Hurricane Prep for Pets

This will be the place to find all your hurricane prep information. Whether it be preparing your home, family, pets or evacuation plans here is where to find the information you need.

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dizzyfish
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Hurricane Prep for Pets

#1 Postby dizzyfish » Mon Jun 28, 2010 2:19 pm

I work with an animal rescue group whose founder worked in New Orleans after Katrina. In hopes of preventing the number of lost animals that we saw in the aftermath I got permission to make this sticky. (Thanks Luis)

I added a section at the bottom for the basics - just as a quick check off list as you are preparing.

If you think of anything else please feel free to add it. I may add some hints as I think of them.


Along with the commonsense items like food, water and medications there are several items that you should think about and prepare when you are making your own hurricane prep kits and plans.

ID tag with your pets name and your phone number(s) (I have added my cell number to their tag) – attached to a collar they will wear during the entire event – whether you evac your home or not.
Rabies/County license tag – attached to a collar they will wear during the entire event – whether you evac your home or not.
Microchip – If your pet isn’t microchipped you might consider this as it is relatively low cost. Be sure to update any info with the microchip company if they already have one.
Vet records – be sure to have a copy of your pets vaccination records in your evac kit
Proof of Ownership – copy registrations, adoption papers, microchip info to put in your kit. Recent photos. It is a real good idea to have a pic of yourself with your pet in case you are separated.
Written Instructions for the following;
Diet – how much to feed each pet and when along with any special diet requirements
Medications – list each pet and their medications separately. Include dosage and frequency.
Emergency Contacts – Your regular vet phone number and address, emergency vet number and address, a friend or relatives name and address.

Keep a list of pet friendly hotels handy to store with your evac plans in case you need to leave your home.

The basics
2 week supply of water and food. (don’t forget a can opener for canned foods)
Collar, leashes, harness, favorite toys/blankets, treats, kitty litter, litter pan, muzzle, water and food dishes, paper towels, trash bags, travel crate/carrier (be sure to label with your name, pet’s name and your contact info)


Hint
If your pet is fearful of storms (or prone to stress) this product is really helpful. (I have used it on my own rescue dogs when they were first brought to my home) http://www.entirelypets.com/bach20.html If things get really stressful at your house - you can have some too! (seriously)

From my friend with horses:
For my horses, when we have severe weather threatened, I write their names on their sides (w/a livestock marker), along w/my name and my cell number. I won't leave a halter on them because if it were to get hung up on something, they could hurt themselves, or worse.
(I imagine this would work with all larger animals)
Last edited by dizzyfish on Wed Jun 05, 2013 7:24 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Hurricane Prep for Pets

#2 Postby angelwing » Mon Jun 28, 2010 6:06 pm

As i have a bearded dragon, my cat carrier is labeled: "Harmless Reptile" just in case something happens and heaven forbid I have to leave Digger behind or take him with me.

Granted I do not live in a hurricane prone state, but I've had my share of blackouts that last longer than 2 days and my hubby has a respiratory problem so in the summer AC is a must and we have to go rent a hotel room for the duration.

I know that there are not a lot of reptile people out there, but putting this out there anyway
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Re: Hurricane Prep for Pets

#3 Postby Ev1948 » Mon Jun 28, 2010 6:27 pm

Along with my 2 dogs, I have 3 pet birds and they all have a travel cage..I just wanted to remind people or ones that don't know, if you have to evacuate to a different state, check and see if your bird is legal in that state.. Like for instance Quaker Parrots are illegal in many states, some will fine you for each day you are there and some will take your bird away, some states consider them pest..so please check on that before you go..Different laws in different states. :D
Last edited by Ev1948 on Tue Jun 29, 2010 9:11 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Hurricane Prep for Pets

#4 Postby dizzyfish » Mon Jun 28, 2010 7:11 pm

I apologize to you both for not including reptiles and birds in my post. You both brought up very good points. Thank you very much for your input. :)
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Re: Hurricane Prep for Pets

#5 Postby angelwing » Mon Jun 28, 2010 7:34 pm

No apology needed :D
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Re: Hurricane Prep for Pets

#6 Postby Stephanie » Mon Jun 28, 2010 9:02 pm

Great thread! Thank you for starting this! :)
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Re: Hurricane Prep for Pets

#7 Postby Florida1118 » Mon Aug 16, 2010 9:40 pm

:uarrow: I agree. It was sad to see all the poor animals suffering in Katrina because there owners left them. Theres no Excuse.
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cabindave

#8 Postby cabindave » Mon Sep 20, 2010 10:42 am

It such a unexpected disaster when Hurricane Katrina comes and not only people who really suffered but also some other animals pet that left alone.
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Re:

#9 Postby Florida1118 » Mon Sep 20, 2010 7:59 pm

cabindave wrote:It such a unexpected disaster when Hurricane Katrina comes and not only people who really suffered but also some other animals pet that left alone.

