Your pets are beloved members of the family. You must have an emergency plan for pets too. Here are our top tips to manage their needs during natural disasters.
We have a saying in our household, our pets are our children with fur. Please do not leave any pets outside before, during or after a hurricane. While for most people this concept is a no brainer, it was shocking to see some photos of people’s pets tethered to poles and fences during Hurricane Harvey. There was a tweet storm going on Twitter when photos surfaced that many people just abandoned their pets while fleeing from the hurricane. It is guaranteed that your pets will panic, they too will be hearing the high pitch squealing that comes along with a powerful hurricane. Dog experts have said that dogs can hear up to twice as well as humans and they can hear frequencies that we cannot. Hurricane-force winds sound like standing next to a whistling stovetop tea kettle for several hours. That high pitch deafening screech meant to get your attention and pull the kettle off the stovetop, hurricane-force winds at peak hurricane time are just like that. So imagine your poor dog or cat having to tolerate that. Your entire family including pets should all be hunkered down together in the area in your home designated as the safest. Your pets will probably panic and want to be underfoot, especially the dogs. Your cats will probably find a cozy spot to hide like in a closet or under the bed. Leaving pets outside is not an option, they may panic and strangle themselves trying to break free from being tied up or they could get seriously hurt or killed by flying debris. Bring them inside, make a comfortable space for them and tuck them in a warm fluffy bed or inside their pet carrier.
In case your dog or cat does somehow escape make sure they are outfitted at all times with a pet collar and a tag with your phone number and name. If you have a particularly nervous dog or cat the safest place for them would be in a carrier in the same room as the family. That way you can reassure them during this difficult time. A pet in a carrier is also an advantage in the extreme case that you need to move rooms for safety or in case of an evacuation. My friend had a very nervous cat so she spoke to her vet before hand and was given a very mild chill pill so that her cat would not notice the hurricane.
How to prepare your pets for an imminent natural disaster
Always have your pet cat or dog outfitted with a collar and identification tags.
Prepare a safe place in your home for your pets to stay during a hurricane/tornado. If your pet(s) are extremely nervous consider placing them inside their pet carriers during the storm. Your pets may still panic in their carriers so have a backup area for them to ride out the hurricane where you will still be able to monitor them such as a spacious closet or fenced off area in the room you plan to ride out the storm. Have a pet bed or create a comfy area for your pets to ride out the storm.
Keep your pets’ food in a weatherproof container such as a gamma screw lid container. This container is carried at most Costco’s year-round and most pet stores. We keep our dog food in these containers year-round. The food stays fresh and dry and the gamma food storage container is weatherproof although we do recommend bringing it inside during any weather such as tropical storms, hurricanes or tornados. If you do not have a dog food bin you should store their foods in another weatherproof container such as Snapware or double sealed in Ziploc bags in a safe, weather free area of your home.
Ensure your pet’s food and a month’s worth of medications are on hand. Many pets, particularly our elderly pets have certain dietary needs such as prescription foods purchased exclusively from veterinarians. Be sure to get at least a month’s worth of your pets’ prescription food and medications before a hurricane or other impending natural disaster. The last thing you want to do is be running all over town trying to find an open vet for medicated pet food. Remember, everyone including your veterinarian will be experiencing stress and crises. Most services will be closed for days or weeks during the recovery phase of a natural disaster.
Keep a special first aid Ziploc bag especially for your pets with such items as gauze, stretchy self- adhesive tape, and Bloodclot (an antiseptic, anti-bacterial and blood stop gel).
In the event of voluntary or mandatory evacuations be sure your pets carriers are cleaned, ready and equipped with enough food, pet medications and clean liners or newspapers.
After a natural disaster strikes often it is not safe for humans and pets to go outside for a couple of days, as there will be an incredible amount of broken glass, tiles, and nails. Have on hand some bed liners or newspapers so pets can do their business indoors if necessary.
Have your veterinary’s number close by in case of an emergency. Also, have 2 – 3 emergency back up veterinarians contact information. Get to know your neighbors, although we didn’t have an animal emergency, one of our neighbors did and we were fortunate to have a veterinarian in our community.
If your pets have a favorite toy, teddy bear or blanket have it with them during the storm or anything that will calm their nerves during this time.
Consider a pet calming drop in their water such as Bach’s Rescue Remedy. This can calm their anxiety before and during the storm.
Have on hand some treats for your pets during these trying times. Items such chew toys, rawhides or nylabones may keep their minds occupied.
