Hurricane Evacuation for Pets

The act of having to evacuate from a hurricane can be a stressful and traumatizing experience by itself. When you factor in having to plan on evacuating your animals as well, it can seem quite overwhelming. The good thing about having to evacuate from a hurricane, is that it is something you can plan far in advance, and have most of the work done in case the need should arise. Having a houseful of animals of my own and living in a hurricane zone, I've discovered a few things that can help making evacuation a little bit easier for you and your furry friends.

Dogs and Cats

Dogs and cats are the most common pets that people are going to have to evacuate. Make certain you have a way to contain your animal. When hurricane evacuation is mandatory, many evacuation shelters will provide space for pets. However, most of these sites will only accept animals that have carriers. If it is at all possible, make sure that you have a carrier or kennel of some sort for your pet. Even if you are planning on keeping your animal with you at all times, a carrier or kennel is a good thing to have, especially for cats. There are however, going to be certain cases where you simply can't afford a carrier, or maybe don't have room for one in your car. In this case, make sure that you have a collar with identification tags and leash on your pet. I also make sure when I evacuate that I have an extra collar and leash for each of my different sized dogs in case I find the need for it.

Another extremely important thing to remember is vaccination records from your veterinarian. Again, many shelters will require that you have these papers if you are going to be housing your animals there. If it is at all possible, make a photocopy of these papers and keep them separate from the originals, such as in the glove compartment of your car or your purse/wallet. Make sure that you have a supply of food for your pets. Come hurricane season, I always make sure that I have an extra 50 pound bag of dog food on hand. That may seem extreme to some, but I have five dogs I have to feed. Fifty pounds will last me about a week and a half, which makes me feel pretty safe about having enough to feed them. No matter how many dogs or cats you have, it's best to try and have at least a weeks worth of food for them. If that is not possible for you, at least make sure you have about 3-4 days of food to get you through until you can find a store. Water is also a good thing to plan on taking with you. At least a half gallon of water per dog (1/4 gallon for cats) per day will help to give your pets a good amount of liquid each day. And of course, make sure that you have bowls for food and water for your pets.

Reptiles

Reptiles can be a little tricky when it comes to having to evacuate. Some reptiles and lizards such as snakes, bearded dragons, and monitors, some of the more common pets, are actually quite simple when it comes to evacuations. These animals can, if absolutely necessary, go for a few weeks without food. Please note that I am in no way stating that you should starve your animals for weeks on end. However in the event of a hurricane, it can be tricky trying to find the necessary food for your reptiles. Another common pet reptile is the Iguana. An Iguana can be especially tricky to care for during an evacuation, because their systems are much more sensitive than other reptiles. They do however make pellet foods for most pet reptiles that can easily be transported and stored during a hurricane evacuation. Keeping an extra container of such pellets on hand is a good idea.

Housing your reptiles also does not have to be difficult. When it comes to hurricane evacuation for my reptiles, rubber maid containers are my best friends. I have numerous sizes of rubber maid containers that I have simply drilled holes into the lids of to house my reptiles in case of an evacuation. (They also work great for general cage cleaning, and transportation.) Make sure your container is of adequate size for the size of your reptile. Use newspaper for a simple, easy to clean substrate. It is very important to make sure that the holes you drill are not too large, and that there are no sharp edges around the holes. Also keep in mind that if you have a pet snake, snakes are very strong creatures and some could easily pop the top off of an average rubber maid container. If you have a snake, look for a container that has a locking top lid.

Make sure that you have water for your reptiles as well. Again, many reptiles can go for sometime without water, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't provide it for them if you can. Another idea is to keep a spray bottle with water in it handy. Many reptiles can absorb their necessary water through their skin, so you can simply mist the reptile a few times a day. Fortunately, hurricane season occurs during a relatively warm part of the year, so providing the heat that many reptiles need is not a big problem. Make sure however, that you never place your reptile in direct sun inside of a rubber maid container. This could cause an excessive amount of heat that could kill them.

Hamsters, Guinea Pigs and other small creatures

Hamsters, Guinea pigs and other small animals can be a little difficult to evacuate, only because it can be a little tricky to find something to transport them in. Most of these little critters will try and chew on what ever they are in, so you have to make sure that you have the right container. Rubber maid containers with holes drilled in them might work well enough, but you have to make sure that your animal isn't chewing on them. If they eat the plastic these containers are made of, it could very well kill them. Also, these animals need much more ventilation than a rubber maid container can provide. Most pet supply stores sell a variety of small animal houses that can be used very effectively for transportation. Make sure you have enough food for your small animals. Keeping an extra bag of food handy is a good idea, but also keep in mind that some small animals such as rats and hamsters can subsist quite well on scraps as well. A water bottle is also necessary, and I highly recommend making sure you have a second one as well, just in case the need arise.

Birds

Birds might be one of the most difficult animals to have to evacuate. Birds can become stressed very easily and the last thing you want is for your bird to die due to the stress of an evacuation. Make sure that you have an "evacuation" cage on hand. Even if you have a large bird, such as a cockatoo or macaw, you do not need to have a large cage to evacuate them in. Any cage that you can put them in comfortably that allows them to have some room to move around in will suffice for the time being. Make sure the cage has at least one perch in it because it will help to make the bird more comfortable.

As far as food is concerned it is again recommended that you keep an extra bag of bird seed on hand in case of evacuation. If you feed your birds fresh fruits and vegetables make sure that when you pack your own cooler of food you add a few things into it for your bird. Water is also extremely necessary, so I would recommend having at least two to three gallons of water for your bird. Make sure that you don't forget food and water dishes and again, you should probably pack a set of spare bowls just in case. Make sure that you take a large sheet, blanket or towel with you to cover the cage. This can greatly help reduce the amount of stress on your bird.

Most of us view our pets as part of our family and would never consider leaving them behind in the case of an evacuation. By planning ahead, you can easily evacuate your pets just as you would any of your other family members. I recommend putting all of your pets needs into one box or rubber maid container, because this makes it so easy to just grab it all and go. Hopefully you will never have to evacuate from a hurricane, but if you do hopefully some of these tips will help you.