I wouldn't call it unexpected. A cat 5 off the coast headed towards you isnt exactly a pop up thing. Theres really no reason anyone or any animal had to die. People were unprepared, and it cost them.
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Re: Hurricane Prep for Pets

#10 Postby RideroftheStorm » Mon Dec 27, 2010 6:09 pm

I realize that this is an older post, but I appreciate a post like this. My sister Veronica lives in Florida and she can never get her baby doll Lucy (her Labrador) to calm herself down during a storm. During storms, all Lucy wants to do is run away (to God knows where) and it's so hard to keep her contained. Although Lucy hasn't lost power or her home (Knock on Wood), she has experienced mishaps in which she can't go anywhere to feed her dog or giver her fresh water. These tips will certainly be helpful for her. . .especially the aspect of microchipping. I don't think she IS microchipped. I'll have to call and ask. Thanks for sharing, Dizzy!
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Re: Hurricane Prep for Pets

#11 Postby dizzyfish » Tue Feb 01, 2011 6:34 am

You are certainly welcome. I'm glad you saw this thread. Please pm me if you have any questions or if your sister needs more info/tips. If her dog is fearful of storms you might suggest she check into the "thunder shirt". http://www.thundershirt.com/

RideroftheStorm wrote:I realize that this is an older post, but I appreciate a post like this. My sister Veronica lives in Florida and she can never get her baby doll Lucy (her Labrador) to calm herself down during a storm. During storms, all Lucy wants to do is run away (to God knows where) and it's so hard to keep her contained. Although Lucy hasn't lost power or her home (Knock on Wood), she has experienced mishaps in which she can't go anywhere to feed her dog or giver her fresh water. These tips will certainly be helpful for her. . .especially the aspect of microchipping. I don't think she IS microchipped. I'll have to call and ask. Thanks for sharing, Dizzy!
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Re: Hurricane Prep for Pets

#12 Postby george_r_1961 » Mon May 23, 2011 3:41 pm

A hungry pet may be difficult to manage following a hurricane and could even become dangerous. And don't forget the water. Remember that tap water could be contaminated after a storm and this could harm your pet as well. So make sure you have clean water for your furry companions.

This thread reminded me of a story from when I was a child. We had a cat, and in 1976 Hurricane Belle threatened us. Dad went to the store and got more enough provisions for himself my mother and me, along with enough cat food to last a millenium :lol:

I do not have a pet anymore but if I did evacuating without them would not be an option.
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Re: Hurricane Prep for Pets

#13 Postby Preppie » Sat Jul 09, 2011 1:46 pm

Great topic--I too helped out with the animal rescue group you reference but it was a year after Katrina hit. Abandoned/stray animals still needed to be fed, particularly in the Lower Ninth and MidCity. And the shelter in Jefferson Parish was also full of rescued pets and still in need of assistance.

If at all possible, store more than two weeks of food for your family and your pet(s). Canned would be best, not just because of dry food's low-humidity storage and sell-by problems but also because it has its own waterproof container. Best to ID the cans on top with a waterproof marker in case labels are lost. With the economy the way it is, I have a feeling that hurricane relief will be somewhat longer in coming than the customary three days of the past. I wouldn't want to leave my pets alone in a damaged area, possibly vulnerable to looting, while I waited hours in line for a few MREs and bottles of water.

Place medications, records, rabies certificates, and so on, in a good quality, double seal, zip lock freezer bag. If you have a vacuum sealer, that might even be better.

Unfortunately, the Bach remedies don't work on our two full-time, one part-time ferals. We are forced to use diazepam (Valium). It should be used in consultation with your vet, of course, and at the lowest dose possible. If you have to use diazepam, be very sparing with it--it's a powerful drug.

We decided that 12-15 hours stuck in glacial traffic with four PO'd cats whose Valium has worn off is not an option, so when we first moved to the Charleston area we took some of the money from the sale of the old house and bought a tornado shelter to put in the garage. (Actually, it would have been eight PO'd cats at the time.) We're not in danger of flooding; if you are, then you might have to evacuate, no matter how long it takes. Otherwise, stash lots of cat food, cat litter, and plastic grocery bags for litter disposal in addition to meds and papers. Aluminum foil turkey roasting pans make good emergency litter boxes.

This area has a pet evac shelter at the North Charleston Coliseum. We're very fortunate to have access to such a shelter, which was organized some years before Katrina and, when activated, is staffed by veterinarians, vet students and other volunteers. The founder of ARNO, the NO group, is from the Charleston metro area, plus people around here are very supportive of animal rescue groups. We're in a better place than most for our pets if ever we're stuck in a hurricane-hit zone.

