What About Cats - pets and disasters



For the care & enjoyment of our elusive friends - cats

cat care > protect your cat during a disaster
cats & disasters \| pet emergency kit \| first aid kit \| cat first aid
The best way to protect your pet in a disaster is to have a disaster plan. Being prepared can save your pet's life. In the event of a disaster, if you must evacuate, the most important thing you can do to protect your pets is to evacuate them too. Remember, if it is unsafe for you to remain, it is unsafe for your pet(s) as well.
AP Photo/The Sun News, Janet Blackmon Morgan © Copyright 1999 Nando Media	Flood waters can reach dangerous heights within a few hours, leaving pets unable to find food or fresh water. A cat jumps from a shed top to a fence post in the Savannah Bluff neighborhood of Conway, S.C., on Tuesday Sept. 21 as the Waccamaw River continues to rise
During the floods that followed Hurricane Floyd and Hurricane Isabel, there were hundreds of dogs, cats, and other animals trapped by the rising waters. Their owners, thinking that they would only be gone for a couple of days, thought that their animals would be safe left at home. When the waters began to rise, there were animals on porches, rooftops and some swimming frantically as they tried to find a dry spot to crawl onto. Many pets succumbed to exhaustion and drowned. Those pets lucky enough to be rescued still had to be nursed back to health and reunited with their owners.
A Search and Rescue Team brings in dozens of standed pets from flooded North Carolina.	Photo by Dave Saville/FEMA News Photo
If you must leave your cat ... If for some unfortunate reason you must leave your cat behind, please provide enough food and water out for 5 days in a high place that your cats can reach. Don't forget to leave your cat a litter box. This should also be up high. In the case of flooding you should also leave a blanket or something similar on your roof. This will provide your cats a place to sit/lay to prevent paws from burning on the roof material until help can arrive. If your pet is lost during a disaster, listen to the emergency broadcast for the ANIMAL HOT LINE. Special community Bulletin Boards for animal relief information will be posted, when possible, during times of severly limited communications in your area.
	A flood stranded cat on top of a fence awaits rescue.
Have a safe place to take your cat ... Red Cross disaster shelters cannot accept pets because of states' health and safety regulations. Only service animals who assist people with disabilities are allowed in Red Cross shelters. It may be difficult, if not impossible, to find shelter for your animals in the midst of a disaster, so plan ahead. Do not wait until disaster strikes to do your research. Contact hotels and motels outside your immediate area to check policies on accepting pets and restrictions on number and size. Ask if "no pet" policies could be waived in an emergency. Keep a list of "pet friendly" places, including phone numbers, with other disaster information and supplies. If you have notice of an impending disaster, call ahead for reservations. Ask friends, relatives, or others outside the affected area whether they could shelter your animals. If you have more than one pet, they may be more comfortable if kept together, but be prepared to house them separately. Prepare a list of boarding facilities and veterinarians who could shelter animals in an emergency; include 24-hour phone numbers. Ask local animal shelters if they provide emergency shelter or foster care for pets in a disaster. Animal shelters may be overburdened caring for the animals they already have as well as those displaced by a disaster, so this should be your last resort. As a disaster approaches ... Often, warnings are issued hours, even days, in advance. At the first hint of disaster, act to protect your pet. Call ahead to confirm emergency shelter arrangements for you and your pets. Check to be sure your pet emergency kit and your pet first aid kit are both ready to take at a moment's notice. Bring all pets into the house so that you won't have to search for them if you have to leave in a hurry. Make sure all cats are wearing collars and securely fastened, up-to-date identification. Attach the phone number and address of your temporary shelter, if you know it, or of a friend or relative outside the disaster area. You can buy temporary tags or put adhesive tape on the back of your pet's ID tag, adding information with an indelible pen. You may not be home when the evacuation order comes. Find out if a trusted neighbor would be willing to take your pets and meet you at a prearranged location. This person should be comfortable with your pets, know where your animals are likely to be, know where your pet disaster supplies kit is kept, and have a key to your home. If you use a petsitting service, they may be available to help, but discuss the possibility well in advance. Planning and preparation will enable you to evacuate with your pets quickly and safely. But bear in mind that animals react differently under stress. Outside your home, transport cats in carriers. Don't leave animals unattended anywhere they can run off. The most trustworthy pets may panic, hide, try to escape, or even bite or scratch. When you return home, give your pets time to settle back into their routines. Consult your veterinarian if any behavior problems persist. A special thanks to the American Red Cross and the Humane Society of the United States. Please check out their sites for more disaster preparedness information.
National Lost Pet Hotline: 1-900-535-1515 National Found Hot Line: 1-800-755-8111	Teams went out in boats to rescue pets from roof tops after flood in NC.