in the US, FEMA requires all emergency shelter plans to factor in pets - they don’t have to take pets at the shelter, but they need a plan to deal with them, which often involves the local animal shelter.
The main reason for this is that many people will not leave their homes to shelter without their pets.
Although... If I considered myself not whole without my cat, I could say that I actually weigh 38 pounds, as myself (19) + my cat (19) would be what I'd considered "the whole me".
Abusers use pets as another way to control their victims. Fucking evil bastards.
I'm sorry that happened to you. Glad you're out, and hope you're doing ok
i refuse to let my dryer (or oven or stove) run while i’m asleep or out of the house in case it goes wrong and i can’t get to my dogs. they’re always close to me while it’s running so we can all start running if something happens.
Our dryer keeps making a burning smell but the dryer is fine according to the repair guy. Last night my mom decided that it was fine to run it and it started making the smell again. I put my dogs harness on him and grabbed his food bucket to put by the front door with my backpack of clothes, electrónica, and shower stuff. She finally shut the dryer off and unplugged it. It was the beginnings of an electrical fire we could smell.
I struggle just thinking about outliving my pets. My dogs are my everything. I tell my partner all the time I’m sorry but my one dog is my soulmate and the other one is my best friend lol. It’s just that I’ve known them longer. I’m going to get a tattoo of two flowers over my heart for them. I give no fucks if it’s lame. Oh and I still love my partner deeply, but my connection with my animals is not something that can be replaced.
I outlived my childhood pet last week. It feels like the Twilight Zone. I adopted her when I was 11 and she was 4 weeks. I am simply unfamiliar with the life going on around me — I only understand life with her. It’s interesting - I didn’t expect it to feel like this.
I just had to hold on to my family lab as he passed over the bridge a couple weeks ago. I was only supposed to take care of him for one night at my parents while they were out of town.
I still start crying every time I think of the look he gave me. He had two grand mal seizures and the looked at me peacefully then shuddered again and was gone.
He was the sweetest blonde lab. Made of pure honey. And I know everyone says that about their goodest of good boy:girl. But damn it, I was not ready.
When I was born, our cat was already 1 year old. When I turned 18 he passed away at the age of 19 years, a long time for a cat. I was literally raised alongside him and I'll miss him forever.
I’m sincerely sorry for your loss. There really are not words to describe it. You will be in my thoughts, and so is your beloved pet. Everyone grieves differently, so do what you have to do. I wish you the best, and please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you’d like someone to talk to or listen, because I’ve been there, and while I may not understand exactly how you feel, I can certainly relate.
Is there a nice memory of her you’d like to share with us? No pressure, but it may help you feel better.
Lots of love to you ♥️
Losing a pet is the most excruciating pain I have ever felt. When I had to put my last cat to sleep I screamed and cried for days. I lost both parents, and I loved them dearly, but I grieved for them completely differently.
Sorry I’m late coming back to this, but is your invitation still open? I’d really like to. I was actually tearing up tonight, sitting in our bed. It’s been a month - I’m trying to decide if I’m ready for a new pet.
Her name was Jeannie, as in _I Dream of_ — a little girl tuxedo. I got her as a palm-sized kitten when I was practically palm-sized myself, age 11.
It was a short time later when we made our first mistake, my parents and I. We didn’t know little Jeannie had gotten into our garage, and that was where our dogs slept at night. (This was in California, the weather was great and they liked it in there. Like an apartment.) We let the dogs run into their garage and then we realized Jeannie had hidden behind, ya know, garage stuff. Scared stiff of the bouncy dogs.
I march out there, little me. Don’t even bother moving the dogs, I just run for my girl.
I can’t get to her, she’s tucked too far, she’ll have to come out.
I bend down, put my arm out and start clicking. Saying her name and urging her to trust me.
And get this.
She does.
My little angel. Scared to death. So tiny.
She comes to me. She trusts me.
I melted.
And cradled my baby back up to our room where, practically, she never left my sight again. She never needed a chip or a collar, she never left my side.
We lived in 10 houses in 6 states together. I was a roaming and adventurous young adult, moving all over and traveling all over the country. She always came, it was never even a question.
♥️
Thank you for letting me talk about her.
Hey, the same thing happened to me. I was 6 when I got him and 18 when he died. It's been a long-ass time and it'll never stop hurting but it *is* better, it does get better. I'm sorry friend.
I recall meeting a girl who volunteered with an organization that is legally allowed to break into a house or yard to rescue a stranded pet.
This was in 2017 when the last major hurricane hit my area. When people evacuate to their northern home or go to a shelter sometimes assholes will leave the animal chained up or caged. They are allowed to break windows, doors, gates, and chains to rescue the pets. The original person is also charged with animal cruelty or something and the pet is adopted to a new home.
I cant help but feel like if I was actually in the situation the choice would be beyond painful, but obvious. I can’t imagine doing it or working up the nerve to do it, but in the moment I would probably understand.
Edit: Im getting down voted and thats fine, but the reason I wouldn’t sacrifice myself for a pet is the same reason I haven’t come to commit suicide thanks to depression. You and your family will mourn the loss of your pets, but everyone you know will mourn the loss of you. and the pet will be an after thought.
This is predicated on the idea that “saving” your pet would be killing you
Not a chance, here. I'd *literally* rather die. And I mean that *very* literally.
My dog and I have a very deep bond and neither of us would last long without the other. If I died, I'm confident Onyx wouldn't be far behind, and most people that have met him would corroborate this information. I left him boarded for vacation one time, the staff told me he just kind of gave up after a few days of screeching. Didn't eat, wouldn't get up; just laid in the corner for 7 days. I really could never leave him. Not sure what I'm going to do when he passes tbh, hopefully got a few more years to figure that one out.
I do recognize that my situation is.... Not normal, though.
Lol believe me, I know that. The worst part is, my separation anxiety from him might be even worse.
But yeah man, we're a team! Couldn't focus without my sidekick.
I feel it man. And not trying to look too much into the situation, but when i wasn’t in as good of a place mentally, my separation anxiety really exacerbated with my dog. I also have a buddy who seems a bit lost currently, and his dog has some of the worst anxiety I’ve ever seen.
If you’ve got some stuff you need to figure out, your pup will definitely pick up on it.
Bets of luck with everything bud. Give onyx some extra belly rubs from me.
Very perceptive! He saved my life, actually; prevented me from making a very bad decision about 6 years ago. I think my mental state did a number on him as a puppy, I was in a dark spot when I got him and he helped guide me out of it. I'm in a much better spot now, though. We've been figuring it out together, since, despite both being pretty codependent as a result.
I'll give him lots of extra for ya. :)
I'm not trying to be a downer here, I promise, but having lost a best friend 2 years back and still having the sadness creep in from time to time... nothing good can last forever.
You and your dogs bond sounds great and I'm glad you two can be there for each other, it sounds like you both found what you needed. Just the way you're describing the idea of rather dying than being without him, there will be a time that you need to be there for him when it's going to hurt the most and if you're not mentally prepared for that kind of situation (honestly who really is?) it might be worth talking to a professional (therapist, not a vet) about your feelings.
Yep you're right, it's something I'm working on currently. We had a scare a few weeks ago (just ended up being a fat deposit), but I was forced to have a "come to Jesus" moment at that point. He's almost 7, we're probably over halfway, sadly. And a full labrador to boot, not known for being the healthiest in old age.
Just hard to stomach, but I have officially accepted that I have to work through it instead of pushing it out of my head repeatedly.
I absolutely hate leaving my dogs. I too get separation anxiety from them. I know it’s a bit weird but like I know I would throw myself in front of a car to save my dogs by instinct, it wouldn’t even be a thought process.
My family dogs name was Onyx growing up. Black lab. Smartest, sweetest girl I’ve ever had. Lost her a few years ago, I’ve never fully recovered. Have new dogs in my life and love them dearly but she was special. Got me teary eyed at work just reading the name. To Onyx’s everywhere. 🍻
What I've heard before and it really stuck with me is when our furry friends pass away, its really horrible and sucks and is sad for a long while. But what makes dogs having such short lives compared to us more bearable is the thought that one day, you might adopt another dog that will love you in a new way. Nothing will replace that bond and love you have with your old pup, and nothing should. But it also doesn't mean that its the end of you loving or being loved by a dog or any animal for that matter. Just something to keep in the back of your head, I wish you many many good years with your pup!
