Storm Proofing Your Pet

Many times no matter where you live there is some kind of storm or natural disaster, that gets us boarding up our homes and battering down the hatches. We make sure our children are safe and we have plenty of food and water for the family, but do you remember the necessary things needed to be done for your pets.

We map out our evacuation plans or plan a trip to a shelter or hotel, only to find out pets are not welcome. During the hurricanes that hit New Orleans and the Florida coast, people were unprepared in what to do for their pets when the storms came in. Many pets were left at home locked in with some food and water. After the storm, most people were not allowed back into certain areas for over two weeks or more. Some pets were found by rescue workers, but many pets died.

So how can you prepare your pet for any emergency?

1. Make sure they are current on all vaccinations.

2. Attach county license and rabies tags to collars.

3. Write your pets name and medical conditions, with your name and address and phone number on a piece of paper, along with a relatives phone number, (someone who can take a message for you). Place it between two pieces of transparent tape sealing it so it is waterproof and wrap it around your pets collar and tape it shut.

4. Acquire a portable crate and secure collars and leashes for each pet.

5. Place a week or more's worth of food and water in plastic sealed containers, (include dishes and a can opener).

6. Current veterinary records and proof of vaccinations should be available.

7. Stock medications and instructions on diet and feeding and a firstaid kit.

8. Get adequate litter and a pan for cats.

9. Make plans with someone on high ground or out of the area for a place to go in an emergency.

10. As a alternate plan reserve a room at an out of area location hotel that accepts pets.

11. If you must leave your pets at home, post a pet-alert notice on your door and front window with how many pets are inside.

12. Make sure if pets are left at home to put them in a room without windows but with ventilation, leaving a three day supply of food and water, in something stable with access to a high area in case of flooding.

13. Provide familiar bedding and their toys.

14. Keep dogs and cats separated. They might be best buddies in a noral setting, but in an emergency fear does strange things to pets.

That is all excellent advice. It must be heartbreaking to have to leave a pet behind in that situation. I'm sure I have read about some pet owners who refused to evacuate their homes because they were unable take their much loved pets with them. Those people were willing to face the storm rather than abandon their animal companions. Maybe if they had planned ahead about what to do for their pets in an emergency situation they could have complied with the evacuation order.

I don't think I could ever leave a pet locked up, even with a few days provisions, if I was uncertain when or if I would be able to return. I would rather be sure that the pet had a good chance of survival.

Thank you for the tips for storm proofing our pets. I never even thought about such things till recently with all the weather changes that have been happening. It never use to flood where we live yet the last two years have brought on floods that were as deep as 5 feet. These past two years we have experienced floods that would last about 2 days before the water would recede so now I always have enough food and drinking water for the family (our pets included) for at least 4 days. We live on the 2nd floor of a 3 story building and since the ground floor is mostly for parking there hasn't been much damage but the fact that you get trapped in the building for a couple of days is worrisome.