Service Cats U.S.

Meowllo evewypawdy, hope yous havin’ a gweat day. Weez gunna be writin’ a little educational posty today, but furst, we wanted to hold off till we knew whedder or not we wuz gunna be able to get sumfin’ dun ‘bout da tire and make it to Lexi’s pointment. So here’s where weez at, Weez not makin’ sissy’s pointment today as da caw still has no tire. We hav wescheduled hers pointment fur Fursday afternoon. Fanks to awnty Anonymous and awnty Karen we have ordered a new tire and it will be here tomowwo. Nopawdy wound here actually carries tires in their shops; they hav to order evewyfin’. But da tire has been ordered, so weez on ow way to getting’ fixed up. Mommy knew da tires on da caw awen’t very good and purrawlly needed weplacin’ sooner than later, so weez will have to figger sumfin’ out to do them one at a time as a new tire costs $99.99. Dat’s da cheapest quote we kuld get. It’s pawsible Walmart has them cheaper, but ifin you can’t get there it dusn’t matter ifin they be furee, yous can’t take advantage of their purrice. So we hope to not get in this boat again and weplace ‘em slowly so maybe we can get sumwhere cheaper nex time. Da manager’s alweady been down here wantin’ to know when da caw is gunna be fixed cuz we be in violation of ow lease.

Is dat da manager? Let me at ‘er.

This is one of da many weasons mommy had hoped we kuld find a ride or went a caw to go to BlogPaws. We know it’s kinda silly fur us to fink dat poor peeps like us on a fixed income kuld even go to sumfin’ as pawsum as BlogPaws, but weez still holdin’ out hope dat sumfin’ happens and we get to go.  

 

So the educational part of our post starts now. Most of you know this has been a strange winter, and bad in a lot of places. The spring and summer usually bring tornadoes and fires in our part of the country. So if things turned bad and you had to evacuate your home in an instant because of an emergency, are you prepared? And would you have what you needed for your furry family members? Or is everything strewn about your home and in the cabinets where it belongs? And have you thought about what you might need in an emergency?  The most important thing to remember is that it’s better to evacuate with your pets than to hope they survive and you’ll be reunited once the storm/emergency clears. Think of all those poor animals left behind in recent years. Some of those animals still haven’t been reunited with their families, and some didn’t make it at all. You don’t want that to be your furry family member.  

The first thing you should look for is shelters that take both you and your pet. Everybody’s going to be on edge, and your pet would be far more comfortable with you than in a cage. But in a bind, you should know appropriate boarding facilities and their requirements. Most if not all shelters/boarding facilities require your pet be up to date on all vaccinations. Then you need to think about catching your furry family. Most animals, cats especially, hide when they hear storms or sirens, etc.. You need to work with them when weather is good to be sure you can get them in a carrier which is safest for all concerned in an emergency situation. So keeping your carrier in the top back of the closet isn’t really the best place for it. It should be easily accessible. And something your pet at least tolerates. You can help your pets get comfortable by using the crate when feeding or playing and for going somewhere other than the Vet every once in a while. Maybe throw in a favorite toy, blanket or bed. Or even better a piece of clothing worn by you. Unwashed of course, you want your scent to be on it. It goes without saying, but you should swap out the item of clothing every once in a while so the scent stays fresh.

 

Now that you’ve got Fluffy or Fido into the carrier what else do you need? Just as you need a first aid kit for the humans in your family, you should have one for your furry family members as well. And it should be stored in an accessible area, ideally close to the carrier(s) you intend to use. And you need a bag packed with the essentials your pet might need for at least 2 weeks. That means everything your pet uses on a daily basis should be in that bag. Food, does your pet need a special diet? Or are they extremely finicky? During a time like this your pet is already stressed, don’t add to it by changing their diet if at all possible. Do they take medicine for any illnesses? Unless they have to be refrigerated, you should have an extra supply in the first aid kit. We will give you a list of other items for your kit shortly. If they do need refrigeration, you should have an extra supply in an easily grabbable baggie and an ice pack kept cold and ready at all times. Something a lot of people don’t think about is WATER. Water isn’t the same even in your own town, so you need to have a gallon or two of the water you give your pet daily on hand. Sometimes pets won’t drink water from somewhere else. And it could also upset their tummies. Always remember, your pet is already stressed; do everything you can to make this less stressful for them by keeping those things you can control as normal as possible. Taking water on trips with your pets is a good habit to get into. (mommy’s personal experience)  