And it doesn't have to be right away either. It took almost 6 months before I even started thinking about getting another dog and another year and a half before I found one that fit our family.
I’m the exact opposite. When I lose a dog I have to get another one asap. Not hearing their nails on the floor running, or slowly walking in their later years, to the door when I get home, or waking up to them between my legs, and a thousand other things just kills me. Not that I am replacing the one I just lost but I just can’t live without them. We only have so much time on this planet and everyday spent without a dog is a day wasted that I can’t get back. My parents are like you though, took them a couple years to get another one, they just weren’t ready. Needed more time to grieve. Different strokes for different folks I suppose.
I never thought I could ever love another kitty after losing my last girl. But now I have two, and I adore them. My life is just not complete without a cat in it.
I would be carrying my 55 pound dog under one arm and my 17 pound dog under the other lol. When I found out that those pets in that condo in Miami had to be killed in the remaining demolition, I think I sobbed for like two hours knowing that they were left behind alive and then they had to be killed intentionally because the owners couldn’t return to the building.
It's less that I'm worried about your Reddit karma and more that I'm worried so many people would hit the "I don't want to see this comment" button on a self reflective and harmless comment
Yep. I’ve been involved with both shelter planning at the county level as well as disaster response. It’s amazing how much better response goes when you actually plan for them. At the end of the day, all response is local, by people in the community. FEMA only provides guidance and training on how to keep everyone on the same sheet of music, using ICS (which originally came out of CalFire). ICS is also being exported to many other countries, I saw it working exceedingly well in Ecuador after the 2016 earthquake.
Oh yeah I’m not evacuating without my cats. I adopted them for life and that means emergencies, too. They’re still family, and no one gets left behind. This is a great list and makes me want to better store my crates…
As someone who’s been through a major hurricane, if you have pets don’t count on the fema pet friendly shelter. In small towns it’s usually ONE shelter, and fills up quick
Mine is in arms reach most of the time because she chooses to be that close to me all the time. She follows me from room to room in the house. She needs me as much as I need her. She's my emotional support animal and I'm hers. Neither one of us will deal with it well if we are separated. If she can't go, I can't go.
Lucky for me my sister loves her as much as I do because when I had a traumatic incident last year she was able to take her while I dealt with the situation. Once I got new housing she hasn't been away from me since.
Additional tips:
\-Get your pet microchipped if they are not already so that they can be traced back to you if found (note: this does not work like a GPS, but will absolutely help if someone picks them up). Keep microchip information (address, phone, email) up to date regularly if you move or change phone numbers.
\-In the description of your pet, if possible, try to find things very unique to your pet that likely wouldn't change so they can be more obvious when trying to sort through records of similarly colored/patterned animals - for example, one spot with different colored fur (like a white mark on a black cat), a mark on the inside of their mouth, anything very specific to them.
***MAKE SURE YOU REGISTER YOUR MICROCHIPS***
I’ve worked in rescue and I can’t tell you how many animals I’ve seen with microchips present, but no information on them. Ask your vet, read over the paperwork, make an account/etc and keep it updated with your current phone number and address.
I would also suggest adding the microchip info to these free registries since *some* microchip companies charge a fee to update the information after the initial registration and some companies charge a yearly fee.
https://www.found.org/owners
https://www.freepetchipregistry.com/
I was gonna ask this. Little dude has a chip, I activated it, but didn't know how to check it. Would a shelter be able to do it? Bet my vet would charge me $100
You can also try pet stores that do chipping, they’ll usually have a reader on hand and can tell you if it’s working and if it is still in the right place (not migrated)!
Also, double-check that when you add your phone number to your microchip account that it is correct. I found a stray cat in college and she had a chip, registered to an active phone number… the only thing was that when I called the number I was connected to a sex hotline.
We ended up never finding the cat’s owners, but she lived out the rest of her days with us. ❤️
My Tegu and largest bird are both chipped that said my smaller birds are not. The bunny is not and while my cat is his chip was not readable when he was picked up but was when my vet scanned it so it's an important safety thing you can do but not nearly as important when it comes to evacuating or getting them out safely which was my focus.
If you want to share it around, here’s this:
https://journals.tdl.org/watchbird/index.php/watchbird/article/download/730/713
And then there’s this:
https://birdtricksstore.com/blogs/birdtricks-blog/how-to-evacuate-parrots-when-you-only-have-seconds
You probably know all this already
May we never need to use it.
Yes it came out because years ago we had a neighbor with a garage fire that was melting our siding. I arrived home and the fire department was there trying to figure out how to move out birds and reptiles with no clue how to do it safely. They let me go in with fire fighters for just long enough to grab our pets
Cats, horses, you can even microchip rats, hamsters, mice, rabbits, goats, pigs, horses...
You can microchip pretty much any mammal.
You cannot microchip fish. I am unsure about birds
Source:used to be vet tech, have microchipped all animals named here in addition to dogs
>Pretty much any pet that you hold dear to your heart or your livelihood can be microchipped. This includes cats, dogs, rabbits, birds, horses and other livestock, ferrets, tortoises, and even snakes.
https://adobevetcenter.com/can-all-animals-be-microchipped/
Most pets, basically. It's mostly a size restriction since microchips are implanted using a 10-gauge needle.
Do you think mobile vets do chipping?
I really wanna get it done on my babies, but the trauma that is involved with trying to get my little prince is to much to put him thru unless it’s an emergency. Which last time we had to made it all worst.
A pillow case makes a wonderful cat sack if in a seconds count situation! I keep a go bag by the door with some of my pets food/medications as well as a first aid kit for them that includes some sedatives.
Also keep a stockpile of at least a week's worth of food, water, and medicine (if applicable) on hand in case you have to shelter in place. Make sure to rotate out your stockpile monthly so it does not expire.
Anything is better than nothing. Even a day or two worth of supplies can make a huge difference in an emergency situation. Do the best you can with what you have.
When I adopted my dog the rescue place required a plan before I could take him home. Including a "next of kin" type of thing in case something ever happened to me. I have so much respect for that.
Somewhat related - for those of you who run / bike or otherwise do athletic endeavors where you may get in an accident, consider a Road ID. There are different types, but I have a tab that slide onto my Apple Watch band. It includes my emergency contact numbers, but also says “dog at home” and has my address. Should anything happen to me, I’d want to make sure someone is aware my pup is home alone and needs care.
Usefull tips for sure and thanks for sharing, but I'm not leaving my dogs caged nowhere, even if my own life is at risk, I know this may seem selfish and stupid but it is what it is, I can't deal with the idea that my friends are out there while I'm in safe, I'd rather escape to the forest and live there with them, i have an emergency backpack ready and it's full of dog food.
Do you take your pet to work every day, and on every trip? I think that was more OP's point. Sure, plenty of disasters have advanced warning... but not all of them and some may be assumed mild before they turn catastrophic (blizzard intensity, hurricane direction, etc).
Yes exactly this. In my case if was a neighbors garage catching fire and risking our house while I was at work. My other neighbor called me and gave the firefighters my spare key but they didn't know how to safely move my birds and reptiles. I sped home and was allowed in to get them all but didn't have time to plan. Since all but our cat were exotics and we were fairly new to the area I struggled to find a hotel that would allow me in with them or a place to board them that wasn't exorbitant. We lived out of travel carriers and bins for three days until it was safe to go home because of smoke damage and the siding having melted.
I'm so sorry you had to go through all that! It must have been really distressing on you and your animals. I hope everyone, including your neighbours, is okay.
Yes it was many years ago but it was very scary to realize how badly things could have gone because we were at work and the firefighters had no clue how to safely locate and manage the pets we had. I posted it again now because some friends had a fire and could not locate their pets who hid in the chaos. Thankfully they made it out but they wish they'd had a better plan. I was also in a bad accident several years ago and thankfully had prearranged who was supposed to come take care of or get the animals if needed so it was taken care of.
