What's Your Emergency Exit Plan?

gloriajh

FERAl born “Pepper”
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 17, 2006
Messages
2,027
Purraise
66
Location
CA - Desert
I now have 3 cats.

I've been putting off actually making a plan for an Emergency Exit - in case of fire, earthquake (I'm in California), hurricane (I'm reminded of the awful decisions that had to be made leaving pets behind), or any "unnatural" disaster that may occur.

About the only thing I've done is put their carrier crates by the front door.

At least my cats are confined to inside the house, and I usually have an idea where their hiding places are, which would be easier to locate them.

They are chipped.

There are just so many variables, I think that's why I'm "stuck" and can't really formulate The Plan.

I'm looking for others' ideas - maybe we can help each other by sharing "plans" or ideas?

Thanks,
Gloria
 

missymotus

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 8, 2005
Messages
9,234
Purraise
254
I only really have a night time plan, I have a large dog crate in the cat room so if there's a fire it will be quicker to put them all in the crate instead of individual carriers.
 

sarahp

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jun 7, 2006
Messages
15,841
Purraise
28
Location
Australia
I know where the carriers are, and most important - the girls are microchipped. If something does happen and we get separated, they can trace them back to me.

The big problem in Katrina was that so many animals weren't microchipped which made it near impossible to trace pets back to owners.
 

4crazycats

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 23, 2006
Messages
1,861
Purraise
1
Location
Missouri
Originally Posted by GloriaJH

I'm looking for others' ideas - maybe we can help each other by sharing "plans" or ideas?

Thanks,
Gloria
Well my only natural disaster here would probably be a tornado. There havnt been any really close to me. Usually about 30 miles away. But I do have a plan. I keep the dogs in their room at night. Lily is in my room with me at night. Bagheera and Kitten have their own room that they sleepin every night. The only animal that is left to roam is Annie Rose and soon she will be kept in her kennel when she has her kittens. Anyways I have the dog leashes on a table outside their room. Kitten and Bagheera both have a kennel to stuff them in right by their door. The rats are in their cages. I trained the dogs the word basement. When I say it they run into the basement right away and into crates I have down there. They cant get out until I tell them to. So while I'm doing that I go in and get the cats. Any time I open the basement door Lily runs down there because I taught her to do that. So she would hopefully do it herself too. The only problem I would have is getting Annie. I really need to start putting her up at night. But I just havnt yet.
 

arcadian girl

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
May 29, 2006
Messages
994
Purraise
3
Location
san francisco
I've thought about this too, cos I live in San Francisco. I have to say I have no detailed plan, but I've got a bag that's "Wonton's bag", It's got some bottled water, wet and dry food, a smallish plastic pan that could be used as a litter tray, and a small bag of litter. I also have the cat carrier out where I could grab it at a moments notice (it used to be packed in the closet, which is blocked by the futon, until I realized the stupidity of that). So yeah, if there were (God forbid) an earthquake, I could put Wonton in his carrier, and grab his bag, so if we have to evacuate I have food and water for him. I don't care what happpens, I'd never leave my cat in the apartment. My bf has family whow live more inland and wouldn't be affected much by an earthquake, so if we lost our apartment, most likely we'd go stay with them til we got on our feet again. Actually now that I think about it, Wonton's bag should have some treats and a couple cans of tuna in it, to tempt him into eating if he doesn't feel like it because of stress.

ETA that Wonton is chipped as well.
 

starryeyedtiger

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 5, 2005
Messages
22,317
Purraise
20
Location
USA
I really need to come up with a good plan for my girls. I usually have foster kittens too, so it should include them as well. I live in Memphis...we get torndados, flash-floods, straight-line storms, and we're long overdue for an earthquake (which I have NO idea how to prepare for one!-anyone wanna help!
) Sophie (rabbit) lives inside in her cage- that wouldn't be a problem. We have a huge carrier for my wolf mix...so most likely I would throw all of the girls in there and put my dog on a leash. I also have 2-3 carriers in my house that I can get to easily if i need them. I do need to make a bag of necessities for all of them as well as me.

As for my fish....I have NO idea what to do about that???? Anyone have ideas on that one? The bettas i could move easily....but not my 3 tanks (one is an 80 gallon and 2 are 10 gallons)
 

scamperfarms

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 23, 2004
Messages
7,299
Purraise
2
Location
Minnesota
We have Many many many stickers that say "Fireman Please Help me" and you write in how many of each animal you have. Although I think a fireman would die seeing the number 14 (perment residents and 11 other) and two dogs LOL on my sticker.

that being said I have two large crates for the cats in grabbing distance, leashes are kept by the dog kennel's, the dogs are put in at night. Steve knows the drill.

