Hey animal lovers, you’ve probably started seeing guides on how to keep your home and human family safe during a storm, but I haven’t seen much on how to keep your pets safe, and comfortable during a severe storm.
For Cats and Dogs:
Buy backup food, it might be a while until it’s safe to go back out and pick some up. If there is flooding, it could prevent stores from being restocked properly, and the last thing you want is to have to research what canned food is safe for dogs.
Potty pads (no, trust me). During the storm, it may be unsafe to take your pet outside to go potty, or if your dog is anything like mine, he may refuse to tinkle in the rain. If that is the case, put down a potty pad so your dog doesn’t have to try to hold it until the storm passes. It may be a little smelly, but it’s better than directly on the carpet.
For dogs with storm anxiety: consider asking your vet for a gentle sedative. A panicked animal poses a threat to itself and others, and trying to manually calm a dog for hours on end can be exhausting! If you cannot go to the vet, you can try baby benedryl (1mg/pound) to help calm your pet. If you do use benedryl, please be careful about dosing. DO NOT use benedryl to calm your pet if they have glaucoma, high blood pressure, or other cardiovascular diseases.
For Reptiles:
Fast your reptiles. Reptiles need heat in order to digest their food, so please consider fasting your scaley friend before a power outage.
Provide backup heat sources. A good, inexpensive heat source I have seen used in the past are those hand warmers that are sold at CVS or sporting good stores. The hand warmers may run too hot for your pet, so put them under a towel or a pillow case to prevent your reptile from getting a burn. Be sure to check regularly that the hand warmers are still producing heat, and change them out for new ones as needed.
For Horses and Other Livestock:
Provide identification for your animals. I have heard of horses and other large animals leaving their pastures for higher ground during a storm. This is one of their best options for staying safe. However, if your horse gets lost, it may be difficult to figure out what animals need to go where when it comes time to round them up and bring them home. To prevent confusion, use a small dog collar with an ID tag (with your address and phone number) on the ankle of your horses. Make sure it is very loose so it doesn’t impede blood flow or cause injury to your animal. Other ways to identify your livestock include Paint Sticks, a weather proof paint that you can write a phone number directly on your animal.
Be warned: Do not put proof of Coggins on your horse! While this may seem like a good additional measure, proof of Coggins allows your horse to be moved over state lines, and as people have learned the hard way, not everyone is honest.
Emergency horse housing in Central Florida: Sumter Equestrian Center, Bushnell, FL – emergency stabling and camping – 352-303-4325 LEAVE A MESSAGE.
Marion County Animal Care and Control (352) 671-8900
Broward County Animal Care and Control (954) 359-1313
If anyone has anything to add about any other variety of animal that I have not included, please add to this post. I have no experience with birds, rodents, and other small animals when it comes to emergency weather protocols. Please signal boost this, you never know how many followers you have who live in range of the storm.
Stay safe, keep your pets safe.
Also adding to remember additional bottled water.
And get any meds asap. K has a compounded medicine so we had to order it a week ago.
Make sure your animals are wearing ID tags and are microchip. I don’t normally keep tags on mine when they are in the house but will be – just in case a window breaks.
Know which evacuation shelters are pet friendly and what their rules are. (Proof of vaccinations? Leash/kenneled?)
For small pets
– Make sure to have a travel cage ready for your small pets if you don’t feel you could carry their regular one for a while
– Pick up extra food and a spare water bottle, you never know if your water bottle could suddenly stop working
– If you have small pets with cages on the ground move them to higher ground like a table or upper level of the house in case water comes in quicker than expected. If you have to put them in a temporary cage, it’ll be fine for a week or so if needed. (this especially applies to rabbits since they can get very sick or die if they get wet)
– Calling ahead to shelters still applies. Especially if you have pets like rats or mice. (This also applies to reptile and bird owners)
Adding something for cats:
-Bring a harness! It may be harder to carry a carrier around, so try your best to get your cat used to a harness as quick as possible so you can do things such as letting your cat use the bathroom without them running away due to stress.
-A temporary litterbox. It doesn’t matter if it’s an aluminum tray or an expensive box, bring it. Try to leave quickly so your cat can get bathroom breaks once you are in a safer area.
-Cat treats. Your cat will likely get very stressed by this event. Make sure that they get attention once you reach your destination because your kitty will become very stressed out because of this, and attention can make them feel secure.
-Something like a crate for the trip itself. Try to get one that is recommended for traveling, such as one that attaches to a car seat.
Stay safe!
-Froggo
Bring a harness and leash for your ferret as well. This is a good time to buy a ferret collar with an ID tag. Microchips are good but a collar is an obvious sign that an escaped ferret isn’t a wild animal, as many assume.
A small guinea pig cage makes a good travel cage in a pinch. If you don’t have the space get a hard cat carrier.
Bring a bottle and a bowl. Your ferret may not want to drink out of a bottle.
Bring a pillow case or towel so your ferret can hide if he’s stressed.
FantasyBoudicca 