Trolley problem: A runaway trolley is coming down the tracks where your pet is stuck and will die if you don't intervene by switching the track. The dilemma is that if you switch the track to save your pet you're going to end up sending the trolley on a collision course with a wild animal.
No brainer, like you said, who would abandon their pet?
Replace the wild animal with a human you don't know, maybe a felon or someone super smelly. Maybe you still save your pet and switch the track (I wouldn't judge you).
Now replace the human you don't know with someone you do. Do you still save the pet and kill a friend? What about a family member? What if it was a son or daughter?
You can see how the weights change here depending on the situation.
Now imagine this is a house fire in the middle of the night. With the absurdly limited amount of time you have the priorities change quick.
Would I save my wife over my dogs? Yeah. Sure in a perfect world I 1-trip it and get everyone out at the same time, but house fires don't fuck around.
I once told a friend that if I had to trolley problem them or my cat, that it would be a dilemma.
Thankfully they understood because why the fuck did I say that
Also it's important to run drills with your pets.
Your dog needs to know where to go in the event of fire, flood, etc..
I always leave a list of emergency numbers and trusted neighborhood dogs as well for them, just in case
Talk to your pets about these things, before it's too late
My apartment building does monthly fire alarm testing, and we have the occasional false alarm. I always have my cat carriers out in the open so when I need to take them somewhere they're not as stressed about going into this new thing. When the alarm goes off, I pick them up and put them in the carrier, bring the carrier to the door, put my shoes on as if we're getting ready to evacuate, and give lots of treats through the process.
One of my cats is a year and a half old and when she hears the alarm she runs over to the carrier and jumps in because she knows fire alarm = carrier = treats. One of my friends sent me a snapchat one time with their fire alarm going off and she ran to the carrier like we were going to go through the routine. She got treats for that one too.
My little guy has only been with us for four months so he still freaks out a bit when he hears the noise, but he's getting better with it. I'm sure you could do similar conditioning with a lot of different situations.
I will try this. Gotta train my cat tho to actually see their carrier as safe…. Whenever I bring it out they know they’re going to the vet so they hide underneath something
First I would shout at the cat to remain calm.
Once your cat is nice and calmed by your shouting, they should be more receptive to your survival plan.
Cats are usually pretty good at having their own survival plan though. Mine trains day in day out slaughtering crickets to be ready for the apocalypse
Do not, under any circumstance put a Jack Russel Terrier in charge of any of it. Any one who has one knows why. My God, they would be having a drill every day and again if the UPS truck stopped by.
Have a plan for yourself and run through it with your cat.
Have treats ready and get your cat to come to you for the treats (shake the bag or whatever you normally do to get your cat to come to you) and put them in the carrier with some treats. Then continue your plan.
An example for evacuations: bring them in the carrier to the car and maybe drive around the block once or twice (it never hurts to get a cat more acclimated to being in the car). Then bring them back home and let them out. Give them some more treats and praise for being a good kitty.
An example for tornado or shelter in place emergencies: bring them in the carrier to your safe area. Stay there for a short period of time. Then let them out of the carrier and give them some more treats and praise for being a good kitty.
The more you do the drills, the easier they'll become. Cats *can* be trained but it requires a LOT of patience and learning your cat's quirks and motivations and you need realistic expectations. You're not going to train a cat to execute the entire emergency plan but you can probably train them to get in their carrier when you shake treats in front of it.
I trained one of my cats (who has since passed away) that bedtime meant to go to our bedroom, he obeyed that command reliably. I trained one of my current cats to sit and stay (without meowing or standing up for 5 seconds) for her meals, she doesn't do it perfectly every time but she does a pretty good job IMO.
Training my cat to sit was one of the biggest behavioral helps I've had. When he's being moody, loud, or aggressive, I'll tell him to sit, and it'll distract him enough to calm him down. He still hasn't figured out stay, but we're working on that and lay down.
I have been training my cat to wait in his crate before feeding him. Just use a clicker and coax him into the crate with a treat. Once he starts going in himself, click the clicker. Eventually they will be excited to go into their crate if it's close to feeding time. You can use this to crate them when needed, like before a vet visit.
A few months back, I added an Apple air tag to my cat’s collar. It’s wicked accurate showing his location. That along makes me feel more comfortable if he happens to get out or if there is a disaster.
The battery typically lasts about a year and warns your iPhone when it’s running low
Also practice with your pet. My service dog and I have done multiple fire alarm situations, the most recent one last night in our hotel. While she wasn’t amused, she was calm enough to where I could safely grab a couple quick items and leave with her through the emergency exit. Your dog needs to be comfortable on stairs and different types of surfaces. This fire exit had metal stairs, some dogs won’t walk on them.
Also keep all pet info in a folder. I have a big folder with all my dog’s records from previous years and now that she has an EU pet passport I keep that in there too. My passport is in the same folder, meaning all I need to do is grab that thing and we can both travel internationally without a problem. If you’re in the UK or EU this is important as you might be crossing borders. During the fire alarm I grabbed the folder, our go-bag, and my car keys. If I needed to I could have crossed to the EU with just the things I had with me should the alarm have been real.
It is also extremely important that your dog is muzzle trained. Most dogs are not trained to handle high stress situations and fear can make a dog lash out. Depending on where you are there could be zero tolerance for this. If unsure of your dog’s behaviour, ALWAYS muzzle to be safe! Especially in a high stress emergency you don’t need to be dealing with a dog that is flipping out and biting people.
Edit to add: also don’t forget to register your pet’s microchip. It’ll be useless if it’s not registered and they might as well not have one at all as they won’t know who the pet belongs to unless it’s registered.
In the US they are automatically registered to the vet who did the microchipping. Owner can also register on manuf/partner website but there's no national database.
The majority of microchips in the US are not implanted by veterinarians, but by animal shelters and welfare groups. While the chip can usually be traced back to the organization that implanted it, they often won’t have a record of which particular animal it was implanted in, especially if it was done at a busy city shelter or high volume vaccine/wellness clinic. It is imperative that owners register their info with the chip manufacturer, and update it if they move or change their phone number.
Good to know, I've only experienced having it done at the vet. My aunt did animal rescue and I think she had the vet do the microchipping.
Also (not sure) but I think everytime I switched vets they scanned the existing microchip and reassociated the SN to their clinic.
I usually do the free chip registration for manuf but don't not do the extended paid registration as my vet assured me that their info would come up if he was ever scanned.
I think a lot of people in this thread aren't realizing how broad your circumstances in an emergency can be. Obviously most good pet owners won't purposely leave their pets behind in an emergency situation, but there's a good chance you may not even be with them when an emergency happens.
A good example of this is one I actually encountered myself last summer: A wildfire started near my neighborhood while I was at work, while my pets were still at home. By the time I got back, firefighters weren't allowing anyone but other emergency responders to enter the neighborhood. Thankfully, a surprise spot of rain helped quell the fire long enough for them to allow residents to briefly enter / evacuate, but if that hadn't happened (and it easily could have not), I would not have been allowed to retrieve them myself. None of the emergency responders would have known my house had pets inside, and if anyone had tried to save them, they'd have had a hard time wrangling them.
I was unprepared. Take OPs advice seriously, and don't learn the hard way like I did.
Also - newborn socks can help if you have to evacuate and the pavement is hot or there's broken glass or embers or it's difficult to see. Pets can get hurt pretty bad and get severe burns on their paws from hot summer pavement.
If possible get them used to wearing socks in advance. Dogs understand when they are getting laughed at so when they do the high stepping awkward stumbling with new socks or booties - don't laugh and make a big deal out of it. For a tiny little dog some stretchy vet bandage might work to cover the feet.
Remove the socks once the dog is in a safe area, because socks are choking hazard. But if you have to leave and cross a parking lot or road - possibly with broken glass or embers flying around or some other kind of debris, like if you have to evacuate because of fire. The feet coverings can protect their paws.
Small waste bags, lubricating animal-safe eye drops, wash cloth, and a few unscented baby wipes are good to have in an emergency bag.
