Today we continue with our homesteading, survival, prep emergency, and self-sufficiency lifestyle series that we have been doing with Planning and Prepping for Pets.
Ask most pet owners about their animals and they will tell you that they are a part of their family. They are not just animals that are housed under their roof or on their property. But for most people focused on survival prepping measures, their pets are often overlooked.
Then disaster strikes. Whether it is a hurricane, flood, fire, or some other type of disaster, they find themselves trying to grab their kids and bug out bags and realize they have made no plan for their beloved animals.
Disclaimer
Please note, this is general in formation. It is for information, education, and entertainment only. Whether it is gardening, farming, animal care, survival, emergency, self-sufficient lifestyle, DIY projects, or herbal preparations this is for info-sharing only. It is not meant to replace urgent medical care. As we have said, we are not doctors, vets, or professionals of any kind. This info is not meant for medical diagnosis or as treatment advice. We do not guarantee any results that we have gotten for any of the projects that we share with you. We share info that has worked for us. For more info, please see the Out Standing in the Field disclaimer page.
Please note, this talk may contain affiliate links. If you use one of these links and make a purchase through it, we will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
It’s been eye-opening to see the stress of owners getting caught in an emergency situation, realizing they either have to leave their animals behind, or refuse to leave them and put themselves at risk in the process.
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Both have happened in recent months, and it is heartbreaking to see them come to that realization. It does not have to be that way. You can take precautions now that protect your special animal family members so that you can remove them from harm’s way. Or you can have the plan and supplies on hand to maintain their health just as you do for your human family.
You are not just doing this for them. Imagine the stress it adds to each member of your group if they are faced with watching their pet suffer in a disaster situation. It might cause them to make bad decisions that affect their own well-being. So it is a good thing to add to your preparations for all involved, people and animals.
The first thing in Planning and Prepping for Pets is to assess their unique needs. Just like this with people, you need to know what they need before you can make a plan and start prepping.
A. Conduct a Pet Needs Assessment
Just as you would do for the people in your family, you have to conduct an assessment of your pets’ needs so that you can fully prepare for any circumstance. With people, you might take things like their age, gender, and size as well as health needs into consideration.
This would affect the size and weight of their bug-out bag as well as their nutrition needs, etc. The same can be said for your pets, with some differences in mind. You need to consider their species, size, breed, age, and health.
You might have a large breed dog that requires more food and exercise than a small breed. Certain dogs might thrive in cold winter conditions or hot climates, while others won’t.
Assess the needs of your pets such as food and water first. Stock up on their food, and be careful to take extra precautions in getting any special dietary needs met. Keeping vitamins and other kinds of nutritional supplements on hand is always a good idea but especially for emergency situations when you may not be able to get the exact kind of food your pet would normally have.
If they are on medication, always have an extra supply of that as well. If human medicines are hard to come by in an emergency situation so will animal meds.
Some animals, like hamsters, might need additional bedding supplies. You will want to have backup supplies for things your pets normally need or use as well. For example, have backup leashes in case one breaks when you need to have your dog on one.
Consider insulation or cooling materials for all of your pets. Even bird cages have insulated shields you can buy with ventilation so they don’t overheat or freeze to death – and reptiles will have temperature needs, too.
Small mammals need lightweight portable cages with fresh hay but make sure you have an airtight container to keep it dry.
In addition to assessing their needs, think about their emotional reactions during stressful events. Your pet might be nervous, and that can result in running away, hiding, or even becoming aggressive. Sometimes, stress can be debilitating for pets and cause health issues, so you will want to plan to keep them as calm as possible.
Next in Planning and Prepping for Pets are the actual supplies that you will need to gather for your pet.
B. Supplies for Pet Emergency Plans
For small animals, you might want to create a pet bug-out bag you can easily grab to take with you. But you are not always evacuating during a survival event. Sometimes you are staying at home. Start by stocking up on pet food that is shelf-stable whenever possible, making sure it still meets their dietary needs.
You may not have refrigeration, so don’t only stock up on those types of foods. Think about dry kibble for cats and dogs, canned foods, and vacuum-sealed hay for other animals.
