New tips for pet preparedness in hurricane season.
For those of us who might have been in denial: It's pretty clear that we indeed are in the heart of hurricane season now, with Gustav heading toward the Gulf Coast and Hannah barreling through the Atlantic.
Does your family hurricane plan include your pets? And if you have to evacuate, to you have somewhere to go that will take your animals, too?
The FloridaPets Web site is a great resource, with information about pet-friendly hotels (a SSS! reader previously mentioned the La Quinta chain) and emergency shelters that allow dogs and cats. Click here to take a look. It also includes a good hurricane checklist for pet owners.
And I would be interested in hearing from any SSS! readers about their disaster planning tips that get left off the usual list.
Post them in the comments and I'll compile a list.
Here are two of mine:
* Take a minute as you prepare for the storm and vacuum your house well. If you lose power for a week or two, the pet hair is going to pile up pretty fast. You'll be better off if you start with a clean floor.
* If you have cats, they may have to stay in their cage or crate for several days. So get one big enough to accomodate a small litter box. We have one made for a large dog that folds flat when not in use, and I'm buying another one today.
Stay safe!
ANGIE BRENNAN, a Sun-Sentinel page designer,
lives with four dogs and one boyfriend. And has a lifetime of animal stories to share.
DIANE LADE, a reporter on the Sun-Sentinel's Help Team, has lived with cats, dogs, reptiles, fish, an iguana, and an armadillo.
CYNDI METZGER, editor of the Sun-Sentinel's Outlook section, is smitten with Bella, her poodle who regularly ignores requests to sit, stay and get off the ivory-colored sofa. 
JOHN TANASYCHUK, a Sun-Sentinel lifestyle writer, has lived with cats as long as he can remember. He and his partner currently share their home with three.
Comments
Great tip about vacuuming before the storm. We would suggest the same for doing the laundry, especially towels. Pets get wet and dirty during/after a storm and so does the house. You may not be able to do laundry (no power, backed-up plumbing) until days later. Great checklist at Florida Pets. Here is the Super Cool Pets list.
Posted by: Super Cool Pets | August 29, 2008 1:35 PM
Even if a Cat. 5 were headed at us, I can't ever foresee evacuating. It just seems to me being at the southern end of the state and evacuating north, just continues to keep you in the path.
That said though I also have 5 large collapsible dog crates, enough that I could contain 15 cats for a short period. There aren't exactly any easy solutions with so many cats.
My worst case scenario, I've always thought if I did have to evacuate, or the house was unlivable, I'd pick up a decent used travel trailer. I could tow it behind my truck or park it on the property. Either way it would give me temporary housing for them.
It'd be interesting to hear any other ideas from people with a lot of pets.
Posted by: KCK | August 29, 2008 4:54 PM
Facing a Cat 5 with 15 cats? You are a brave person, KCK! You would need a trailer.
My biggest fear is that we will be frantically trying to leave and we won't be able to get Frances Jeanne in a crate. You have to move mountains just to get her to the vet. And I never would leave her behind.
Posted by: DianeL | August 29, 2008 6:31 PM
Maybe I'm crazy, but I don't think VACUUMING is a priority when a natural disaster is on the way. We have several cats, and there's no "pile" of hair anywhere even without vacuuming for a few months. Don't worry too much about the cats and dogs anyway. Animals have much better intuition than humans and know how to protect themselves.
Posted by: Billy | September 2, 2008 2:15 PM
Do cats even shed? I believe the article suggested vacuuming for owners of dogs who shed. Long-haired dogs do leave lots of hair on carpets. My short-haired dog leaves hair on my tile floors and carpet all the time. His vet says it's the warm weather that makes him shed like this. It's a wonder he's not bald. :-)
Posted by: Taylorblue | September 2, 2008 3:24 PM
Actually, I would say I recommend vacuuming for anyone who has any animal that sheds. I wouldn't say it's a "priority" -- you obviously need to put up your shutters, get your water and batteries and secure your home before you worry about vacuuming.
But I have to say: We have two cats and the long-haired one, Dolan, always has been a big shedder. I had not done much house cleaning before Hurricane Wilma arrived -- and we lost power for three weeks. By the time the electricity was back on, I could have combed the rugs and knitted another cat.
Posted by: DianeL | September 2, 2008 4:19 PM
Here is a great resource:
http://www.ohbehavedogtraining.com/hurricaneprep.htm
Posted by: Dawn | September 14, 2008 1:39 PM