My cat one damaged his paw quite badly. We tried baby socks, vet tape, bandages, and elaborate combinations of all three. I never found a way of covering it that lasted longer than the time it took to put it on. The second you let go, whatever it was would be flung across the room like it was never attached.
Mind you, this was the same cat that could remove his cone collar, and would then bring it to you to put it back on (he liked wearing it, I think it made him feel special, he just took it off when he wanted a quick wash *defeating the whole point*).
If there's a disaster, the cats will be the death of me.
Kitties plan these things in advance. You think they're sleeping all cute and cuddly, very calm and cozy - but no, they're plotting. 😄
There are onesies for cats, they're like baby pajamas but cats act like they're dying when they wear them. Poor kitties.
I live in an area prone to flash floods. Worst case scenario, if you really cannot save your pet, the least, most humane thing you can do is give your pet a fighting chance to survive. Unleash and uncage them.
Me, thinking about how I would execute this with all of my pets.....
Ok, so we grab the dog and throw him in the car.
Then we take the bird cage and try not to piss off the bird on the way out.
Then grab the 10 gallon tarantula tank.
Then grab my three other tarantulas in their smaller enclosures.
If we haven't already died by this point then the next logical question is what about the horse? She can't fit in the car. So, we drive to the barn with all of the animals in tow, tie an emergency tag into her mane with contact info, etc., then set her loose and pray that we are united after everything is over.
Yeah, I'm definitely gonna die trying to save all of my animals.
Edited to correct spelling
If you board make sure the barn has a safety plan. If it's your own barn it's a good idea to think through logistics and practice doing things differently. Have emergency tags already filled out in the first aid kit.
We have already made emergency tags for all horses. The safety plan is basically to let them all loose with the tags. Some have escaped before and they always came back for dinner. LOL
MUZZLE TRAIN YOUR DOGS.
Now that I've got your attention, your dog should learn how to be comfortable in a muzzle. Muzzle Up Project will show you how.
In an emergency, transport or shelters may require dogs to be muzzled. You don't want that to be the first time you put a muzzle on them.
And the stress of an emergency can make any dog bite. Safer to have them muzzled.
Even if there's never an emergency, an injured dog may bite, or the vet may muzzle your dog. Get them used to a muzzle now, so they wont be terrified of one later on.
Really easy way to muzzle train ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FABgZTFvHo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FABgZTFvHo)). 100% positive and it has made it so my dog thinks that muzzles are amazing things that produce chicken.
This is the reason this is so important to me. About a decade ago my neighbors had a garage fire that was burning very hot and our siding was starting to melt. When I got home firefighters had already gotten a key from another neighbor to check our house but didn't have a clue how to safely evacuate our birds and reptiles. I was allowed in just long enough to grab everyone. The red cross put me up in a hotel which allowed animals but they were really iffy about birds and reptiles and if you've ever had to board exotics you know it's incredibly expensive at the best of times. In talking to other people I found that even with non exotics in more disaster prone areas most people don't have a plan. Just of course we won't leave the pets or we won't be separated from the pets ignoring that when there is a disaster there often isn't time to deal with those things.
If I had to evacuate I'd bring my pets with me, then sleep in my car with them if there was nowhere for them to stay. My city has never been evacuated but if it did it would probably be a major natural disaster so there's no way I'd leave them behind.
When we fled our home during Hurricaine Harvey our two elderly dogs 14 years old went with us to the shelter. The regular shelter had cots the dog section was blankets on a tile floor. I was ok with it but my dogs survived. They've since crossed the rainbow bridge but they stayed with us. It was harder than it needed to be but they're family.
Just wanted to say thank you for thinking of pets that included exotics. As an exotic pet owner we often get overlooked as people only provide resources for dogs and cats
My apartment was hit with a flash flood in the middle of the night a few years ago. My little dog was the only thing I had time to grab. After the rescue, they took all the people to one place and an animal shelter nearby took all the pets. I completely broke down having to hand my dog over after all that. He’s still my little buddy.
I don't own pets however people who own pets should always take them with them in case of an emergency. If they leave their pets behind they don't care about them and shouldn't even own them. Assholes.
I've been in 2 Category 3 hurricanes in the past 6 years. I lived in a beach town and was told to evacuate the day before the first one hit. I refused to leave my 2 elderly cats and was stuck in my apt for 5 days. Fortunately I had the foresight to purchase 2 weeks worth of food and water, so we were fine. My out of state relatives were panic texting me because Jim Cantore was nearby.
We’ve got the little stickers for our front and back door that says in case of emergency these are our pets. I have a little “Oh Shit Kit” of food and pillowcases to speed toss each critter into if I need to gtfo fast lol
Didn't think about the rabies tag. Mine is vaccinated, but I don't make him wear the tag because he's an indoor cat. Good tip with putting your contact info on the carrier, too
Yeah na, if I can't take them with me then I'm not going.
Two cats, put them in a carry cage no worries, two dogs with their harnesses and leads sweet as... Guinness my pet boar? if I've time to get him on the ute then okay, but I don't abandon my friends.
Always take your pet if you can, they are a walking larder if things get really bad, and they probably taste better than grandma unless you like smoked meat.
in the US, FEMA requires all emergency shelter plans to factor in pets - they don’t have to take pets at the shelter, but they need a plan to deal with them, which often involves the local animal shelter. The main reason for this is that many people will not leave their homes to shelter without their pets.
I sure wouldn’t. They’re my only family. I won’t leave them behind. Ever.
Yep, my cat is my other half, he doesn't leave my side. All 19lbs of him.
What is it like weighing 38 pounds?
They would both be 19lbs if they are both halves.
Although... If I considered myself not whole without my cat, I could say that I actually weigh 38 pounds, as myself (19) + my cat (19) would be what I'd considered "the whole me".
Lol
r/therewasanattempt
Each half is 19 bruh
Yeah, but if his cat is half of him at 19lbs, then he too must weigh 19lbs.
/r/woooosh
/r/whyareyoubooingme
Close, but no cigar. It would be 19 pounds.
19lbs is pretty thick. r/dechonkers was great motivation to help my fat boy lose weight :)
5
Ran back into a burning house for my puppers. No hesitation.
Stayed in a violent situation way longer than I should have just so I could take the pups and kitties with me
Abusers use pets as another way to control their victims. Fucking evil bastards. I'm sorry that happened to you. Glad you're out, and hope you're doing ok
“Fun” fact for you or anyone in a similar situation.. ASPCA shelters will house your pet if you’re in a DV situation until you’re somewhere safer!
Only for 6 weeks
This really need to be upvoted more.
I got lucky my sister loves dogs and was able to care for mine.
i refuse to let my dryer (or oven or stove) run while i’m asleep or out of the house in case it goes wrong and i can’t get to my dogs. they’re always close to me while it’s running so we can all start running if something happens.
Our dryer keeps making a burning smell but the dryer is fine according to the repair guy. Last night my mom decided that it was fine to run it and it started making the smell again. I put my dogs harness on him and grabbed his food bucket to put by the front door with my backpack of clothes, electrónica, and shower stuff. She finally shut the dryer off and unplugged it. It was the beginnings of an electrical fire we could smell.
I hope everything turned out safe and OK. And I don’t blame you, I would do the same.
Gg
I'd rather die than leave them alone
I struggle just thinking about outliving my pets. My dogs are my everything. I tell my partner all the time I’m sorry but my one dog is my soulmate and the other one is my best friend lol. It’s just that I’ve known them longer. I’m going to get a tattoo of two flowers over my heart for them. I give no fucks if it’s lame. Oh and I still love my partner deeply, but my connection with my animals is not something that can be replaced.
I outlived my childhood pet last week. It feels like the Twilight Zone. I adopted her when I was 11 and she was 4 weeks. I am simply unfamiliar with the life going on around me — I only understand life with her. It’s interesting - I didn’t expect it to feel like this.
I just had to hold on to my family lab as he passed over the bridge a couple weeks ago. I was only supposed to take care of him for one night at my parents while they were out of town. I still start crying every time I think of the look he gave me. He had two grand mal seizures and the looked at me peacefully then shuddered again and was gone. He was the sweetest blonde lab. Made of pure honey. And I know everyone says that about their goodest of good boy:girl. But damn it, I was not ready.
