Preparing Your Pet for Natural Disasters

Natural disasters cannot be avoided or controlled but only managed tactfully. You can prepare for such events in case it happens to prevent any disaster. This is not in your hands, and it cannot be predicted as such. You must be safe during such a disaster and ensure your family and pet are safe. You may understand the measures you need to take if there is any disaster, but your pet may not understand it; hence, it is your responsibility to ensure you keep your pet safe. For that, you need to plan ahead and do some research.

Following, we have listed a few ways to prepare your pet for natural disasters to keep them safe.

1. Know About Your Region’s Risk:

It is a fundamental thing to know what the risks are in your area. A few spaces are more earthquake-prone; few may have experienced previous tsunami warnings, tornados or floods could be the usual issue in some areas, or your home may be too close to an active volcano. Understanding the risks is a great help to stay prepared for it along with your pet. If you have an emergency plan in place, it will ensure you are prepared for fear.

2. Stay Healthy and Fit:

Staying fit is necessary to be able to be active in case there is an emergency. You need to be physically fit and eat a good diet to have enough energy to handle such strenuous situations. The same should be with the pet as well. If you have a dog, for example, it needs to be agile and healthy. Give them enough workouts, regular baths using a dog groomer shampoo, and a good diet so that they are physically fit and happy mentally and can be calm if there is any such disaster.

3. Prepare Your Pet’s Emergency Kit:

Preparing an emergency kit for the pet and keeping it ready is as essential as having a first aid kit at home. This kit should include important items like a pet carrier with the pet’s name and your contact information written on it. Your pet’s medical records must be handy, and all necessary pet emergency contact numbers should be listed in one place. A litter box is cats and plastic poop bags for dogs, essential medications, and prescriptions for at least two weeks in advance. You should also keep your food and water supply for two weeks.

4. Train Your Pet:

Your pet needs to be trained to be obedient because it makes it easy to handle it. Especially if you have a large-sized dog. For example, it only makes sense to teach it to run, sit, jump, follow you and stay put in place. You must regularly practice such commands to ensure your dog is easy to handle in such scenarios, as time is an essential factor that needs to be saved in case of a disaster.

5. Keep Vaccinations Up to Date:

During a natural calamity, you may have to let the pet stay safe in a shelter with other pets. It may be a few days before you can bring it back. You never know what diseases other animals can carry which can make your pet sick; hence, the idea of keeping the pet’s vaccinations up to date for its safety. Also, if any disaster shelter lets your pet inside, they will only allow it if the pet is vaccinated; hence, keep that in mind.

6. Evacuate Early:

Do not wait for the disaster; take immediate action if your area is already under alert. During any natural calamity, your pet may get stressed, and loading them in your vehicle to safely evacuate the area can become stressful for you and the pet. If there is a disaster shelter for humans nearby, they may not allow animals; hence, research such things in advance to ensure your pet gets the needed help in such scenarios.

7. Identify Emergency Vet Services:

If, by chance, your pet gets injured in the process, you need to be able to get it checked by a vet immediately; hence figure out the contact of the nearby emergency veterinary facility to ensure your pet gets treatment timely.

8. Get Your Home Inspected:

The house where you stay should be structure-wise safe to handle such calamities if you cannot reach a shelter. Making sure the home is repaired well, there are high chances you and your pet can get out of this situation safely. The basement of the house should have all emergency supplies and food and water availability if you have to rush yourself and the pet to safety.

9. Keep Calm:

A natural disaster can be a traumatic experience. It is natural for you to be frantic and confused about handling the situation, even if you had already planned for such disasters. Remember, getting anxious will make your pet nervous and endanger their life; hence, you must stay calm. When your mind is calm, you can make the right decisions timely, which will help keep your pet safe.

10. Spread Awareness:

If you live in a neighborhood with many pets, you should call a meeting of all pet parents and make them vary of these tips. They should also be prepared to ensure their pets are safe during disasters. You taking this step may just save an animal.

11. Help Your Neighbors Pet:

You may be prepared for the natural calamity, but your neighbor must have thought of it. If there are other pets in your locality, ensure to help them when your pet is safe so that you and other animals are safe during such troubled times.

The Bottom Line:

Natural disasters can get scary even if you have received a prior warning. Hence, you cannot take this lightly, as life is unpredictable. A prior plan helps save those precious minutes that could decide if our pet gets to live. Following these tips will help you stay calm and evacuate your pet safely.