You have to protect their food from pests, mold, and spoilage just as you would your own. Put it in airtight containers and check it during rotations so that you always have a fresh supply on hand.
For water, you need to calculate their consumption needs. Typically, one gallon per pet per day is more than enough. But for larger animals, you’ll need a food-grade water storage container on your property that can keep water safe from bacterial growth.
Have about two weeks’ worth of water on hand and enough water purification tablets or filters to give them a clean supply. Pets, like humans, can get sick from dirty water so you need to plan for them to have a safe water supply.
Next, think about medical supplies. Have a pet-friendly first aid kit that works for small needs like a cut or splinter, but also chronic or larger health needs. Print and laminate instructions on how to identify health issues and treat them for your pet.
If your pet is old or has a medical condition, you will need to think about how to handle that condition or how you will get the meds your pet needs.
If you have knowledge and skills with natural medicines like herbs and spices, you may be able to find an alternative treatment for your pet. Many of the same herbs and spices that people use can be used on pets but be sure to do your research into which you can and can not use. Some pets react badly to certain herbs and spices. Know what is what before you start and before you need it.
We mentioned portable cages and hay for bedding, etc. But make sure you also take blankets for comfort as well as toys that will allow your pet to work through their stress issues during an emergency event.
Have waste management supplies with you, including dog waste bags, litter, and cage liners. Be sure you can keep your pet’s area clean so your pet stays healthy.
You will also want to make sure your pet can be identified. During the major floods that recently took place, people were writing their phone numbers on their horses and setting them loose.
Microchip your pets, and put collars on them with ID tags. Make sure you have a printout of your pet’s information with a current picture proving they are yours in case they get loose and you need to find and reclaim them. Just like other family I.D. a current picture will do a lot to help if you are trying to locate or reclaim your pet. A baby picture may be cute but it does not help to show what the pet looks like now.
To help with Planning and Prepping for Pets, pre-training can be a great help.
C. Get Your Pets Trained for Emergency Situations
For people planning for survival events, we often talk about skills training, not just stocking up on supplies. You want to do the same for your pets but in a slightly different manner.
Training for pets teaches them to respond in an appropriate manner. Think of a dog who has to be socialized and learn how to be still and non-reactive around other people or pets.
You can do this for survival training, teaching them to stay calm and manageable whenever they are in an unfamiliar or unsettling situation. If they are used to it, they won’t injure themselves (or you) having a chaotic reaction to an emergency response.
There are many people who complain that their pets are nervous during fireworks. Imagine if an emergency situation were unfolding! You have to have the tools and training in place so your pet is gradually introduced to sounds like alarms, sirens, or loud bursts without overreaction.
You can reward their behavior with treats and praise and start low with the sounds, while gradually increasing the volume until they are non-reactive and desensitized. This will help them adjust to a circumstance beyond your control that arises without you having to try to tame your pet in mid-emergency.
Make sure you practice all of the handling issues that might come up quickly, like being placed in a carrier or cage fast, having to walk or run on different terrain, being loaded into a car, etc.
The more you practice and repeat it, the more normal it will be for them. This way they won’t resist or react poorly when you’re in a real survival event, being burdened and stressed with other things.
You can also practice commands for certain pets so they are easily reinforced during an emergency event. Make sure you pay attention to their reactions during emergencies. They might not alert you by barking, but instead be breathing rapidly, panting, drooling, pacing, or having wide eyes that indicate stress.
Each pet, like people, will react differently so be mindful of this. You know your pet in normal situations but will you still know what your pet is thinking in an emergency? It is best to get a handle on these things before the time comes to use them.
Planning and Prepping for Pets includes having a plan to evacuate with your pet if it comes to running.
D. Make Sure Your Evacuation Plans Include Your Pets
For most pets, that can be taken with you, you still need to make plans for where they are allowed. If you are leaving a hurricane zone, for example, know which places accept pets in their facility.
That may mean you take a different route than you normally would if you were only going with human family members. Some routes might have more pet-friendly stops along the way, with grass and space to maximize comfort during travel.
