Emergency or Evacuation -how to keep your cat SAFE!

With the sudden and violent storm last night, and with a large percentage of the Fox Valley being without power (including the Fox Valley Cat Clinic), I thought I would share some thoughts about planning ahead for an emergency -be it a tree falling on your roof, a flood affecting your neighborhood, a tornado hitting in your city, or a long term power outage across the Valley ….

• Planning ahead, before a crisis hits, is the KEY. Know where you can go and how you will get there. Make sure your cats are welcome or that you have an alternative location in which to house them.
• If you have to evacuate your home, always take your cats with you. Even if you believe you’ll only be gone for a short time, don’t ever leave your cats behind.
• Prepare an evacuation kit ahead of time.  To help you with this, refer to the AVMA booklet "Saving the Whole Family" on   when an emergency hits.
  
• Prepare a first aid kit, and travel with it if you travel with your cat. Again, refer to
•  "Saving the Whole Family".    Remember that in many parts of northern Wisconsin, veterinary care is difficult to find, especially on a weekend.
• Be sure your cat has Identification. This identification should include rabies and license tags. Forms of ID for cats include tags (with your name, address, and telephone number engraved) and microchips. Ideally, your cat will have both an identification tag and a microchip.  Many emergency shelters will accept pets, but only with documented proof of vaccinations, and an appropriately sized carrier.
• Include your cat’s medical records and other important documents (licenses, etc.) in your evacuation kit.  If your cat is on medication, consider including several days worth of medication in your kit.
• Be sure you have a carrier available to transport and, if necessary, large enough to house each of your cats comfortably.

These are just a few of the more important suggestions provided in the AVMA booklet

  "Saving the Whole Family" .  Remember that if your power is out, medical records including rabies certificates may not be available from your veterinary clinic because they may be affected by the same emergency that may be city wide, or county wide or even larger. 

Please share this information with you pet loving friends.  Together, we can make the world safer for pets!

Dr. Maureen Flatley

Fox Valley Cat Clinic

Menasha, WI