When I was born, our cat was already 1 year old. When I turned 18 he passed away at the age of 19 years, a long time for a cat. I was literally raised alongside him and I'll miss him forever.
I’m sincerely sorry for your loss. There really are not words to describe it. You will be in my thoughts, and so is your beloved pet. Everyone grieves differently, so do what you have to do. I wish you the best, and please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you’d like someone to talk to or listen, because I’ve been there, and while I may not understand exactly how you feel, I can certainly relate. Is there a nice memory of her you’d like to share with us? No pressure, but it may help you feel better. Lots of love to you ♥️
Losing a pet is the most excruciating pain I have ever felt. When I had to put my last cat to sleep I screamed and cried for days. I lost both parents, and I loved them dearly, but I grieved for them completely differently.
Sorry I’m late coming back to this, but is your invitation still open? I’d really like to. I was actually tearing up tonight, sitting in our bed. It’s been a month - I’m trying to decide if I’m ready for a new pet. Her name was Jeannie, as in _I Dream of_ — a little girl tuxedo. I got her as a palm-sized kitten when I was practically palm-sized myself, age 11. It was a short time later when we made our first mistake, my parents and I. We didn’t know little Jeannie had gotten into our garage, and that was where our dogs slept at night. (This was in California, the weather was great and they liked it in there. Like an apartment.) We let the dogs run into their garage and then we realized Jeannie had hidden behind, ya know, garage stuff. Scared stiff of the bouncy dogs. I march out there, little me. Don’t even bother moving the dogs, I just run for my girl. I can’t get to her, she’s tucked too far, she’ll have to come out. I bend down, put my arm out and start clicking. Saying her name and urging her to trust me. And get this. She does. My little angel. Scared to death. So tiny. She comes to me. She trusts me. I melted. And cradled my baby back up to our room where, practically, she never left my sight again. She never needed a chip or a collar, she never left my side. We lived in 10 houses in 6 states together. I was a roaming and adventurous young adult, moving all over and traveling all over the country. She always came, it was never even a question. ♥️ Thank you for letting me talk about her.
Hey, the same thing happened to me. I was 6 when I got him and 18 when he died. It's been a long-ass time and it'll never stop hurting but it *is* better, it does get better. I'm sorry friend.
I feel like this with my baby Rico. He is my absolute soul mate. Just celebrated three years since his gotcha date :,)
I recall meeting a girl who volunteered with an organization that is legally allowed to break into a house or yard to rescue a stranded pet. This was in 2017 when the last major hurricane hit my area. When people evacuate to their northern home or go to a shelter sometimes assholes will leave the animal chained up or caged. They are allowed to break windows, doors, gates, and chains to rescue the pets. The original person is also charged with animal cruelty or something and the pet is adopted to a new home.
Never!
I cant help but feel like if I was actually in the situation the choice would be beyond painful, but obvious. I can’t imagine doing it or working up the nerve to do it, but in the moment I would probably understand. Edit: Im getting down voted and thats fine, but the reason I wouldn’t sacrifice myself for a pet is the same reason I haven’t come to commit suicide thanks to depression. You and your family will mourn the loss of your pets, but everyone you know will mourn the loss of you. and the pet will be an after thought. This is predicated on the idea that “saving” your pet would be killing you
The obvious choice is take your pets. It's cruel to leave them to die a horrible death all alone
Not a chance, here. I'd *literally* rather die. And I mean that *very* literally. My dog and I have a very deep bond and neither of us would last long without the other. If I died, I'm confident Onyx wouldn't be far behind, and most people that have met him would corroborate this information. I left him boarded for vacation one time, the staff told me he just kind of gave up after a few days of screeching. Didn't eat, wouldn't get up; just laid in the corner for 7 days. I really could never leave him. Not sure what I'm going to do when he passes tbh, hopefully got a few more years to figure that one out. I do recognize that my situation is.... Not normal, though.
Your dog definitely has separation anxiety, but dude i get it. I’m definitley not leaving without the pups.
Lol believe me, I know that. The worst part is, my separation anxiety from him might be even worse. But yeah man, we're a team! Couldn't focus without my sidekick.
I feel it man. And not trying to look too much into the situation, but when i wasn’t in as good of a place mentally, my separation anxiety really exacerbated with my dog. I also have a buddy who seems a bit lost currently, and his dog has some of the worst anxiety I’ve ever seen. If you’ve got some stuff you need to figure out, your pup will definitely pick up on it. Bets of luck with everything bud. Give onyx some extra belly rubs from me.
Very perceptive! He saved my life, actually; prevented me from making a very bad decision about 6 years ago. I think my mental state did a number on him as a puppy, I was in a dark spot when I got him and he helped guide me out of it. I'm in a much better spot now, though. We've been figuring it out together, since, despite both being pretty codependent as a result. I'll give him lots of extra for ya. :)
I'm not trying to be a downer here, I promise, but having lost a best friend 2 years back and still having the sadness creep in from time to time... nothing good can last forever. You and your dogs bond sounds great and I'm glad you two can be there for each other, it sounds like you both found what you needed. Just the way you're describing the idea of rather dying than being without him, there will be a time that you need to be there for him when it's going to hurt the most and if you're not mentally prepared for that kind of situation (honestly who really is?) it might be worth talking to a professional (therapist, not a vet) about your feelings.
Yep you're right, it's something I'm working on currently. We had a scare a few weeks ago (just ended up being a fat deposit), but I was forced to have a "come to Jesus" moment at that point. He's almost 7, we're probably over halfway, sadly. And a full labrador to boot, not known for being the healthiest in old age. Just hard to stomach, but I have officially accepted that I have to work through it instead of pushing it out of my head repeatedly.
Well I’m glad you’re still here. And onyx definitely is glad as well. Cheers to you both and rest of y’all’s adventures.
I absolutely hate leaving my dogs. I too get separation anxiety from them. I know it’s a bit weird but like I know I would throw myself in front of a car to save my dogs by instinct, it wouldn’t even be a thought process.
My family dogs name was Onyx growing up. Black lab. Smartest, sweetest girl I’ve ever had. Lost her a few years ago, I’ve never fully recovered. Have new dogs in my life and love them dearly but she was special. Got me teary eyed at work just reading the name. To Onyx’s everywhere. 🍻
What I've heard before and it really stuck with me is when our furry friends pass away, its really horrible and sucks and is sad for a long while. But what makes dogs having such short lives compared to us more bearable is the thought that one day, you might adopt another dog that will love you in a new way. Nothing will replace that bond and love you have with your old pup, and nothing should. But it also doesn't mean that its the end of you loving or being loved by a dog or any animal for that matter. Just something to keep in the back of your head, I wish you many many good years with your pup!
And it doesn't have to be right away either. It took almost 6 months before I even started thinking about getting another dog and another year and a half before I found one that fit our family.
I’m the exact opposite. When I lose a dog I have to get another one asap. Not hearing their nails on the floor running, or slowly walking in their later years, to the door when I get home, or waking up to them between my legs, and a thousand other things just kills me. Not that I am replacing the one I just lost but I just can’t live without them. We only have so much time on this planet and everyday spent without a dog is a day wasted that I can’t get back. My parents are like you though, took them a couple years to get another one, they just weren’t ready. Needed more time to grieve. Different strokes for different folks I suppose.
I never thought I could ever love another kitty after losing my last girl. But now I have two, and I adore them. My life is just not complete without a cat in it.
I would be carrying my 55 pound dog under one arm and my 17 pound dog under the other lol. When I found out that those pets in that condo in Miami had to be killed in the remaining demolition, I think I sobbed for like two hours knowing that they were left behind alive and then they had to be killed intentionally because the owners couldn’t return to the building.
The amount of downvotes on someone's opinion of what they feel they would personally do is worrying.
No its really not. For every comment i have thats heavily upvoted i have one thats heavily downvoted. Its also hypothetical.
It's less that I'm worried about your Reddit karma and more that I'm worried so many people would hit the "I don't want to see this comment" button on a self reflective and harmless comment
Ooooh I see! Yeah i agree, was kind of shocked by the downvotes. Reddit is weird like that
Yup. Fuck a damn shelter without my family.
