With tornado season well underway in the midwest and southeast and hurricane season about to begin, now is the perfect time to discuss pet preparedness for natural disasters. June is National Pet Preparedness Month, and though we at 1FUR1 hope you never have to use this information, here are some tips to keep you and your pet safe should the worst happen.

1. Prepare an emergency kit.

In a gallon-sized plastic ziploc bag, pack the following things:

• Copies of your medical records and your pet’s medical records, especially immunization records or prescriptions
• Contact information for your vet, local pet-friendly hotels and shelters, your doctor, and out-of-town family and friends who would be willing to take in you and your pet (an address book might be the most organized way to keep this information)
• Your pet’s and your medications (be sure to check this bag regularly and replace the medications if they’ve expired)
• Recent photos of you, your pet, and you with your pet in case “lost” posters have to be made
• Flashlight and batteries

2.  Pack the following things in a sturdy duffel bag

• Put the gallon-sized emergency kit plastic bag
• Seven days’ worth of food and water for you and your pet (as with medications, rotate these regularly if they’ve expired)
• A bowl
• A can opener
• A human-oriented first aid kit with pet painkillers, anti-diarrheal medicine, and antibiotic ointment in it as well (your vet’s office should have these things)
• Leash and collar/cat carrier
• A blanket
• Pet waste collection supplies, such as a disposable aluminum baking pan for a cat litter tray and several plastic bags for collecting dog waste.

Keep the emergency kit in a place in your home where the temperature or moisture doesn’t fluctuate much (so, not the laundry room). Discuss with your family where your home’s “safe space” should be. Ready.gov recommends a small, but large enough to comfortably accommodate your family and pets, room in your home that is on the ground floor and windowless.

Should disaster strike, stay as calm as possible, because pets mirror their humans’ anxiety. Separate cats and dogs, even if they normally get along, because the stress of the situation might cause them to lash out at each other. Post-disaster, try to re-establish your normal routine to ease your pet’s anxiety, as disasters disrupt the familiar sights, sounds and smells of your environment. It is a good idea to keep your pet’s “normal” food in the emergency kit for this reason. From all of us at 1FUR1, stay safe!