10 Emergency Preparedness Tips You May Not Have Considered

Catster has a terrific list of easy-to-do things that can help your pets get through an emergency and includes several tips I hadn’t considered.  These are three I thought were particularly good.

  • Together Tag registers your pet in a national network  and  allows you to have multiple contacts listed.  This means you can have an out-of-state contact in the event that local calls aren’t going through.  Microchips are still important, but getting access to someone with a scanner may be impossible after a disaster.  The Together Tag is more insurance that you’ll be reunited with your pet.
  • Scan or photograph the labels of your pet’s medication and upload to a photo-sharing site.  Be sure to black out your personal information.
  • Make detailed Emergency Instruction cards for your pets—include information on medications, food, who you want to have custody of your pet if your’re incapacitated or killed—and put the cards in a prominent place like the back of your front door.  Consider one for your wallet, so if something happens to you, emergency responders will know your have animals dependent on you.

DIY: Super Sturdy Scratching Post From Concrete Form

This is a pretty easy DIY scratching post for your kitties. It’s a little unusual because the column has a wider diameter than most posts. This is not accidental —the creator of the tutorial noticed her cats preferred scratching on things wider than their shoulders.  The post is also extra tall so kitties have lots of room to stretch and it’s weighted with plaster inside so it’s quite stable.  It’s all topped off with a padded perch at the top.

You should be able to find the supplies at a home improvement store—she even provides the parts # for the hardware.  Nice! The author of a different cat post tutorial (linked to bellow) recommends using 3/8″ Brazilian sisal rope because it’s stronger, but more importantly because it’s less heavily oiled than other sisal rope.)  You might also want to try woven sisal which will shorten the time it takes to cover the post.  (I’ve ordered woven sisal from Natural Abode and been very happy with the product, price, shipping, & customer service.  And no, I’m note connected to the company in any way.)

The tools needed aren’t hard to come by either.  You will need:

  • pencil
  • hand saw
  • screw driver
  • drill with 1/8” bit and 1/2” bit
  • bucket
  • stirring stick for plaster
  • mixing bucket for plaster
  • scissors
  • magnet on a string (for fishing out tools and screws that you drop into the tube)

Don’t miss these other DIY cat trees and scratching posts.

Emergency Preparedness Video

Animals in Emergencies is an excellent video produced by the U.S. Army and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.  There’s a wealth of easily accessible information covered—check it out!

http://youtu.be/dgSE-HwUMtM