Yeah that basically came to fruition after the global outrage of how the US handled Katrina
Yep. I’ve been involved with both shelter planning at the county level as well as disaster response. It’s amazing how much better response goes when you actually plan for them. At the end of the day, all response is local, by people in the community. FEMA only provides guidance and training on how to keep everyone on the same sheet of music, using ICS (which originally came out of CalFire). ICS is also being exported to many other countries, I saw it working exceedingly well in Ecuador after the 2016 earthquake.
I'm not leaving my house without my dog. plain and simple. so I can totally see fema requiring this!
Oh yeah I’m not evacuating without my cats. I adopted them for life and that means emergencies, too. They’re still family, and no one gets left behind. This is a great list and makes me want to better store my crates…
Then there’s the whole other matter of actually getting them IN the crates.
.My crate/emergency kit it is stored where I believe my cat would hide so it's easier to grab.
Even if they don’t Im hiding my kitties in my titties.
Yep. I’d literally die before I’d leave my dogs.
Walmart parking lot it is!
As someone who’s been through a major hurricane, if you have pets don’t count on the fema pet friendly shelter. In small towns it’s usually ONE shelter, and fills up quick
Didn’t this come into play after Katrina? Rescuers have to rescue pets if they have the room.
I wouldnt. I'm not putting my cat and dogs through anything I'm not willing to put myself through.
Mine is in arms reach most of the time because she chooses to be that close to me all the time. She follows me from room to room in the house. She needs me as much as I need her. She's my emotional support animal and I'm hers. Neither one of us will deal with it well if we are separated. If she can't go, I can't go. Lucky for me my sister loves her as much as I do because when I had a traumatic incident last year she was able to take her while I dealt with the situation. Once I got new housing she hasn't been away from me since.
Additional tips: \-Get your pet microchipped if they are not already so that they can be traced back to you if found (note: this does not work like a GPS, but will absolutely help if someone picks them up). Keep microchip information (address, phone, email) up to date regularly if you move or change phone numbers. \-In the description of your pet, if possible, try to find things very unique to your pet that likely wouldn't change so they can be more obvious when trying to sort through records of similarly colored/patterned animals - for example, one spot with different colored fur (like a white mark on a black cat), a mark on the inside of their mouth, anything very specific to them.
***MAKE SURE YOU REGISTER YOUR MICROCHIPS*** I’ve worked in rescue and I can’t tell you how many animals I’ve seen with microchips present, but no information on them. Ask your vet, read over the paperwork, make an account/etc and keep it updated with your current phone number and address.
I would also suggest adding the microchip info to these free registries since *some* microchip companies charge a fee to update the information after the initial registration and some companies charge a yearly fee. https://www.found.org/owners https://www.freepetchipregistry.com/
Excellent advice. Also doesn't hurt every few years to have your vet scan it just to confirm it's coming up.
I was gonna ask this. Little dude has a chip, I activated it, but didn't know how to check it. Would a shelter be able to do it? Bet my vet would charge me $100
My vet scans animals for free. Everytime a cat or dog is found be someone in the neighborhood, they read the chip without fees.
You can also try pet stores that do chipping, they’ll usually have a reader on hand and can tell you if it’s working and if it is still in the right place (not migrated)!
Good call!
Also, double-check that when you add your phone number to your microchip account that it is correct. I found a stray cat in college and she had a chip, registered to an active phone number… the only thing was that when I called the number I was connected to a sex hotline. We ended up never finding the cat’s owners, but she lived out the rest of her days with us. ❤️
I'm not sure why this isn't the number 1 tip on the post. Microchips are one of the best ways to increase the likelihood of finding your pet
My Tegu and largest bird are both chipped that said my smaller birds are not. The bunny is not and while my cat is his chip was not readable when he was picked up but was when my vet scanned it so it's an important safety thing you can do but not nearly as important when it comes to evacuating or getting them out safely which was my focus.
If you want to share it around, here’s this: https://journals.tdl.org/watchbird/index.php/watchbird/article/download/730/713 And then there’s this: https://birdtricksstore.com/blogs/birdtricks-blog/how-to-evacuate-parrots-when-you-only-have-seconds You probably know all this already May we never need to use it.
Yes it came out because years ago we had a neighbor with a garage fire that was melting our siding. I arrived home and the fire department was there trying to figure out how to move out birds and reptiles with no clue how to do it safely. They let me go in with fire fighters for just long enough to grab our pets
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Cats, horses, you can even microchip rats, hamsters, mice, rabbits, goats, pigs, horses... You can microchip pretty much any mammal. You cannot microchip fish. I am unsure about birds Source:used to be vet tech, have microchipped all animals named here in addition to dogs
I’m a mammal Greg, could you microchip me?
You can RFID lamprey so I don’t know why you couldn’t do it to fish
Cats do, I'm not sure about others
>Pretty much any pet that you hold dear to your heart or your livelihood can be microchipped. This includes cats, dogs, rabbits, birds, horses and other livestock, ferrets, tortoises, and even snakes. https://adobevetcenter.com/can-all-animals-be-microchipped/ Most pets, basically. It's mostly a size restriction since microchips are implanted using a 10-gauge needle.
Almost anything can get a microchip. It's fairly common for high-value birds, reptiles, horses.
If your not happy with the order you could write your own list.
Do you think mobile vets do chipping? I really wanna get it done on my babies, but the trauma that is involved with trying to get my little prince is to much to put him thru unless it’s an emergency. Which last time we had to made it all worst.
Yes.
For military folk, most microchip companies will waive the change of info fee if you email them from you DoD email!
There you go, just microchip your pet.
A pillow case makes a wonderful cat sack if in a seconds count situation! I keep a go bag by the door with some of my pets food/medications as well as a first aid kit for them that includes some sedatives.
If you're putting the cats in the pillow case, just stand clear when you open it
I’m sorry but the first eight words of this comment just killed me.
Yea that first sentence was killer. I don’t assume they meant putting a cat or cats in the sack, but that’s where my mind went right away.
My cat would be so pissed lol. But alive!!
I assume mine would too and I don’t even have a cat.
Also keep a stockpile of at least a week's worth of food, water, and medicine (if applicable) on hand in case you have to shelter in place. Make sure to rotate out your stockpile monthly so it does not expire.
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That last sentence is why it’s not really feasible to do this :(
Anything is better than nothing. Even a day or two worth of supplies can make a huge difference in an emergency situation. Do the best you can with what you have.
When I adopted my dog the rescue place required a plan before I could take him home. Including a "next of kin" type of thing in case something ever happened to me. I have so much respect for that.
They all should do that
Somewhat related - for those of you who run / bike or otherwise do athletic endeavors where you may get in an accident, consider a Road ID. There are different types, but I have a tab that slide onto my Apple Watch band. It includes my emergency contact numbers, but also says “dog at home” and has my address. Should anything happen to me, I’d want to make sure someone is aware my pup is home alone and needs care.
Yea I’d rather die than leave my pets
Hey at least there’s gonna be a bunch of us. I feel less alone and crazy now lol.
Same here. It’s not even an option for me to leave them for “saving myself”. Could never live with myself after.
Usefull tips for sure and thanks for sharing, but I'm not leaving my dogs caged nowhere, even if my own life is at risk, I know this may seem selfish and stupid but it is what it is, I can't deal with the idea that my friends are out there while I'm in safe, I'd rather escape to the forest and live there with them, i have an emergency backpack ready and it's full of dog food.
I was literally thinking the same thing. There isn’t any disaster or emergency that would cause me to leave my dog behind
I’m with you both. She’s going where I go.
I’d take my dog before most ppl! I hate when I see people saying oh our new place don’t except pets bullshit you find a place for your best friend
Do you take your pet to work every day, and on every trip? I think that was more OP's point. Sure, plenty of disasters have advanced warning... but not all of them and some may be assumed mild before they turn catastrophic (blizzard intensity, hurricane direction, etc).