He gets the dogs and I get the cats, the cats seem to trust me more they love steve but thats just how it works. and the dogs being STRONG steve is stronger. and we both know no matter what we dont leave without the animals. everyone has collars, and tags and we are working on micorchipping everyone.
 

pushylady

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jul 26, 2005
Messages
16,398
Purraise
451
Location
Canada
This is a great thread. I'm convinced I should get my two microchipped now - we've kind of just forgotten about doing that.
I like Acardian Girl's idea of a bag of supplies too, I didn't think of that!

So I'm going to put together an emergency bag and leave it near their carriers, which are always out.
 

luckygirl

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 4, 2006
Messages
7,932
Purraise
1
Location
in a pile of open toed shoes!
I have my LuckyGirl chipped, and Louie is getting done on Saturday with his rabies shot. They also have tags, with their names & my cell phone # which is always on me. Also, I was given big yellow tags with their micro-chip # & the 800# for the 24hourpetwatch.com which keeps my info & their info. I am getting this info engraved on a smaller tag for their collars, just in case. Alot of times, people find a cat & don't think to check for micro-chipping....the average person doesnt' know much about it. And mine are escape artists, Lucky has taught Louie how to get her collar off....she does not, however, take his off for him!
And Louie is always curious as to what is outdoors....

I also keep the carrier open & about 10 ft from my front door. They like to sit on top of it sometimes & play in it. I don't have an "emergency bag" made up for them, but it's a great idea, and I will make one up and stick it in or near the carrier....I have a small portable litter box for them (but keep it in the basement?), I will have to get that together with the new emergency bag. And a large zip lock of litter too....food & bottled water, toys & treats as well.

We do have a sticker on the side window "in case of fire", but we don't keep them locked up at night.....they are pretty social, so they sleep with us for awhile, then go out & cuddle on the couch....

However, we do not have many "natural" disasters in Pennsylvania. The worst problem would probably be a fire.... God forbid.
 

peachytoday

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 4, 2005
Messages
1,498
Purraise
1
Location
Maryland
I keep my kits carriers right by the front door as well as mesh bags in case it is a fire and they are struggling too hard to get in the carrier. Just for a temporary fix to get them out of the house. If it is a fire my neighbor also loves cats (she has one) and we have agreed we can bring the cats to each others houses temporarily. I also keep a bag by the door with a few days worth of medication already split in half for my little heart patient as well as a laminated card with the vets number, the emergency clinic number and my animal cardiologist and dermatologist. I have their favorite treats in the bag, pill pockets and some food. Also I have a ceramic bowl with some bottled water. Litter I have never thought of. I might go out and buy one of those diposable pans and keep it by the front door. I try to refresh my supplies every month but usually it turns out to be every other month.

Tricia
 

catsknowme

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 2, 2005
Messages
11,458
Purraise
6,679
Location
Eastern California,USA
If you are in an urban area, your local fire dept. may have a website, and they will list "pet friendly" phone numbers, such as who can assist you in evacuating your pets and where to go.
The recommendation for earthquake is go to an area at least 100 miles away, so try to plan, as Arcadian Girl has, to have a location to evacuate to.
I would love to have some kind of network that would keep a list of Pet-friendly sanctuaries to evacuate to.
for my own crew, I keep carriers nearby, and I keep a back-up supply of food. Fortunately for us, we have creeks for water. Our winter storms knock our power out often enough to keep us prepared for most other disasters.
For me, the hardest part is disciplining myself to keep the vehicles at 1/2 tank or more at all times. It would take that much fuel to drive out of this area and go to a more urban area where there would be coordinated disaster relief.
 

starryeyedtiger

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 5, 2005
Messages
22,317
Purraise
20
Location
USA
Originally Posted by catsknowme

If you are in an urban area, your local fire dept. may have a website, and they will list "pet friendly" phone numbers, such as who can assist you in evacuating your pets and where to go.
The recommendation for earthquake is go to an area at least 100 miles away, so try to plan, as Arcadian Girl has, to have a location to evacuate to.
I would love to have some kind of network that would keep a list of Pet-friendly sanctuaries to evacuate to.
for my own crew, I keep carriers nearby, and I keep a back-up supply of food. Fortunately for us, we have creeks for water. Our winter storms knock our power out often enough to keep us prepared for most other disasters.
For me, the hardest part is disciplining myself to keep the vehicles at 1/2 tank or more at all times. It would take that much fuel to drive out of this area and go to a more urban area where there would be coordinated disaster relief.
I have an earthquake question for you. You mentioned getting 100 miles away from the earthquake area if one occurs. That would be about 2 hours. What would you do if you were in your house when it happened and unable to drive away before hand? Do you put your pets in their carries and in your car and start driving? I would be scared to do that- what if the ground splits open? I noticed you lived in Cali, so I figured you might be helpful one that one? Memphis is LONG overdue for one, so we are all trying to have a game plan together....but nobody I know around here has been through a bad earthquake...so we wouldn't know how to evacuate our animals. Also, what if you can't make it out in time and get hit with the after shocks also? I wouldn't have a clue what to do! My first insinct would be to grab my animals and run - but I wouldn't be able to run with ALL of them! Is it wise to drive during an earthquake? Any advice???
 

