Many of us live in areas where there are earthquakes, floods, and tornadoes. I live in an earthquake/flood/lahar zone. Sometime we may be forced to evacuate to a safer place. If you have a cat like I do, and need to grab them quickly to take them to a safe place or shelter, they usually have a mind of their own. Most times they won't come when called (especially if they are afraid). Recently I was on a website that has ideas for dealing with pets in an emergency. Here are 3 that I found especially useful for dogs and cats:
We saw what happened to pets during "Katrina", so don't wait until it happens! Read up now so you'll know what to do before it happens! The top URL is the best. It has information not only about what to do afterward, but also, what pets do to warn us before an earthquake.
If you leave for a shelter and can't find your pet, be sure to leave lots of water for it and post an emergency phone number on your front door, in case someone finds your pet and check back at home daily if possible.
Remember, in a fire, just GET OUT, and get your family out. Leave a door open for your pets to escape. They will know what to do. Be sure to post a sicker on your door or window so the fire department will know you have pets and how many. These are available at most fire departments.
Here are several Great URL's for dealing with animals in emergencies:
If you have any stories or tips that could help us animal lovers know what to do in emergency situations, please post them here!
Cyinda from near Seattle
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Great tips! From personal experience, make sure you use a food bowl the pet can't break. Also, after the Hurricane Katrina disaster, I started getting ID chips put in all my cats.
Thank you for sharing these tips Cyinda! These are the best ideas I've ever heard.
Here's another, for fires, that I thought of: Have regular "fire drills" by briefly pressing the smoke alarm button (what an awful sound) and then calling your pets in the tone of voice you normally would use when calling them for treats. Then rush to their carriers and leave special treats inside. Hopefully they eventually associate that awful smoke-alarm noise with treats (even though in an actual fire, the alarm would continuously be going off).
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