Cat Emergency Kit

Prompted by feralvr's idea in my thread regarding getting a good carrier for each of my cats (shopping lessons thread), I wanted to discuss with all of you what should go in an emergency evacuation kit I want to prepare for my cats. With the threat of fire, flood, earthquake (not as far fetched as you would think), tornadoes, the 250 year old oak tree over the house that could crash, and wild drivers plowing into the house, I want to be ready to be able to leave with my cats quickly, and have what they need until we find semi-permanent shelter.

So this is what I've thought of so far.

Sturdy carriers - one for each cat, making sure I can get them all in my car.

Each carrier labeled with my name, address, phone numbers, and same info for 2 friends or relatives.

Copies of medical records for each cat, and microchip info. Sealed in plastic bag, individual for each cat. I've thought of putting set under the bedding in the bottom of each carrier, too.

Food for 3 days, and bottled water. Paper bowls and plastic spoons. Food and water in kit will have to be replaced regularly - say every 6 months - to keep fresh.

Extra bedding.

Handi wipes.

Small aluminum foil "roaster" pans for litter pans. Not to be in carriers all the time, but as needed. Litter. I've considered what they usually use (chick feed) or Cat Attract, since they will be under stress. What do you think? Small litter scoop and plastic bags.

Any medications that any of them are on. None at this point in time.

I'm thinking of putting this all in a duffel bag, as it will be lighter and more easy to pack in car. Then again, a plastic bin would be water proof.

What else? Any comments? Things I haven't considered?

Robin

You might want to consider adding a first aid kit - for you and the cats. Here's a helpful link: http://cats.about.com/library/howto/htassemblekit.htm. I don't know just how prepared you want to be - but we also have those hand-crank camping water filters, so if it comes to it you can basically turn a larvae-ridden mud puddle into drinking water.

Because someone plowed into our car, we now have my parents' minivan - they didn't need it any longer. It does work out to be really convenient (despite the guilt about it guzzling gas), because we just keep everything in there. We look like a traveling pet store/mobile rescue, but in addition to the food, water, litter, pans (and other stuff, like the trap and two crates), we have feliway and bach's rescue remedy.

I don't know if you already have something like this at home, but for any kind of emergency that might happen while we're not home, we have a sticker outside that says there's pets inside, and inside we have a paper inside one of those large ziplock baggies taped to the inside of the door. It lists the cats, names, descriptions, vet info, all of our contact info (cell phones, email etc), relatives contact info, and where the crates are located in the RV LOL.

We also have two fold-down (canvas)... "kennel" kind of things. All the cats will fit in them in a pinch (four in each). Not particularly comfortably... but if temporary relocation took longer than anticipated, our thinking is that it gives them room to stand up and move around and stretch their legs more than the crates let them. They CANNOT be picked up and moved with the cats inside them. Let me post this and see if I can find what I'm talking about online.

Back in... 2003? 2004? Before we moved out of the RV into a house for a while there, the electricity went out area-wide due to a really bad summer heatwave. I don't remember why we couldn't use the generator... the park brought one over to lend to us, and when they hooked it up, they did something wrong and a number of the sockets inside blew out - we had to put out several small fires (and BOY is that fire extinguisher stuff hard to clean up!!!!!). THAT was a nightmare. But we couldn't stay in the RV - and we had to grab the cats and get to a hotel. The electricity wasn't back on for... five days?

The cats used the litter boxes just fine, but hid under the bed the entire time.

Except Tuxedo, of course - who, as always, thought the whole thing was a big adventure just for his benefit.

This is a great idea!

I have been wanting to do something like this myself. I read a pet website where they give a list of what to put in a kit. They actually recommend having two kits, a shelter-in-place kit and an evacuation kit.

You probably already have most or some of these items but here are their lists/info, they might have something you want to add:

http://www.dogscouts.org/uploads/Dis..._emergency.pdf

One thing that I find it a must to have, is feeding syringes and canned A/D.

Aside from what you listed I have:

A keychain tag and a card for my wallet that reads: "My cats are home alone, if I become ill or injured, please contact the people on the reverse side to care for my cats." On the reverse side, I have the contact phone # for Kelly, my pet Sitter and vet tech, and my Landlord. Kelly has been authorized to take the kitties to the vets and has checks in the vets names in case of need.

