Being prepared for a disaster in any town is always important. There should be a kit for your family and then a kit for your cat(s). In the Phoenix area, the biggest disaster threats are flash flooding, monsoonal winds, and home fires. AJ Meadows, of Animal Planet’s Animal Cops: Phoenix fame, runs Power to the Paw, LLC, a disaster relief organization in Phoenix. “Practice evacuating your pets, this will help everyone in the long run. I recently moved and had to transport my animals from one residence to the other. Because of this, I learned things about my cats that I didn't know. I realized that my older cat, Mya, pooped and urinated all over herself because of the stress. By realizing this, I quickly added two packages of flush-able wipes into my disaster bin,” she said. It is important to note that cats feed off of our behavior and the more prepared we all our for a disaster, the less stressful it will be for everything involved.
The organization provided a list of items needed for an essential cat disaster kit for Phoenix cat families that includes:
· Identification Tag - provide name of pet, your name and if possible include two separate contact numbers
· Collars/Harnesses/Leashes
· Microchip Information
· Rabies/Shot Certificate
· Vet Records
· Medications/Water Proof Pouch for medicine
· List of boarding facilities nearby
· Photos of your animals including yourself in picture. Make sure date is displayed properly on camera
· “Lost Pet” flyers and duct tape
· Food (specialty food/dry and wet) - water
· Bowls, blankets, toys, chew toys
· First Aid book, gauze and other medical supplies
· Cable system for secure tie out
· Litter, scoops, boxes and cat food
“Have a separate crate for each cat you own available. Keep a clean blanket inside at all times, this way you're prepared. Your cats may get along together during quiet times, but crating more than one together could be stressful for them in times of trouble,” she said. If your cat(s) take medication it is always important to have an extra month of their medication(s) in the disaster kit because you never know when you could get to the vet or pharmacy to fill it up again. Another place you can look for disaster information is the ASPCA website.
“REMEMBER: Animals can't speak for themselves, you have to be fully prepared to do it for them during times of trouble,” AJ said.
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