emily_325

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 29, 2006
Messages
2,063
Purraise
1
Location
NW Georgia
This is actually something I've been thinking about lately for us as well as for Anya. My sister is pressuring me to prepare for the avian bird flu outbreak. (She's a nurse.) I figure better safe than sorry so I've been looking into storing a few weeks worth of freeze dried food and water for me and Brian in our storage closet. I ordered this catalog and it had an emergency kit for cats. I can't find the exact one online but it was similar to this one:

Cat Emergency Kit

I don't think I'll buy one, but I'll use the content list from one of these to make my own for her and stash it in the hall closet next to the door. It will be better filled with HER food and treats and toys that I know she loves rather than a generic kit.

Other than that our soft carrier is always out and in the living room next to the couch. Anya curls up in it to play and sleep from time to time. In the side pocket I keep copies of her records, her microchip #, her ID tag (I don't make her wear a collar inside anymore), and once it comes in the mail her harness and leash will go in there too. Neither one of us would evacuate the apartment without grabbing Miss Anya too. She's like our child.
 

cheshirecat

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
May 26, 2006
Messages
981
Purraise
22
Location
New Hampshire
Not to long ago I was thinking about this myself. I live on the third floor of an apartment building and am not able to go down stairs.

When I first moved in my Mother talked about what to do in case of fire. The basic plan is for me to go out on to the balcony and wait for help to arrive. At that time I didnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t have Chester.

A month or so ago the fire alarm went off. I was more curious than scared until I saw how scared Chester was. This got me thinking about what I would do if there really was a fire. There is no way I would leave him behind.

When ever Chester is really afraid of something he heads for the walk in closet in my bedroom. The cat carrier was in computer room at the other end of the house.

Now the carrier is in the walk in closet. It was the most sensible plan I think. If there was an emergency chances are he will head to the closet. Not only will it be where he is most likely to be, it will be easier to catch him in the smaller space.

Other than that I have no other plans.
 

ugaimes

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 20, 2005
Messages
6,482
Purraise
3
Location
Savannah, GA
Great thread!
We live in the line of fire for some hurricanes (thankfully Savannah's been safe for years, but there's always that possibility). Each girl has a carrier in the house and each one wears a tag and is microchipped as well. In case of hurricane, we'd go to our land in Burke county (north-central GA), which has a kitty-safe enclosed cabin
.
Like someone else on this thread mentioned, however, I'm not sure what we'd do with the animals in our 28-GAL saltwater tank...especially if the power went out
.
 

fwan

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 5, 2004
Messages
13,279
Purraise
2
Location
Australia
Originally Posted by ugaimes

Great thread!
We live in the line of fire for some hurricanes (thankfully Savannah's been safe for years, but there's always that possibility). Each girl has a carrier in the house and each one wears a tag and is microchipped as well. In case of hurricane, we'd go to our land in Burke county (north-central GA), which has a kitty-safe enclosed cabin
.
Like someone else on this thread mentioned, however, I'm not sure what we'd do with the animals in our 28-GAL saltwater tank...especially if the power went out
.
Fish dont die easily with out filter.
My aquarium killed my fishies, one of them died about 3 weeks ago.
My mother put her foot down and told me its time to chuck out that second hand aquarium that i had been using. so i got my old one out and filled it up with water and the cleaning fishy stuff.
I managed to save the last 3 fish with it, but the filter is dead and they are still alive.
You just reminded me i have to change the water


At my new apartment i have a tiny storage space, and cat carriers are stored there and thats right next to the main door
 

starryeyedtiger

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 5, 2005
Messages
22,317
Purraise
20
Location
USA
Originally Posted by ugaimes

Great thread!
We live in the line of fire for some hurricanes (thankfully Savannah's been safe for years, but there's always that possibility). Each girl has a carrier in the house and each one wears a tag and is microchipped as well. In case of hurricane, we'd go to our land in Burke county (north-central GA), which has a kitty-safe enclosed cabin
.
Like someone else on this thread mentioned, however, I'm not sure what we'd do with the animals in our 28-GAL saltwater tank...especially if the power went out
.
I mentioned the fish issue earlier! I'm really concerned is something were to happen about what would happen with my fish! I have an 80 gallon, 2 ten gallons, and two betta tanks- the betta tanks I could take with me because they're small...but it's not like I could load up the other tanks at a moments notice! I wouldn't know what to do...especially if an earthquake hit or something of that nature and it shattered the tank....my fish would go all over the floor!! I definitey wouldn't know what to do! Aww, now I feel like a bad fish mommy!
 
Top