Printed insurance forms

I have a bottle of colloidal silver for cuts on the cats and if they scratch or bite me - BEST thing to prevent infection!

A couple of bottles of Saline solution - turns out you need prescription, so my Dr. told me to get the one you use to clean contacts, the ones that reads Saline Solution Sensitive Eyes, Sterile. They have many kinds, but you want the plain ones...

Triple bacterial ointment, gauze, Bactine, DiaGel (diarrhea gel), waterproof tape.

All the medicines, overstocked.

I am sure I am not done, but these are things that come to mind...

Originally Posted by Carolina

A keychain tag and a card for my wallet that reads: "My cats are home alone, if I become ill or injured, please contact the people on the reverse side to care for my cats." On the reverse side, I have the contact phone # for Kelly, my pet Sitter and vet tech, and my Landlord. Kelly has been authorized to take the kitties to the vets and has checks in the vets names in case of need.

Click to expand...

Ooooooo, excellent idea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We don't have anything in our wallets.

Originally Posted by LDG

Ooooooo, excellent idea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We don't have anything in our wallets.

Click to expand...

Yeah, it is pretty easy to see it to - here is what it looks like: http://www.mydocumentsinc.com/product-p/fpcewckt.htm

Wow! Really good ideas!

I realized I need plastic bowls for water. Somewhere, when looking for carriers, I saw one that attaches to the bars of the carrier door.

And LDG brought up the most likely reason my cats and I would have to leave our house - lack of electricity. Every once in a while, we lose electricity. It usually happens in the summer, when it isn't crucial. But in winter it would mean no heat, and that could be deadly. My mother lives 20 miles a way, and has a fireplace. But getting there is the concern. That big, big snow storm in February had everyone pretty much trapped. At the time I considered getting a generator installed. But, now, the motivation has faded.


Robin

I was hit with a tornado last year on June 21st. I grabbed Festus and went to the basement. We did not lose the house but it took major damage. I held him for 4 hours then finally stuck him in his cat carrier. He didnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t want to be held any longer and there was shattered glass in every room. We still had 1 drivable vehicle so we took him to my parents hour (1 hour drive) where he would be safe. He stayed there for 2 weeks until we found temporary housing.

Having an emergency kit, pet carrier(s), and emergency safe place to go is a good idea. Bad weather can happened to anyone.

Emergency kits are a great idea! I need to do something like that.

In regards to litter, they sell disposable pans with litter already in them. Those seem pretty handy.

Those disposable pans are handy. A few of them are at my mother's house in case my cats have to stay there for a while. But they are too big to go in a carrier. I was thinking of the small aluminum roasting pans for the time the cats would have to be confined to their carriers. That could be a couple hours to days.

Zarra, what a terrible thing! I'm glad you were OK, and Festus, too. What a good kitty he was to let you hold him so long!

Yes, bad weather, or another emergency can happen to anyone at any time. I need to get an emergency evacuation kit ready for myself, too.

Robin

Robin, I didn't know about this thread until you just mentioned it to me in email. Very important thread to have started I have also been preparing for an emergency with all of the terrible storms we have had lately. Here is a list of things I have or am getting together.

1. A list of all pets, names, descriptions, medical info. and vet number. Plus another family member's number. This is a large freezer bag and taped inside my storm door. I also have a sticker on my window referring to the bag on the door.

2. Five days of canned food/water.
3. Flashlights
4. syringe for force feeding is cats are extremely stressed.
5. bulb syringe
6. pressure bandage like a hankerchief
7. rectal thermometer
8. blunt nosed tweezers
9. blunt nosed scissors
10. Ace bandage
11. cotton swabs
12. cotton balls
13. roll of 1 inch adhesive tape
14. large non-stick gauze pads
15. 2 inch rolled gauze
16. triple antibiotic ointment
17. saline solution
18. hydrogen peroxide
19. Benadryl
20. plastic droppers/syringes for liquid medication
21. milk of magnesia
22. Betadine - diluted one part to 10 parts water
23. rubbing alcohol
24. plain eye ointment - no steroid in it
25. hair ball prevention paste

For a container I am going to use a fishing tackle box. The contents can be neatly organized and when the box is opened, everything is right there for easy access.