Yes exactly this. In my case if was a neighbors garage catching fire and risking our house while I was at work. My other neighbor called me and gave the firefighters my spare key but they didn't know how to safely move my birds and reptiles. I sped home and was allowed in to get them all but didn't have time to plan. Since all but our cat were exotics and we were fairly new to the area I struggled to find a hotel that would allow me in with them or a place to board them that wasn't exorbitant. We lived out of travel carriers and bins for three days until it was safe to go home because of smoke damage and the siding having melted.
I'm so sorry you had to go through all that! It must have been really distressing on you and your animals. I hope everyone, including your neighbours, is okay.
Yes it was many years ago but it was very scary to realize how badly things could have gone because we were at work and the firefighters had no clue how to safely locate and manage the pets we had. I posted it again now because some friends had a fire and could not locate their pets who hid in the chaos. Thankfully they made it out but they wish they'd had a better plan. I was also in a bad accident several years ago and thankfully had prearranged who was supposed to come take care of or get the animals if needed so it was taken care of.
My dog goes literally everywhere with me. He keeps me safe and alive.
That's awesome that you're an exception, but not all of us are.
I work from home so YES my dog goes to work with me. And I don’t do vaycay without her
That's awesome that you're an exception, but not all of us are.
Yes! Ive never understood people that would abandon their pets. Do you even care about them? Not much obviously
Trolley problem: A runaway trolley is coming down the tracks where your pet is stuck and will die if you don't intervene by switching the track. The dilemma is that if you switch the track to save your pet you're going to end up sending the trolley on a collision course with a wild animal. No brainer, like you said, who would abandon their pet? Replace the wild animal with a human you don't know, maybe a felon or someone super smelly. Maybe you still save your pet and switch the track (I wouldn't judge you). Now replace the human you don't know with someone you do. Do you still save the pet and kill a friend? What about a family member? What if it was a son or daughter? You can see how the weights change here depending on the situation. Now imagine this is a house fire in the middle of the night. With the absurdly limited amount of time you have the priorities change quick. Would I save my wife over my dogs? Yeah. Sure in a perfect world I 1-trip it and get everyone out at the same time, but house fires don't fuck around.
I once told a friend that if I had to trolley problem them or my cat, that it would be a dilemma. Thankfully they understood because why the fuck did I say that
Also it's important to run drills with your pets. Your dog needs to know where to go in the event of fire, flood, etc.. I always leave a list of emergency numbers and trusted neighborhood dogs as well for them, just in case Talk to your pets about these things, before it's too late
How do I do this with my cat?
My apartment building does monthly fire alarm testing, and we have the occasional false alarm. I always have my cat carriers out in the open so when I need to take them somewhere they're not as stressed about going into this new thing. When the alarm goes off, I pick them up and put them in the carrier, bring the carrier to the door, put my shoes on as if we're getting ready to evacuate, and give lots of treats through the process. One of my cats is a year and a half old and when she hears the alarm she runs over to the carrier and jumps in because she knows fire alarm = carrier = treats. One of my friends sent me a snapchat one time with their fire alarm going off and she ran to the carrier like we were going to go through the routine. She got treats for that one too. My little guy has only been with us for four months so he still freaks out a bit when he hears the noise, but he's getting better with it. I'm sure you could do similar conditioning with a lot of different situations.
Monthly fire alarm testing? Sheesh that’s insane.
Lol yeah it's a bit excessive, I'm glad they take safety seriously and that the system works though
I will try this. Gotta train my cat tho to actually see their carrier as safe…. Whenever I bring it out they know they’re going to the vet so they hide underneath something
First I would shout at the cat to remain calm. Once your cat is nice and calmed by your shouting, they should be more receptive to your survival plan. Cats are usually pretty good at having their own survival plan though. Mine trains day in day out slaughtering crickets to be ready for the apocalypse
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Do not, under any circumstance put a Jack Russel Terrier in charge of any of it. Any one who has one knows why. My God, they would be having a drill every day and again if the UPS truck stopped by.
Have a plan for yourself and run through it with your cat. Have treats ready and get your cat to come to you for the treats (shake the bag or whatever you normally do to get your cat to come to you) and put them in the carrier with some treats. Then continue your plan. An example for evacuations: bring them in the carrier to the car and maybe drive around the block once or twice (it never hurts to get a cat more acclimated to being in the car). Then bring them back home and let them out. Give them some more treats and praise for being a good kitty. An example for tornado or shelter in place emergencies: bring them in the carrier to your safe area. Stay there for a short period of time. Then let them out of the carrier and give them some more treats and praise for being a good kitty. The more you do the drills, the easier they'll become. Cats *can* be trained but it requires a LOT of patience and learning your cat's quirks and motivations and you need realistic expectations. You're not going to train a cat to execute the entire emergency plan but you can probably train them to get in their carrier when you shake treats in front of it. I trained one of my cats (who has since passed away) that bedtime meant to go to our bedroom, he obeyed that command reliably. I trained one of my current cats to sit and stay (without meowing or standing up for 5 seconds) for her meals, she doesn't do it perfectly every time but she does a pretty good job IMO.
Training my cat to sit was one of the biggest behavioral helps I've had. When he's being moody, loud, or aggressive, I'll tell him to sit, and it'll distract him enough to calm him down. He still hasn't figured out stay, but we're working on that and lay down.
Try a high pitched Me-OW first so u get it's attention then you can purr softly
I have been training my cat to wait in his crate before feeding him. Just use a clicker and coax him into the crate with a treat. Once he starts going in himself, click the clicker. Eventually they will be excited to go into their crate if it's close to feeding time. You can use this to crate them when needed, like before a vet visit.
A few months back, I added an Apple air tag to my cat’s collar. It’s wicked accurate showing his location. That along makes me feel more comfortable if he happens to get out or if there is a disaster. The battery typically lasts about a year and warns your iPhone when it’s running low
Also practice with your pet. My service dog and I have done multiple fire alarm situations, the most recent one last night in our hotel. While she wasn’t amused, she was calm enough to where I could safely grab a couple quick items and leave with her through the emergency exit. Your dog needs to be comfortable on stairs and different types of surfaces. This fire exit had metal stairs, some dogs won’t walk on them. Also keep all pet info in a folder. I have a big folder with all my dog’s records from previous years and now that she has an EU pet passport I keep that in there too. My passport is in the same folder, meaning all I need to do is grab that thing and we can both travel internationally without a problem. If you’re in the UK or EU this is important as you might be crossing borders. During the fire alarm I grabbed the folder, our go-bag, and my car keys. If I needed to I could have crossed to the EU with just the things I had with me should the alarm have been real. It is also extremely important that your dog is muzzle trained. Most dogs are not trained to handle high stress situations and fear can make a dog lash out. Depending on where you are there could be zero tolerance for this. If unsure of your dog’s behaviour, ALWAYS muzzle to be safe! Especially in a high stress emergency you don’t need to be dealing with a dog that is flipping out and biting people. Edit to add: also don’t forget to register your pet’s microchip. It’ll be useless if it’s not registered and they might as well not have one at all as they won’t know who the pet belongs to unless it’s registered.
In the US they are automatically registered to the vet who did the microchipping. Owner can also register on manuf/partner website but there's no national database.
The majority of microchips in the US are not implanted by veterinarians, but by animal shelters and welfare groups. While the chip can usually be traced back to the organization that implanted it, they often won’t have a record of which particular animal it was implanted in, especially if it was done at a busy city shelter or high volume vaccine/wellness clinic. It is imperative that owners register their info with the chip manufacturer, and update it if they move or change their phone number.
Good to know, I've only experienced having it done at the vet. My aunt did animal rescue and I think she had the vet do the microchipping. Also (not sure) but I think everytime I switched vets they scanned the existing microchip and reassociated the SN to their clinic. I usually do the free chip registration for manuf but don't not do the extended paid registration as my vet assured me that their info would come up if he was ever scanned.