Some of the pets you own might have a higher stress reaction than others or tend to hide whenever they feel nervous. If an evacuation is necessary, you might easily be able to pick up a small chihuahua, but a horse would require additional transport.
For large animals like horses, who can not come with you to a hotel during an evacuation plan, you will want to find a place to take them for safe-keeping during an event like a flood or hurricane. There are many facilities and even personal homes that will open their doors to evacuation pets. Do your research and know where you can go to keep your pet safe. Don’t wait until the last minute to try to secure a safe haven for them. This needs to be identified and arranged early on whenever possible.
Also making a long-term plan should be a part of Planning and Prepping for Pets.
E. Long-Term Preparedness Plans for Pets
Not all survival situations are short-term. Sometimes, it can last weeks or even months. Are you ready for a scenario that involves pet preparedness for that long of a time span?
Start with their shelter. You need something that will be good not only in the weather you are currently experiencing but as the seasons change, too. You have to think about temperature control, but other factors as well, like rain or wind.
Think about ventilation, space, and security of the shelter you are keeping them in. What about growth? You might have a smaller cage for a pet without thinking about its rapid growth over the coming months. Babies grow, that is what they are supposed to do.
Next, consider their food supply. What if you could no longer go to the store or place an online order for kibble? You might be dealing with supply chain disruptions among other things, and you have to know how to use alternative food sources like grains and vegetables or meat that you hunt to feed your pets. It is always best to start these things before you need them. Introduce your pet to a new food, bedding, training, or situation slowing in a normal time. That way, when things are crazy during a real emergency, your pet is not shocked with new food, etc.
For enrichment, you will want puzzles dogs can do, scratching posts for cats, window perches, chew toys, obstacle courses, visual stimulation for pets like birds, and so on. You can learn how to braid a toy from old clothing for a dog, for example, but you need to have something for all of your pets’ needs so they don’t get bored and anxious during a long-term survival event.
It helps, when planning and prepping for the needs of your pets, to print off a checklist that helps you ensure you have met all of their critical needs. Keep your pet stocked up on their medications and supplies so you are not scrambling to get them things at the last minute.
You would not leave planning for your kids or Grandparents to the last minute, so do not leave your pets til last either. Planning and prepping for your pet ahead of time will give you the same confidence for your pet’s safety as you have for yourself and your people family. When things go bad having a plan already in place and the prep work already done, will take a lot of stress and worry out of the situation.
Any or all of these things can be extended to a homesteading or self-sufficient lifestyle with a bit of tweaking and long-term planning.
We hope you have gotten some useful info out of this talk, Planning and Prepping for Pets. It is not by any means a total, all-inclusive knowledge of pet needs in an emergency but it is a good place to start. As we said, every pet will have slightly different needs and reactions, know your pet so you will be able to plan and prep what is best for them.
We have put together some first aid pages, checklists, and info pages for seven different kinds of pets. Yes, we understand, that there are many more kinds of pets but these are common ones. These pages can cover whatever kind of pet you have. Please feel free to download, print, and use them for your pets.
The mock-ups will show you what animal it is and what pages are in the bundle. The individual PDF will download the whole bundle for each different pet bundle. There are eight to choose from or you can use all eight if you like. We hope these will help you in planning and prepping for your pet.
This is a five-page General Animal Care Emergency and Survival checklist that you can download, print out, and use for yourself.
This is an eight-page Cat Emergency and Survival checklist that you can download, print out, and use for yourself.
This is a ten-page Dog Emergency and Survival checklist that you can download, print out, and use for yourself.
This is a six-page Fish Emergency and Survival checklist that you can download, print out, and use for yourself.
This is a seven-page Horse Emergency and Survival checklist that you can download, print out, and use for yourself.
This is a six-page Reptile Emergency and Survival checklist that you can download, print out, and use for yourself.
This is a seven-page Small Mammals Emergency and Survival checklist that you can download, print out, and use for yourself.
If you are interested in some of our other talks please see the ones below.
Be Prepared with Water Filtration Methods
A Planning and Prepping Lifestyle
How to Help Your Pets Deal with Life Change
Thank you for visiting and please come again for another edition of Out Standing in the Field.
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