Building a custom emergency pet kit is crucial, especially when you have multiple furry companions. It takes much longer to evacuate or prepare for an emergency, so National Preparedness Month is the perfect time to take action. At Pet Evac Pak, we understand the challenges and are committed to ensuring the safety of your pets during unforeseen crises. We have even created a custom “build your own” kit on our website that will guide you through the process of assembling your pack. There are helpful notes along the way to assist you in determining what you might need. At checkout, you have a final chance to make any adjustments that you might need. Have fun with it! It’s kind of like building a car.
When you have multiple pets it’s important to stay informed and leave early if you need to evacuate.
Items for your pets emergency kit should include:
Food & Water – Start by determining your pets’ approximate weights to calculate the necessary amounts of food and water. Aim for at least 72-hours-worth, and remember to regularly check expiration dates and rotate supplies. When it comes to water, a healthy pet will drink ½ to 1 ounce of water per pound of body weight per day. For example a 20-pound dog would need 10 to 20 ounces of water per day or 30 to 60 for that 72 our period. Plastic bottles come with a one-year shelf life while emergency drinking water comes with 5 or more depending on how it’s packaged. Most kibble only has a 6 month to 1 year shelf life and can go bad within a few weeks once the bag is opened. Mayday dog food has a 5-year shelf life and comes in 8-ounce foil sealed bags for freshness.
Bowls – Each pet should have separate bowls for food and water, especially if they are going to be crated separately.
ID Tags – Ensure that your pets are wearing ID tags, or include small ID tags in your kit along with a marker for easy identification.
Collars and Leashes – It’s wise to have collars and leashes ready, or even slip leads for quick exits.
Documentation – including copies of vaccination records, and any other important documentation.
Medications – Maintain at least five days’ worth of your pet’s medications for each of your pets.
First Aid Supplies – All great evacuation kits should have basic first aid supplies to handle minor first aid needs. Make sure what you put in them is labelled pet safe.
Waste Management – For dogs it’s pretty simple a roll or two of poop bags will do the trick, but for cats make sure you have a litterbox, litter and scoop in your kit. Most cats don’t like to share so make sure you have one for each cat.
LED Night Light – Try to have one for each pet. This is always a good item to have in your kit incase you have to leave in the middle of the night. A clip-on LED light or collar can help you keep track of your pet.
Additional items to consider are treats, toys, grooming supplies and blankets.
Once you get all your items for your custom emergency pet kit laid out it’s time to decide what type of bag or suite case all this will fit in and where will it be stored. Think about getting out will your pets and their supplies. If you only have one or two pets a backpack is perfect for keeping your hands free to managing your pets, kids or other items. A roller bag is usually larger and will handle more emergency supplies for multiple pets. Once you get this all together and depending on what type of emergency is prone to your area, you need to find a cool dry place to store it. If you worry about tornadoes then you might look for an interior room or basement to store your kit. If you are worried about Hurricanes or Wildfires then a closet near your front door might be the spot for you.
Don’t forget to grab your pet’s crates when bugging out because you don’t know where you might have to stay and for their safety you want to make sure they are secure.
Preparing your emergency kit now can make all the difference in a crisis; don’t wait until it’s too late. Trust in Pet Evac Pak to help you safeguard your beloved pets, ensuring you’re ready for any situation that may arise.