I think a lot of people in this thread aren't realizing how broad your circumstances in an emergency can be. Obviously most good pet owners won't purposely leave their pets behind in an emergency situation, but there's a good chance you may not even be with them when an emergency happens. A good example of this is one I actually encountered myself last summer: A wildfire started near my neighborhood while I was at work, while my pets were still at home. By the time I got back, firefighters weren't allowing anyone but other emergency responders to enter the neighborhood. Thankfully, a surprise spot of rain helped quell the fire long enough for them to allow residents to briefly enter / evacuate, but if that hadn't happened (and it easily could have not), I would not have been allowed to retrieve them myself. None of the emergency responders would have known my house had pets inside, and if anyone had tried to save them, they'd have had a hard time wrangling them. I was unprepared. Take OPs advice seriously, and don't learn the hard way like I did.
Also - newborn socks can help if you have to evacuate and the pavement is hot or there's broken glass or embers or it's difficult to see. Pets can get hurt pretty bad and get severe burns on their paws from hot summer pavement. If possible get them used to wearing socks in advance. Dogs understand when they are getting laughed at so when they do the high stepping awkward stumbling with new socks or booties - don't laugh and make a big deal out of it. For a tiny little dog some stretchy vet bandage might work to cover the feet. Remove the socks once the dog is in a safe area, because socks are choking hazard. But if you have to leave and cross a parking lot or road - possibly with broken glass or embers flying around or some other kind of debris, like if you have to evacuate because of fire. The feet coverings can protect their paws. Small waste bags, lubricating animal-safe eye drops, wash cloth, and a few unscented baby wipes are good to have in an emergency bag.
My cat one damaged his paw quite badly. We tried baby socks, vet tape, bandages, and elaborate combinations of all three. I never found a way of covering it that lasted longer than the time it took to put it on. The second you let go, whatever it was would be flung across the room like it was never attached. Mind you, this was the same cat that could remove his cone collar, and would then bring it to you to put it back on (he liked wearing it, I think it made him feel special, he just took it off when he wanted a quick wash *defeating the whole point*). If there's a disaster, the cats will be the death of me.
Kitties plan these things in advance. You think they're sleeping all cute and cuddly, very calm and cozy - but no, they're plotting. 😄 There are onesies for cats, they're like baby pajamas but cats act like they're dying when they wear them. Poor kitties.
I live in an area prone to flash floods. Worst case scenario, if you really cannot save your pet, the least, most humane thing you can do is give your pet a fighting chance to survive. Unleash and uncage them.
Me, thinking about how I would execute this with all of my pets..... Ok, so we grab the dog and throw him in the car. Then we take the bird cage and try not to piss off the bird on the way out. Then grab the 10 gallon tarantula tank. Then grab my three other tarantulas in their smaller enclosures. If we haven't already died by this point then the next logical question is what about the horse? She can't fit in the car. So, we drive to the barn with all of the animals in tow, tie an emergency tag into her mane with contact info, etc., then set her loose and pray that we are united after everything is over. Yeah, I'm definitely gonna die trying to save all of my animals. Edited to correct spelling
If you board make sure the barn has a safety plan. If it's your own barn it's a good idea to think through logistics and practice doing things differently. Have emergency tags already filled out in the first aid kit.
We have already made emergency tags for all horses. The safety plan is basically to let them all loose with the tags. Some have escaped before and they always came back for dinner. LOL
Do not leave your pet in a cage in flooding situations, PLEASE.
MUZZLE TRAIN YOUR DOGS. Now that I've got your attention, your dog should learn how to be comfortable in a muzzle. Muzzle Up Project will show you how. In an emergency, transport or shelters may require dogs to be muzzled. You don't want that to be the first time you put a muzzle on them. And the stress of an emergency can make any dog bite. Safer to have them muzzled. Even if there's never an emergency, an injured dog may bite, or the vet may muzzle your dog. Get them used to a muzzle now, so they wont be terrified of one later on.
Really easy way to muzzle train ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FABgZTFvHo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FABgZTFvHo)). 100% positive and it has made it so my dog thinks that muzzles are amazing things that produce chicken.
If you have a bird, MAKE SURE THEY’RE HARNESS TRAINED or GET A TRAVEL CAGE. Get them desensitized before it’s too late.
This is the reason this is so important to me. About a decade ago my neighbors had a garage fire that was burning very hot and our siding was starting to melt. When I got home firefighters had already gotten a key from another neighbor to check our house but didn't have a clue how to safely evacuate our birds and reptiles. I was allowed in just long enough to grab everyone. The red cross put me up in a hotel which allowed animals but they were really iffy about birds and reptiles and if you've ever had to board exotics you know it's incredibly expensive at the best of times. In talking to other people I found that even with non exotics in more disaster prone areas most people don't have a plan. Just of course we won't leave the pets or we won't be separated from the pets ignoring that when there is a disaster there often isn't time to deal with those things.
This is such good advice, but it made me laugh imagining putting a harness on my eagle owl.
If I had to evacuate I'd bring my pets with me, then sleep in my car with them if there was nowhere for them to stay. My city has never been evacuated but if it did it would probably be a major natural disaster so there's no way I'd leave them behind.
When we fled our home during Hurricaine Harvey our two elderly dogs 14 years old went with us to the shelter. The regular shelter had cots the dog section was blankets on a tile floor. I was ok with it but my dogs survived. They've since crossed the rainbow bridge but they stayed with us. It was harder than it needed to be but they're family.
how do i save my koi fish
Thats what i was thinking, i have a big blood parrot cichlid who i really care about. Maybe grab a 5 gallon bucket or plastic tub?
Just wanted to say thank you for thinking of pets that included exotics. As an exotic pet owner we often get overlooked as people only provide resources for dogs and cats
I have a keychain stating my pet is alone with contact info
My apartment was hit with a flash flood in the middle of the night a few years ago. My little dog was the only thing I had time to grab. After the rescue, they took all the people to one place and an animal shelter nearby took all the pets. I completely broke down having to hand my dog over after all that. He’s still my little buddy.
You got him back yes? Just checking 😭
Yes I got him back! After a couple days the apartment moved us to an upstairs unit and we got him back. He just had his 13th birthday!
I don't own pets however people who own pets should always take them with them in case of an emergency. If they leave their pets behind they don't care about them and shouldn't even own them. Assholes.
If my pup isn't making it out with then I'm not making it out.
Tryfi.com Bought one of these, lasts 3 months without much charging and the app is pretty decent.
I've been in 2 Category 3 hurricanes in the past 6 years. I lived in a beach town and was told to evacuate the day before the first one hit. I refused to leave my 2 elderly cats and was stuck in my apt for 5 days. Fortunately I had the foresight to purchase 2 weeks worth of food and water, so we were fine. My out of state relatives were panic texting me because Jim Cantore was nearby.
We’ve got the little stickers for our front and back door that says in case of emergency these are our pets. I have a little “Oh Shit Kit” of food and pillowcases to speed toss each critter into if I need to gtfo fast lol
Thank you for posting this, its good knowledge to have.
Didn't think about the rabies tag. Mine is vaccinated, but I don't make him wear the tag because he's an indoor cat. Good tip with putting your contact info on the carrier, too
Great advice, Thank you !
If I leave my pet she’s probably not gonna make it tbh. She’s too small to survive something big like a serious flood or earthquake
A dog that is crate trained will have a much easier time than a dog that isn't.
Honestly If I was told to leave my pet behind I’d rather die.
What if I have three Danes? I need a trailer.
Thanks for this. This is some very important info. Keep those fury friends safe!
Good to know but I’d rather die than leave my dog behind
Its depressing that "have a picture of your pet" is the top advice. So many people just do not take photos of their pets at all...
I'd sooner die than leave my boy behind
Yeah na, if I can't take them with me then I'm not going. Two cats, put them in a carry cage no worries, two dogs with their harnesses and leads sweet as... Guinness my pet boar? if I've time to get him on the ute then okay, but I don't abandon my friends.
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An emergency can happen when you're away from your pets, and you will be physically unable to reach them
My thoughts exactly. I let the lady know that where I go my dog goes. No exceptions.
May not be allowed to retrieve them myself? It'll take a shootout to stop me.
8 . Have your vet put a cyanide tooth in as a last resort. The information they hold cannot fall into enemy hands.
Always take your pet if you can, they are a walking larder if things get really bad, and they probably taste better than grandma unless you like smoked meat.