 

Now you’ve got your carrier, food, water and  medicines, what else could you possibly need, right? I.D.. Your furry family member should have identification in the event you get separated. Tags are great, but remember they can get lost or taken off. Micro-chipping is the most popular method of identification these days. Sis Lexi also has a tattoo. This was popular when she was young. It can be found in the right ear of cats and right above the tight thigh on the belly of dogs and usually consists of a letter and 3 numbers. Usually the areas with the least amount of fur. We are both micro-chipped as well. But if you don’t keep your information up to date, it does no good. So check it every once in a while. And if possible when you have more than one animal try to keep them registered at the same place. Lexi was micro-chipped years before me, and so her chip is registered with a different company. But the company me be registered with, PetLink, let us add sis Lexi’s chip number and profile with them for a very minimal 1 time fee. So if your furries have a microchip make sure they’re registered and the information stays updated. You should also put your pets and your information on their carriers along with an emergency contact number that is out of your area. It’s also a good idea to keep a copy of your pets vaccination records and any special instructions either with the carrier or in your first aid kit. Remember to keep current copies of these and destroy the old ones.

 

So we keep talking about a first aid kit and you want to know what should be in it. This is probably not a comprehensive list, so you might want to check with your local humane society for any updates or new requirements or products. You should also have a Rescue Alert Sticker on the window or door of your home. You can get one free here. But here’s a list of what’s in ours and some recommendations from PetMD and the ASPCA. You can also buy first aid kits, but being on a fixed income, mommy made ours. Along with the afore mentioned items, you will need to include:

1. Current photos of your pet and any proof of ownership in a plastic baggy. (vet records will suffice)

2. Phone numbers for you, your Vet, and an emergency contact person who is not in your area and might not be affected by your emergency. Phone lines and cell towers may be down.

3. Gauze pads and adhesive tape and/or the sticky wrap

4. Cotton balls and swabs

5. Hydrogen Peroxide  

6. Disposable Gloves  

7. Scissors and tweezers  

8. Antibiotic Ointment and Anti Itch Cream 

9. Oral Syringe and/or Turkey baster 

10. Alcohol  

11. Styptic Powder/Pencil 

12. Claw Clippers  

13. Artificial Tear Gel 

14. Band Aids (mommy keeps a few in our kit for her if she gets bit or clawed while trying to trim claws or care for a wound-they don’t take up that much room) 

Be sure to check your kit every 3 months or so for expired items. Always keep your kit fresh and up to date. 

Here’s a list of other items you will also need to keep near your emergency kit.

1. Disposable litter trays or liners and litter or paper and a scoop. often a hard shell carrier can second as a litter box in a pinch. For really picky cats (like us) mommy recommends a couple of gallon bags of litter so you can spread it out on the paper so kitty feels like they’re using their litter box.

2. Dawn dish soap. It’s a great disinfectant and will cut oil. 

3. Paper towels and/or old wash cloths 

4. Feeding bowls  

5. Extra collar, harness, and leashes. You never know what may happen.  

6. Flashlight 

7. Blankets, pillow cases (for throwing over scared pets and for them to lay on.) 

8. And don’t forget a few of your pets favorite toys.

As we said in the beginning this is not a comprehensive list, but as close to it as we can get. If your pet is something other than a cat or dog, you may need additional items. But remember, your pet should be evacuated with you if at all possible. You wouldn’t leave your 2 year old child behind, so why would you leave your pet?!! Yes we will be stressed, but we would be far more stressed without you. And if you admit it to yourself, you’ll be a lot more stressed worrying about how we’re doing and if we’re still alive.   

Well dat’s it fur today. Hope weez helped ya’ out in purrpawin’ fur an emergency. We hope yous wuld never need to use this infurmation. But mommy sez it’s always better too be purrpared than to be caught wiff yous pants down.  And as a cat scout ow motto is “Be Purrpawed”.

So till da nex time……………………….Be Blest!!!

 

Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses  

Dezi and Lexi

 References we used fur this posty wuz mommy’s own expewiences, and da ASPCA web site which can be found here. We also linked the photo of the Emergency kit to the ASPCA store where it can be ordered.

We also used PetMD which can be found here.

And the Pet carrier photo links to Walmart where it can be purchased.