While hard work has been done on improving evacuation times in the metro area, we know tens of thousands of people have moved to this part of the country since Hugo in 1989, plus more families have three, four and five vehicles nowadays. Many retirees have motor homes, more have boats to get out of harm's way, and the evac routes will be crammed. Other coastal areas are probably facing the same dilemma.

Plan to shelter in place, just in case you find you have no option. It's almost always better to have and not need than the other way around. And keep a feline bug-out bag packed in case you do have to leave.
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#14 Postby Ev1948 » Sun May 13, 2012 9:21 am

I have a metal kennel, cage type, set up with blankets in it ready to go in the car this time of year, it is so much nicer then the dogs running all over the car and it is safer for them. My 3 birds have large cages , but I have smaller travel ones for them ready to go, I always keep ahead on storing food for them this time of year. I would not leave without them, and were I live has shelters you can go too, but you can't bring your pets, which I think if they are kept in a kennel or cage that stinks. You have to find a hotel and decide where you are going ahead of time , with them.
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#15 Postby Yat » Sat Jun 23, 2012 12:03 pm

"Keep a list of pet friendly hotels handy to store with your evac plans in case you need to leave your home."

If you live in a surge prone zone this is probably the best and most important thing you can do. That, and make your reservations EARLY. Anyone on the Gulf Coast can tell you that hotel rooms run out fast and someone living in Biloxi will have to travel as far as Tennessee (eight hours away on a good day 18 hours away on evacuation day) in order to get a room. Pet friendly rooms aren't as plentiful as regular rooms.

I keep a sm plastic tote ready for pet evacuations. It contains leashes, lists, instructions, bowls, toys, tags, etc. All I have to do is grab it, food, litter, pans and of course the cats. I love my tote system.
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Re:

#16 Postby artist » Thu Oct 25, 2012 9:57 pm

Yat wrote:"Keep a list of pet friendly hotels handy to store with your evac plans in case you need to leave your home."

If you live in a surge prone zone this is probably the best and most important thing you can do. That, and make your reservations EARLY. Anyone on the Gulf Coast can tell you that hotel rooms run out fast and someone living in Biloxi will have to travel as far as Tennessee (eight hours away on a good day 18 hours away on evacuation day) in order to get a room. Pet friendly rooms aren't as plentiful as regular rooms.

I keep a sm plastic tote ready for pet evacuations. It contains leashes, lists, instructions, bowls, toys, tags, etc. All I have to do is grab it, food, litter, pans and of course the cats. I love my tote system.


with the possibility of Sandy hitting up north, this is really timely info.
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Re: Hurricane Prep for Pets

#17 Postby dizzyfish » Wed Jun 05, 2013 7:26 pm

This comes from my friend who has horses. She told me this as we were discussing the recent tornado events.

"For my horses, when we have severe weather threatened, I write their names on their sides (w/a livestock marker), along w/my name and my cell number. I won't leave a halter on them because if it were to get hung up on something, they could hurt themselves, or worse. "

I have also posted this in my original post at the top of this thread so that it will be easy to find.

Take care everyone.
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Re: Hurricane Prep for Pets

#18 Postby stormtrooper » Tue May 17, 2016 11:26 am

Ev1948 wrote:Along with my 2 dogs, I have 3 pet birds and they all have a travel cage..I just wanted to remind people or ones that don't know, if you have to evacuate to a different state, check and see if your bird is legal in that state.. Like for instance Quaker Parrots are illegal in many states, some will fine you for each day you are there and some will take your bird away, some states consider them pest..so please check on that before you go..Different laws in different states. :D



This never crossed mind, wow thanks for the info!! saved potential headache and heartbreak lol
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Re: Hurricane Prep for Pets

#19 Postby Claire » Tue Dec 27, 2016 1:54 am

Nice thread. We need to prepare for severe storms and hurricanes in advance. Even government prepare shelters for temporary relocation but we cannot ignore the animals and birds. A lot of people keep pets in their house and they care about the same way as they care about their family members. We usually find many articles to prepare for the disasters but most of them do not include any information for the pets.
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Re: Hurricane Prep for Pets

#20 Postby SeaBrz_FL » Sat Oct 07, 2017 5:28 pm

If I evacuate, my pets always go with me. I did learn something new after my Irma evac -- if you are taking a cat, buy disposable litter boxes now for your Storm Prep stash. My Bichon pup is so used to traveling that evac'ing was no big deal, but my 22-lb cat HATES to leave home for any reason (vet, etc). I thought it would make him more comfortable to take his huge litter box. This was a good idea when the elevators to my 4th floor hotel room were working, but with still no electricity after 4 days and time to head home, I was NOT going to lug that litter box down 56 steps. I kept the box clean with twice daily changes, but the clean litter itself weighs a LOT. I ended up leaving his beloved litter box behind, but he's adjusting to his new one. I now have two large disposable boxes (from Amazon) in my stash for future evacs.
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