Off The Grid News Better Ideas For Off The Grid Living
We value our pets for companionship and protection, and we owe it to our pets to be responsible for their care. If we take care of them, they’ll take care of us.
In the case of an emergency or disaster like an earthquake, flood or hurricane, pets can get lost or disoriented. If we’re not properly prepared for an emergency, we may find ourselves helpless. Just like people, pets need food, water and occasionally medication. Similarly, unsanitary conditions promote disease, complicating an already difficult situation. Cats, exotic birds and other pets may develop breeding populations that cause havoc in neighborhoods and further aggravate problems.
The best way to avoid these problems is to maintain a Pet Survival Kit and keep it in an easy to transport container.
What’s in a Pet Survival Kit
The best pet survival kits will contain at least the following items:
- Recent photos or video of your pet placed both in the pet survival kit and on your person, so you can show others in the event your pet is lost or you’re attempting to reclaim it.
- A pet survival collar worn by your pet that contains the pet’s ID, name and address, phone number, rabies tag, and license.
- Up-to-date shots, health and vaccination records.
- Pet medications.
- An extra leash.
- A pet carrier or cage.
- A piece of your clothing, so the pet feels safe.
- Water and food bowls.
- A two-week supply of pet food
- Several gallons of clean drinking water.
- A hand can opener (not electric!).
- A pet waste disposal system including newspapers, cat littler, poop scoop, bleach, and plastic garbage bags.
- A list containing detailed health issues or concerns.
- Grooming supplies and toys.
- Blankets and bedding.
Your pet’s survival depends on you even when times are easy. When survival is at stake, you need to be prepared to continue caring for your pets so that they remain healthy and able to provide you with the companionship or security you’ll need in an emergency. A pet survival kit should be required gear for any pet owner.
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My four dogs said, “Don’t forget cookies. In a disaster we would want cookies!” Great article, so important not to forget our fourlegged friends, both furred and unfurred (I have 4 dogs, 11 cats, and an iguana)
In a disaster I wouldn’t mind a few cookies myself! Thanks for the laugh!
Well, I have 7 cats and they’ll make sure they bring the milk for the cookies.
One thing people with pets need to be aware of, especially those in hurricane prone areas. If you have to evacuate, know where you can go that will accept your pets. Too many people do not evacuate, because most shelters do not accept pets. I know I wouldn’t leave my animals behind. That can be disasterous for both human and our four-legged friends.
Make sure you have a machette so you can kill any snakes that are around. I just lost my dog to a water mochasin but then I live in Florida and I feel that I was negligent in my duties as protector.
- We would love to get into this program we are loctaed in New River, are active in PACC911, and are supporting 43 horses and burros as well as other rescued farm animals.
I’ve trained dogs (and cats!) for 40 years and have been a Vet Tech since 1982. When we would get reports at our clinic of lost dogs during thunder and lightening storms it’s usually for one reason: the animal was allowed to run loose prior to the storm or was able to escape. In a major type of disaster being discussed here, animals will be as frightened and try to take flight as they are during a storm.
It will be of major importance to keep your animal secured either in a kennel, airline crate or tethered TO you! With cats, they have to be confined in a some sort of carrier. With dogs, in training we call it “umbilical cording” and it means have your dog’s leash attached to your waist. In a disaster situation, all their security will fall away and even the most loyal and loving pet will likely become confused. It’s then that their natural instinct will be “flight”. I’ve seen it over and over and heard owners say “I never believed she would run”.
We try to stay 2 months ahead on food for the kitties.Problem we have is one of them is diabetic. He requires insulin injections twice a day and I’m scared to death about not being able to get insulin(using lantis).
Are there any ideas out there on how to handle the emergency of running out of insulin.
I try so stay 3 mos. ahead but still worry.
thanks,frankana1
This is an off the topic question.
We are moving to a forested area and have a small dog- under 20 lbs. We are worried about birds of prey. He is a white schnauzer. An all white animal may not be a natural color for this area. Although we have 40 acres the dogs do have a fenced area. They are on and off leash trained. Anyone know of something that will detract the birds that might be able to fly off with him like the flying monkeys did with Toto?
Coyotes are more of a threat. Most birds won’t attack a dog. But out here I have seen a big female eagle, kill a full grown coyote. She was almost 3 feet tall. If she wants the dog, she will get him, but they prefer rabbits etc. Can’t ever recall anyone reporting that they lost a dog to a bird. Coyotes however, will kill and eat your dog if they get away from you. Coyotes are alive and kicking even in Manhattan. If you hear them at night, you need to get your dogs in.
Also, start hunting and shooting predator varmits. If you hear one coyote you can assume there are 10 you don’t hear, just like mice.
The Col
Purchase or make a bright orange (hunter’s orange) safety vest and have your small dog wear it when outside. This will appear as a strange animal to the birds and should keep them away. I have had puppies carried off by hawks, talk about feeling bad that I didn’t think of this first. Also, if any hunters are in the area they will not mistake the dog as a rabbit or other small game. You can buy them at a lot of different pet stores and online. Look in the hunting dog section. As far as coyotes, this will still be a problem. You will need to learn to watch the dog and/or teach it to come in when it hears/smells coyotes. One thing that may work is using coyote urine (sold as a repellent for yards and gardens). Most dogs will be attracted to the smell, others can be taught to be wary and stay away from it. It involves teaching the dog to associate the smell with something unpleasant.
Any one have a lead on long term shelf life for dog food? Vacum seal in jars ? SHTF and I will want to have my dogs . They hear and smell better and can let you know when someones trying to sneak up or in!
as far as i know theres no shelf life on dry dog food as long as it dont get damp or moldy it will continue to dry out and get crumbly but they still eat it ive got 3 months ahead on dog food and figure by then they will be eating scraps and left overs rite now im just rotating my dog food out so its fresh my anatolian shepherd will of course eat anything thats not nailed down at 6 months old he would call coyotes in and kill them then eat half when my paw had him in the chicken yard but he would also lay down n eat a rooster every couple of months i did some research n found out thats how they are fed they are bred to guard sheep n they are allowed to eat one every so often as where they come from the dogs are worth more than the sheep dont figure
Dog food is one of the most complete and transporable foods you can get, even for humans. One trick is to use a pair of panty hose filled with the cheapest ground coffee you can get. Tie the ends off so it doesn’t fall out, and throw it on top of the dog food, sugar, salt, gun cabinet…. whatever you don’t want to absorb moisture. Works pretty well, non-toxic, cheap, and you can always make it into coffee.
I keep at least a years supply of dry dog food for my dogs. They are Rottweilers so it’s A LOT of food. I couldn’t find large enough vacuum sealer bags for the larger bags of food so I bought several of those bags you see in catalogs and on TV that take a comforter and make it suck down to real small. I place as many bags of food into it as I can, throw in a couple of oxygen absorbers and use my vacuum to suck the air out. I then make sure to rotate stock. The bags are reusable too. Even with a years supply on my shelves no bag ever seems to sit for more than six months. I have talked with my vet about this and they say that my dogs’ shiny coats and no health issues proves that my method is good. Figure a uears supply by tracking how much your dog eats in a week, multiply it by 52 weeks and there you have it. Remember, if they are “working” harder and under more stress they will need more calories than usual so stock extra if you can.