Preparing For An Emergency For Your Cat Or Dog

Posted on 4 April 2022
By Dr. Jill Tack
Posted in cats, Dog & Cat Safety Tips, dogs
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There is no better time than now to think about being prepared for you and your pet in case we find ourselves in another situation where we need to have food stocked, a to-go bag on the ready, and a preparedness plan in place that is easy for the entire family to follow.

Putting Together Items For Your Cats & Dogs In An Emergency:

If you haven't put together a kit just yet, you can start today. Pick one item a month to find and prepare. This might be finding the right kind of bag, backpack, or container that is easy to carry and fit the items you need. Or maybe you gather all of the items you think you will need, and the last item you find is a storage box, bag, or receptacle for it to all fit inside of. I know for myself that prepping for five cats would most likely not fit in a backpack.

A Backpack Ready To Go:

Medical records for each pet, preferably in a waterproof container
Recent photos of each animal from different angles in case you get separated
ID Tags for each pet
Kennels, leashes, harnesses, or some sort of containment that is escape-proof
Food & clean drinking water + bowls for a minimum of 14 days
Waste management items - poop bags or litter & litter box
Pet First Aid Kit
Calming remedies - essential oils or flower remedies

Five Cats Are Not Easy To Move To Transport

I have a unique situation regarding the logistics portion of getting all of my animals to a secure place or kennel. Currently, we have five cats. If you have stopped by the retail store, you may have met one of our Bengal cats. Some are super friendly and chill, but a couple are an anxious mess. We often leave our cat kennels out in the main room of our home so the cats aren't scared of the kennels, and they are comfortable being placed in them either by us or on their own. On occasion, I will even toss a treat or two inside for them to find on their own as a reward for exploring. Logistically, we need at least four separate carriers for our five cats. In addition, we need to make sure we have a vehicle that they would all fit in as no animal would be left behind.

Cat & Dog Food For On The Go:

My cats currently eat a raw food diet, but I have also introduced additional textures and flavors to reduce pickiness. If we need to leave our home, we will have freeze-dried and canned food options for food. Dogs don't tend to be as picky as our feline friends, but it may be something to consider. Having a few varieties and flavors in your kit can be helpful as they may be just as stressed out as their humans.

As you can see, once you start preparing, you to find out really what you might need and the items you will need to purchase to prepare an emergency plan.

Emergency Items For Humans Too:

Advanced items that you may want to consider for the humans.

Flashlights or lanterns
Battery or hand-crank radio
Water filtration system
Emergency thermal blankets
Survival gear
Camp stove
Emergency food supply
Homeopathic kit - The Honest Kitchen - Perfect Form, Nature's Sunshine - Distress Remedy, Activated Charcoal & Silver Shield.

Maintain Your Kit:

Once you have a kit put together, it needs some yearly maintenance. Whether you restock it every 6 or 12 months, the food should be rotated, and you should review the items you put together. Updating each pet's paperwork with age, medication and medical history, current photos, and updated ID tags can make your preparations valid when the need arises.