[Gpdd] FW: CARE: Disaster Preparedness for Pets (GPDD)

[Candy G.]

gpdd at gpdd.org
rzm.2 at juno.com

Jaime, I have wondered the same thing about how to have an ID on our 
piggies.  I don't think collars would be very effective.   :)   I had 
wondered about whether microchipping can be done on such a small animal and 
whether it would harm them or not, plus would it really be practical for 
piggies?  It doesn't seem like it would be.  Maybe a digester can invent an 
ID for piggies!  I'd love to hear any and all ideas.

I started packing a "survival kit" for our cats growing up in 
hurricane/tornado country.  I found this particular approach to be really 
easy and convenient for us and have now been doing it for so long that it is 
just second nature.  It was very simple to do the same thing for the piggies 
when they came into our lives.  I still do it and always will, I guess.

I have hard-shelled carriers/kennels so that if something hit them or fell 
on them, they wouldn't collapse.  Inside the piggie carrier, I keep the 
following items (in either freezer-strength ziplocks or water-tight plastic 
containers):

FOOD:
2 weeks supply of food pellets
1 week supply timothy hay
1 package Oxbow hay cubes
(takes less space than fresh hay and keeps longer)
2 jars of baby food
(I use Gerbers - 1 garden veggie and 1 squash)
2 baby-sized spoons (for getting food out of jars)
2 small, unbreakable, heavy-bottomed food bowls
2 sipper-tube, attachable water bottles
--------------------------------------
TREATS:
2 unopened packages Oxbow Critter Berries
2 unopened packages KayTee Chew Biscuits
(or stable, long-storage treat of your choice)
--------------------------------------
HEALTH:
1 MONTH supply Oxbow Vitamin C tablets
1 unopened package Simethicone Drops (for Infants)
1 unopened package Metacam (10 ml bottle of 1.5mg/ml)
4 dosage syringes
4 feeding syringes
--------------------------------------
STORAGE:
10 gallon sized ziplock bags
20 quart sized ziplock bags
4 or 5 water-tight small, stackable plastic containers
(once stuff is opened, it will need to be stored safely
and protected from water/humidity)
1 folded waterproof small duffle bag
(supplies go into this when you have to empty carrier
to put pet inside)
---------------------------------------
HYGIENE/BEDDING/EXERCISE:
3 clean towels
1 "Sunday Times"-sized stack of newspapers
2 packages Small Animal Pet Wipes
1 Small Animal Collapsible Exercise Pen (Petco - $11.00)
(this allows you to get them out of the carrier if you can)
1 cheap plastic/vinyl shower curtain liner (for exercise pen)
1 clean sheet (covers plastic liner for exercise pen)
--------------------------------------
IDENTIFICATION:
Laminated (or waterproof) paper with this information:
(2 copies: 1 "movable/loose" and 1 FIRMLY attached to carrier)
a. Name and PHOTOGRAPH of pet
b. Number of pets in the carrier
c. Type of pet and age of pet
d. Special meds / special needs
e. Contact info:
(1) Name, address, phone # of owner
(2) Make, model, and tag #'s of vehicle(s) of owner(s)
(3) Name, address, phone # of second contact
(4) Name, address, phone # of someone in DIFFERENT STATE
(5) Name, address, phone # of veterinarian
f.  If you have more than one kennel or carrier (more than one pet), include 
that there are other pets that belong to the same family and include name 
and photograph of other pets and how many kennels/carriers.  Do this for 
EACH carrier and pet.  Rescuers will usually try to keep them together if 
possible.
---------------------------------------
WATER:
1 gallon jug distilled drinking water
(one jug of water for each larger animal or
one jug for each two piggies)
---------------------------------------

Oddly enough, with the exception of the water (and maybe the hay), 
everything fits very well right into the carrier and therefore doesn't take 
up any extra space while stored.  I put the water right beside the carrier, 
so that EVERYTHING is right together and would take less than 2 minutes to 
put into operation.

Every time I buy a new bag of food, I rotate the food that is in the 
carrier.  Same with the hay (or every three months on the hay - I buy it in 
50# batches).  Same with the Vit C - every time I buy a new jar, I rotate 
the other out of the disaster kit.

The water, baby food, Simethicone, Metacam, hay cubes, and treats will 
easily store for a year or more as long as they are unopened and stored 
properly (cool, dry place) in the carrier.

Everything else will store forever if it is stored well.

This kit works for long or short term evacuation (or vacation).  It works 
for house fires, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes...whatever.  The 
key to success is this:

1.  ALWAYS KEEP IT IN THE SAME PLACE so that you ALWAYS know where it is and 
don't have to waste time looking for it - time may be short.

2.  Make sure the place you store it is EASILY ACCESSIBLE - time is 
precious!

3.  Make sure that EVERY family member knows where it is and what to do with 
it.

4.  Make sure that a neighbor (or friend who lives close by) knows where it 
is and what to do with it (you may not be home when something happens); and 
HAVE A COMMON CONTACT IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION that you can both call in case 
you are not able to contact one another.

5.  Keep a picture of your pets with you AT ALL TIMES in case you are 
separated and need to locate them through shelters or rescue operations in 
other towns or locations.

It is so easy to keep this kit current once you have it put together and it 
can be done for any animal that can be transported in an emergency.  Your 
pet carriers have to be stored anyway and so it really doesn't take up extra 
space.

Hope this helps.  Sorry it is so long and involved.

I would be really interested to hear how the rest of y'all approach the 
"protecting our pets during disaster" problem.

Candy; TopsterMan and MollieBug (and, of course, X)