Preparing Your Fur Family for Severe Weather
Preparing your fur family for severe weather requires planning and preparation. There are many things you can do to keep them safe and make sure the entire family gets through severe weather together.
Our volunteer, Brandi, wrote and compiled a great set of guidelines and resources for everyone. Preparing Your Fur Family for Severe Weather- CATNIP CASA
Brandi mentions some very important statistics to remember for those who live in Texas.
Texas faces many kinds of weather challenges because of its geography and location. For example, Texas experiences record-breaking heat waves; these temperatures can often rise because of climate change. The number of days the temperature can reach over 100 degrees has doubled over the last few decades. This extreme heat is not only dangerous for humans, but it’s often deadly for animals that live outdoors.
No stranger to storms, Texas experiences many hurricanes and tornadoes that cause significant damage to homes, buildings, roads, and power grids. Flooding in urban areas is expected to rise by 50% over the next 15 years from rainstorms and severe flooding. Considering 83.7% of Texas is urban, and 58% of Texan households own at least one pet, it’s important to prepare our homes to protect ourselves and our fur families.
Here are 5 important questions to ask yourself to find out how well you are prepared to help your furry family members during a severe weather event.
- Do you have enough pet carriers to hold the animals in your household? You should ensure you have at least one per animal and can carry them or transport them safely in an emergency.
- Do they need life-sustaining medications? Are medications up to date? If your furry friend requires medications, it’s important to have extra or store them in an easy-to-grab location on your way to safety. Don’t forget the medical records, as well!
- Do you have the necessities ready? The American Red Cross recommends having an emergency kit packed with your pet’s preferred food, drinking water, bowls, cat litter, and a manual can opener.
- Do you have at least one picture of your pet? If your pet runs away, you should have a picture handy to identify them. Remember—animals don’t always understand what is happening and may run to a place they feel safe (even if that isn’t where you want them to stay). Having a printed or digital picture of your animal is important in case they get lost.
- Do you have your pet? The ASPCA found that 47% of pet owners who evacuated left at least one pet at home. That is over 1 in 5 pet owners. “32% of pet owners said they left behind at least one dog, 20% left behind at least one cat, and 8% at least one horse/equine,” according to the ASPCA survey.
There are many more tips and information links in the guide. Please take a few minutes to learn and prepare. Your lives and theirs may depend on it.
Preparing Your Fur Family for Severe Weather- CATNIP CASA
Low Ink Preparing Your Fur Family for Severe Weather- CATNIP CASA
(We offer a low-ink version to make it easy to print and use without wasting ink on photos.)
Understanding the weather risks in your area and being prepared can make all the difference when severe weather strikes you and your fur family. Feel free to share this valuable information with fellow pet owners and let’s keep our pets safe and happy. Stay safe, Texas! 🐶🐱
Note:
You are welcome to download this guide for future reference, print it to use the tips, and share it with friends. We only ask that you don’t post it on other sites and give Catnip Casa Cat Refuge and Brandi proper credit if you quote this work. Other resources and links used in the document may have their own rules. Please contact them directly if you want to use or quote their materials. Thank you.