If There Was Fire/Tornado/Something Terrible Would You.....

[shorty14788]

Absolutely!

Also, living in florida and all, I worry about hurricanes all the time. I have 10 cats and 2 dogs to worry about evacuating. I already have a plan to rent a uhaul... put the cats in the 4 extra large dog crates i have (I may have to use some carriers as well), put them in the uhaul and have my DH drive that while I drive my car with the 2 dogs. I even have a pet hurricane kit... complete with medical records, bandaging supplies, back-up medications for my animals that need them, flea prevention, heartworm prevention, a collapsable trash can (for poop scooping) trash bags, sedatives for the animals that may need them, feliway spray, needles and syringes (in case I need to check my diabetics blood glucose) glucometer, wet food lids... even toys...

I'm very prepared! You have to be with a house full of animals that have disorders/disablities...

I worry about that kind of stuff all the time...

 

[luvmy2cats]

Popsie would be first on my mind. There has been a few occasions where I've had to take cover for the weather and he's came with me.

 

[tierre0]

The cats would be my first thought no doubt about it. I have their carriers stored in the hall closet so they are easy to get to. I look at everything else in my life as being replaceable except for them. There like my children.


It is so sad when You lose a pet under such circumstances. Three years ago my niece and her husband house burnt down. It was struck by lightening when they were at work. They lost their Jack Russel terrier, Yoda, and their 3 kitties Molly Holly and Polly in the fire. My niece was totally devastated by it and had nightmare for weeks afterwards. She still cries when she thinks about it.

 

[krazy kat2]

My carriers are handy, and I know the hiding places. All I would have to do to get Scooter out is to open the door, and he will go out, realize he is out and sit down. Pepper would do the same. I could grab Pearl, and Fluffy would follow my SO anywhere with only a word. I always keep cat food in my trunk, ans usually at least one bottle of water.
Then I would grab my massage chair, as many clothes as I could fit in a basket, and toss the meds, papers, etc into a lock box. I can do all this in under 5 minutes. I have tried it several times just to make sure.

 

[zissou'smom]

I wouldn't leave without Zissou unless they pulled me out kicking and screaming either. Thankfully she's not averse to the carrier, and if I thought that wouldn't be feasible (like I couldn't carry it) I would put her leash on and carry her.

Luckily we're okay with tornadoes. We go in the bath and sit in the bathtub together, and she can tell something is super wrong so she lets me hold her until it passes. We had warnings 4 or 5 times last year.

 

[autumnblueangel]

Yes. Definitly. I have nightmares about this. Trying to round them all up in disaster. That's why I like keeping them indoors these days. I have eleven, that would tear me apart if I couldn't get them all in time, but I'd probably die trying.

 

[exoticbabee]

Two nights ago, we had a tornado warning. My husband and I were dressed and ready to go just in case we had to leave. We always keep the carrier out (she likes to sleep in it) so that we can put her in it for vet trips. She is a part of our family and we would never leave without her. I would be devastated.

 

[carolpetunia]

One afternoon last spring, there was a monster straight-line windstorm going on, with branches flying and fences falling -- and then a tornado showed up on radar, heading in our direction, but perhaps five or six miles away.

Perfect timing: the power went out, so we couldn't get any more news, and the winds intensified even further... so I herded my parents into the main bath and started bringing cats to them. The kitties quickly caught on that something was up, and I could not for the life of me get Sassy or Abby. They're both extremely highstrung girls, very easily frightened, and if they don't want to be gotten, you're not getting them, no matter how you try.

That day, the tornado passed well south of us... but I don't know what would happen in a real emergency situation. How do you capture a terrified cat?

 

[cheylink]

One thing I have established with all my kitties is a very trusting relationship, especially when it comes to handling them. It has always been in the back of my mind if ever an emergency, they must trust and allow me to pick them up and hold them without objection! I would never leave my home without Maia, and just as likely she would be the one to alert me if something was wrong such as a fire...........

 

[catsarebetter]

Originally Posted by CarolPetunia

That day, the tornado passed well south of us... but I don't know what would happen in a real emergency situation. How do you capture a terrified cat?

I am wondering this myself... Bagheera is hand shy, and the last time I tried to put her in a carrier to take her to the vet, she sunk her teeth into me.... she was terrified and the sad thing is, I can't even imagine how she'd be if there was something going on that added to that.

So, I'm trying to clicker train or just train her to not be afraid of the carrier. The one thing I want them all to do is learn to get in the carrier on command.

 

[jugen]

My cats hate their carriers but I always told Dh that I'd never leave our house without our cats, no matter what. So we have an agreement that he will get Twig and Rocket, I'll get Isis, Luna and Neffie. Lucky him. He gets the two easy ones. Oh well, I'll never leave one, no matter what. They depend on me to keep them safe, that's my job, and I take it very seriously.

 

[tara g]

Most definitely.

