you can bring your pets. (IMHO I would chose a family or friends home before I ever went to go to a shelter…then again, I have my bug out plan in place if I can’t hunker down at home.)
Regardless if you hunker down or have to evacuate in a disaster situation, just as you have your food and water storage for your family, you should make sure you have pet food storage and extra water for your pets as well. Don’t forget those pet meds if your pet needs some special medication make sure you always have at least an extra 30-days on hand at all times.
If you have a cat, don’t forget extra kitty litter as well. Remember at all time but especially times of extra stress, keep those litter boxes extra clean. When cats are under stress or feel the stress of the household they are more prone to bacterial infections as the stress may affect their immune systems, a dirty litter box is a home for bacteria so it is extremely important to keep them clean. Scope twice a day if not three times a day, maybe consider adding an extra box.
Many believe in micro-chipping their pets, IMHO I do not, I have measures in place to insure my pets will NOT get lost or accidentally get out. I don’t care for the whole micro-chipping gimmick. But, I did want to mention that it is an option and if your pet is micro-chipped and properly registered it may be possible for your lost pet to be reunited back with you if found and the chip read.
Proper planning includes all family members, especially the furry ones, your pets, so do the right thing and plan for them too, after all they are depending on you and in return they give you unconditional love. Don’t let them down.
29 Dec 2013
0 CommentsPet Prep
You would be surprised how many people don’t plan for their pet in a time of emergency. Just look at hurricanes as an example, do you know how many people just leave their pet behind? Yes, the excuse may have been “the shelter wouldn’t take pets.” To me, that is no excuse. It isn’t like you don’t know you have the pet prior to the hurricane right? Now I grant you, there are situations that are too sudden, like a tornado or a fire. Sometimes you just aren’t home when an unexpected bad thing happens…you should still have some sort of rescue plan for those cases.
It really isn’t a surprise I guess when you consider that no more than eight percent of the US population has any preparation plan in place at all, if you don’t plan for yourself why would you plan for your pet? Most say I’ll just let someone else take care of me and them. The reality is in a disaster or time of trouble, the only one that will take care of you is YOU and the only one you can truly count on is God.
To be a responsible pet owner means you take care of your pet in good times and bad. Plan now for pet survival. Put stickers on the windows of your home stating you have a pet that needs to be rescued in case of fire. If you are in a hurricane prone area, start researching now as to which shelters accept pets in case you have to evacuate. Don’t wait for when the storm is on the way or when you are on the evacuation route to start thinking about it. If there are no shelters in your area that will take pets, then check with family members and friends. Your evacuation shelter just may be a family or friends house in a safe zone. Ask them ahead of time if you can bring your pets. (IMHO I would chose a family or friends home before I ever went to go to a shelter…then again, I have my bug out plan in place if I can’t hunker down at home.)
Regardless if you hunker down or have to evacuate in a disaster situation, just as you have your food and water storage for your family, you should make sure you have pet food storage and extra water for your pets as well. Don’t forget those pet meds if your pet needs some special medication make sure you always have at least an extra 30-days on hand at all times.
If you have a cat, don’t forget extra kitty litter as well. Remember at all time but especially times of extra stress, keep those litter boxes extra clean. When cats are under stress or feel the stress of the household they are more prone to bacterial infections as the stress may affect their immune systems, a dirty litter box is a home for bacteria so it is extremely important to keep them clean. Scope twice a day if not three times a day, maybe consider adding an extra box.
Many believe in micro-chipping their pets, IMHO I do not, I have measures in place to insure my pets will NOT get lost or accidentally get out. I don’t care for the whole micro-chipping gimmick. But, I did want to mention that it is an option and if your pet is micro-chipped and properly registered it may be possible for your lost pet to be reunited back with you if found and the chip read.
Proper planning includes all family members, especially the furry ones, your pets, so do the right thing and plan for them too, after all they are depending on you and in return they give you unconditional love. Don’t let them down.