Quick answer: Pets should be part of the household emergency plan from the beginning. Keep a portable pet layer with food, drinking water, bowls, medications, medical records, identification, waste supplies and a carrier or leash. Know where you can evacuate with them.
If you evacuate, plan to take pets
The Red Cross advises that if it is not safe for you to remain, it is not safe for pets either. Identify pet-friendly hotels, boarding options, friends or family along likely evacuation routes. Shelter arrangements can vary by event and location.
Build a portable pet kit
- food your pet normally eats
- drinking water and bowls
- medications and copies of veterinary records
- sturdy leash, harness and/or carrier
- litter, waste bags and cleaning supplies
- recent photos of you with the pet
- feeding schedule, medical and behavior information
- veterinarian contact details
- comfort item or small toy if practical
Add pet water to the household calculation
Do not assume the one-gallon-per-person human benchmark automatically covers animals. Add your pet’s normal consumption and additional needs for heat or illness. For unusual species or medical conditions, ask the veterinarian for an appropriate reserve target.
Keep food familiar
Emergency week is a bad time to switch diets. Rotate stored pet food so the reserve remains fresh and matches what the animal normally eats. If canned food is used, include a manual opener when needed.
Identification needs redundancy
Keep collar tags current and update microchip contact information when you move or change phone numbers. A recent photo of the pet—and ideally a photo of you together—helps with identification if you are separated.
Practice the carrier before an emergency
Many cats and small animals resist carriers they see only before veterinary visits. Leave carriers accessible periodically and practice calm loading. Large dogs should be comfortable with a leash or harness used for evacuation.
Medication and medical records
Keep a written medication list with doses, veterinary contacts and relevant conditions. Store drugs according to veterinary and label instructions; not every medication belongs in a hot vehicle or garage kit.
Plan for power-dependent pet needs
Aquariums, heated habitats and other animal systems can depend on electricity. Identify safe short-term backup methods and how quickly loss of temperature, filtration or aeration becomes dangerous for the species you keep.
After a disaster
The Red Cross notes that animals can become disoriented or behave differently after a disaster. Damaged fences, debris, chemicals and changed scent markers can create hazards. Keep pets under direct control until the environment is secure.
What to do next
Pack the carrier/leash, records and three days of pet essentials together now. Then identify two realistic places you could go with the animal if your home were not safe.
Do not forget sanitation for animals
Waste bags, litter, absorbent material and cleaning supplies become more important when outdoor access is restricted or normal garbage service stops. Keep pet waste away from food and drinking-water storage.
For cats, include enough litter and a portable pan if evacuation is realistic.
Transportation must match the animal
A carrier that fits a kitten may not fit the adult cat years later. Harnesses, crates and vehicle restraints should be checked as animals grow or age.
Large or multiple animals can require earlier evacuation because transport takes longer.
Keep a backup caregiver
Identify a nearby person who could access and care for pets if an emergency occurs while you are away from home. Provide clear instructions and a way to find the carrier, food and medication.
This is especially important for commuters and households where animals are alone during the day.
Species-specific planning
Birds, reptiles, fish and small mammals can have temperature, oxygenation or transport needs that differ substantially from dogs and cats. Use veterinarian or species-specific animal-welfare guidance for those systems.
Do not assume a generic pet go-bag covers every animal.
Frequently asked questions
How many days of pet food should I store?
Use the same progressive approach as household food: a portable short-term layer and a deeper home reserve. Rotate the food so it remains the same diet your pet normally eats.
Do shelters accept pets?
Policies vary. The Red Cross advises planning pet-friendly destinations in advance; service animals are treated differently from household pets. Check local arrangements before you need them.
What pet documents should be in the kit?
Keep veterinary contacts, medication information, medical records, identification details and recent photos. Waterproof or otherwise protect copies that may travel with the evacuation kit.
Bottom line
Good preparedness is not about maximizing gear. Use authoritative guidance as the baseline, adapt it to your household and local hazards, and maintain the supplies often enough that they are ready when needed.
Build the pet plan around evacuation first
In many disasters the hardest pet problem is not food; it is transportation and shelter. Keep a carrier or leash accessible, confirm that identification is current and know which hotels, shelters, friends or boarding facilities can accept the animal. Do not assume every public shelter will accept pets in the same area as people.
Store a portable pet supply layer
Keep several days of familiar food, drinking water, bowls, medications, waste supplies and a recent photo together. For cats and small animals, the carrier itself should be easy to reach. For larger animals, include sturdy leashes, harnesses and any restraint equipment normally used safely.
Medication and veterinary information
Keep a current medication list, dosing instructions, veterinarian contact information and vaccination records where they can travel with the pet. If medication requires refrigeration or special handling, include it in the household power and relocation plan instead of treating it as a separate pet issue.
Plan for stress and behavior changes
Animals can behave differently during alarms, smoke, storms or unfamiliar sheltering conditions. Use secure carriers or leashes before opening doors. Include familiar bedding or a small comfort item when practical, but prioritize safe control and identification.
Water needs deserve their own calculation
Pet water is additional to the human household reserve. Size the amount according to the animal, climate and veterinary needs rather than guessing. Keep a little extra for cleaning bowls or medication administration when needed.
Do not leave evacuation decisions too late
Moving pets takes more time than moving only people. If local authorities issue evacuation instructions, act early enough to load animals safely. Keep the vehicle or transport plan ready during predictable hazard seasons.
After the event
Watch for contaminated standing water, damaged fences, sharp debris and displaced wildlife before allowing pets to roam. Restore normal food gradually if routines were disrupted, and contact a veterinarian when an animal shows injury, unusual lethargy or other concerning symptoms.
A simple pet-kit checklist
- food and water
- bowls and manual opener if needed
- medications
- carrier, leash or harness
- ID and recent photo
- vaccination and veterinary information
- waste bags, litter or bedding
- basic cleaning supplies
Assign one person to each pet during evacuation
In a rushed evacuation, vague responsibility creates delay. Decide in advance who grabs the carrier, who handles medication and records, and who checks that gates, doors or crates are secure. If the household may split between two vehicles, decide which animal travels in which vehicle before an emergency.
Prepare for shelter-in-place as well as evacuation
Pets may need to remain indoors for hours or days during smoke, severe weather or infrastructure failures. Keep enough familiar food, litter or waste supplies, cleaning materials and medication to maintain routine without relying on an immediate store trip. For animals sensitive to heat or cold, include them in the same temperature and relocation thresholds used for people.
Microchip and contact details are only useful when current
Check that tags and microchip registration point to a current phone number and address. Keep a recent photo showing distinctive markings and, where practical, a photo of the owner with the pet. That helps with identification if animals become separated during evacuation or temporary sheltering.
Practice loading before an emergency
A carrier stored in an attic or an animal that has never entered its crate voluntarily can slow evacuation dramatically. Practice calm loading and short transport trips. Keep carriers, leashes and harnesses in predictable places rather than buried behind seasonal storage.
Keep a backup caregiver plan
If nobody in the household can get home, a trusted nearby person may need to reach the pet. Decide who that is, make sure they know where supplies and carriers are kept, and give them only the access information they genuinely need. This matters especially during workday evacuations or sudden road closures.
Write that person’s contact information into the household emergency plan and review the arrangement whenever you move or change caregivers.