 

[carolpetunia]

Just so no one misunderstands -- none of our kitties are afraid of us!

We're very lucky to have terrific, loving relationships with them all. But Sassy and Abby are just easily spooked, and if they realize something's up, they will run and hide where they can't be reached. That's why I'm worried.

The only thing that occurs to me is to make sure I capture them first, with as little preamble as possible, before gathering up the other kitties.

 

[pookie-poo]

Actually, I had to evacuate due to a gas leak a couple of summers ago. Cleo and Lola are very easy to catch and put into their carriers. Maggie is my 'fraidy cat and will run into the basement and hide in the false ceiling if she gets scared. Let me tell you....it's very difficult and frightening to try to round up three carriers, three cats, food and medicine, without making any kind of spark that might set off a gas fire! The power company told me not to turn on any lights, or open the garage door opener. Since it's just me, I had to haul everyone and all their stuff outside by myself. Once I got outside and as far away from the house as I could, I called my parents on my cell phone and they came and picked us up. We waited down the street for Consumers Power to come and check out my house. Earlier that morning, they had come to my house to move the gas meter from inside my basement, to outside, to facilitate easy meter reading. There was a small leak around one of the seals that they found and fixed. If I had been there all day, I might not have smelled it, but it was really obvious when I walked into the house after work. I still haven't decided where I should keep the cat carriers. If they're easier to store in the basement (where they are now) or out in the garage. It would probably be better to keep them in one of the bedrooms, but there really isn't any extra space to store three cat carriers.

 

[icklemiss21]

Yes, I have had to before - two run into their carriers at the sound of noise anyway, the other two go under the sofa, so I can always find them.

I am not sure what Autumn would do, but she seems mesmorised by noise, so she would probably stand under the fire alarm and look at it.

 

[catlover19]

I would definitely get my kitties. They are really easy to find, they are usually in this room or in one of the bedrooms. Their carriers are just down the hall so they wouldn't be too hard to grab.

 

[katz4life]

We actually have a call that we do to wrangle up our kitties. Its for when they go in their fenced in backyard. Only I can do it because its a very high pitched tone of voice. I call "Kitties" in a certain voice & all of them automatically know to come to that...it works everytime

But if all the cats didn't come to that, we'd get the ones who came & then we'd go find the rest of them...We would never leave without our fuzzies! Our life wouldn't be the same without them!

 

[hopehacker]

I can get all of my cats into the carriers, but Shane. Shane who is a 30 lb very strong cat. Every time I've had to put him in the carrier it's a BIG, fight. He doesn't bite or scratch me, but he does brace his legs at the opening of the carrier, and I cannot get him in. I've had to brace the carrier against the wall, and use my entire body to try and push him in. One time I had to get all of my cats out, for pest control to come in, and even with the help of one of the guys, it' took us about a half an hour to get him in the carrier. So, I don't know what I'd do about Shane. I can't risk the other cats lives trying to get Shane in the carrier, so I would try my heardest, but I don't know if I'd end up having to leave him or not.

 

[EnzoLeya]

Oh my goodness, there are so many scarey stores on her about disasters! I'm glad to hear I'm not crazy in the fact that I would save the kitties before myself. Granted, I will have to say for the people with terrified kitties that are hard to catch I would have troubles desiding what to do. I probably would have to give up in the end and hope that opening a few windows and doors would give my kitty some sort of chance.

That was a great idea that was mensioned on here. Open a few windows and doors, that way your kitty has some sort of chance rather than being locked indoors.

Animals really do have great instincts when it comes to natural disasters. I was so worried about our horses whenver there were tornado warnings because they seemed trapped when you think about them being in a fenced area. I was out riding one day when the winds picked up and I got a call on my cell phone about a tornado warning. I ran for the house and when I looked back at the horses they were running towards the creek. When the storm passed we looked out and saw the horses all laying down on the bank of the creek, the lowest spot of the pasture.

You can't tell me animals aren't smarter than humans when it comes to instincts!

 

[twstychik]

Originally Posted by HopeHacker

I can get all of my cats into the carriers, but Shane. Shane who is a 30 lb very strong cat. Every time I've had to put him in the carrier it's a BIG, fight. He doesn't bite or scratch me, but he does brace his legs at the opening of the carrier, and I cannot get him in. I've had to brace the carrier against the wall, and use my entire body to try and push him in. One time I had to get all of my cats out, for pest control to come in, and even with the help of one of the guys, it' took us about a half an hour to get him in the carrier. So, I don't know what I'd do about Shane. I can't risk the other cats lives trying to get Shane in the carrier, so I would try my heardest, but I don't know if I'd end up having to leave him or not.

I had to giggle at the mental image this conjured up in my head. I'd say get all the others first them work on Shane. Worst case, you could always wrap him in a blanket. Like someone else said, I'd rather they were loose outside and safer than trapped inside.