Pet Prepping

In an emergency, your pets will be even more dependent on you for their safety and well-being. Because our pets are part of our family, including them in our Emergency Plans will help ensure the survival of our entire family. Here are some ways to help your pet be prepared for, survive, and recover from, a disaster. Prepare a First Aid Kit For Your Pet Include supplies for your pet in your emergency kit, or assemble an emergency kit for your pet (even one they can wear) Updated Personal ID On Their Collars and "microchipped" to find their way back to you if lost Make sure that pet vaccinations are current Include pets in evacuation drills to become used to entering and traveling in their carriers calmly Plan Ahead to Find Evacuation Sites (shelters) that will accept pets if you need to leave your home Plan Ahead to Find friends, relatives, boarding facilities, animal shelters or veterinarians to care for your animals if you can't Plan Ahead to Find hotels/motels along your evacuation route that will accept pets in an emergency Plan/Share, with a trusted neighbor, for emergency pet sitting if necessary Place A "Pet Rescue" Sticker on your home To Alert Emergency Workers Plan for emergency supplies of food, water and meds as you would for other family members Be Well-Informed About Disaster-Related Diseases That Can Be Transmitted To Humans Monitor pet behavior changes and injuries during an emergency situation Prepare and Emergency Plan for large (horse, etc.) or numerous animals [Other Resource 1]    [Other Resource 2]

If, during a sudden evacuation event, you cannot take your pet(s) with you or can't find emergency care/shelter for them, let them outside to fend for themselves. They have a better chance for survival than being trapped inside for an undetermined period of time. Depending on the reason for the sudden evacuation, they may also fall victim to the cause of the evacuation (Paradise, CA Fire, November 2018) with no way to escape.

There is a vast gap in the quality of pet food products. Some products can cause cancer in pets, mostly because of chemicals to increase the food's shelf life to nearly 25 years. Consider, though, that pets, generally, eat the same food constantly and may, therefore, develop cancer over a long period of time. In the case where pet food becomes only a survival option, the likelyhood of developing cancer is minimual or not at all. Nevertheless, in a survival situation, ingesting the most quality pet foods is recommended. The following resource links may assist to identify the best products to acquire.

DIY Pet Foods: Raw feeding for cats and dogs is becoming increasingly popular, and for good reason. With commercial cat food containing everything from indigestible grains to contaminated ingredients to harmful additives, a raw, species-appropriate diet is really the best way forward. Take a look at these Homemade Raw Pet Food Recipes.