PET CARE
Flash flooding, tornadoes, fires, ice storms and power outages, all disasters you need to be prepare for, yet hope never happen. Do you have a plan in place for you and your family when that happens? Does that plan include your pet? When it comes to a disaster, the same rules apply to people and pets: planning ahead of time can save your life and the life of your pet.
Including your pet in your emergency preparedness plan is important. If you have to leave your home for an undetermined amount of time, your pet will need food, water and shelter. Always plan to take your pet with you or have arrangements made ahead of time for your pet’s safe keeping.
Planning and preparation for your family and your pet needs to be in place long before the disaster strikes. It can be done in three simple steps:
This part of the emergency preparedness plan is the most overwhelming but sets the stage for all the other steps. A few things to do now include:
Get your pet’s identification in place. Options for pet identification include:
Put together a disaster kit with supplies you need. This should include:
Seek out safe shelter options that are pet-friendly ahead of time.
When disaster strikes, it is time to put your plan into place! A few things to keep in mind:
Finally, post-disaster side effects may linger for both you and your pet.
Future storms or stressful situations may make your pet anxious or cause them to act abnormal. Keep this in mind and work with your pet during these times. Comforting them or allowing them to be in their safe spot in the house may be best. Don’t escalate the situation by becoming loud or scolding your pet for their actions.
Additional resources that may help you with planning your disaster preparedness plan can be found on the FEMA website.
In the meantime, consider investing in a dog or cat insurance policy to protect your furry family members.
Nothing in this article should be construed as financial, legal or veterinary advice. Please consult your own advisors for questions relating to your and your pet’s specific circumstances.
1 Pet Insurance offered by MetLife Pet Insurance Solutions LLC is underwritten by Independence American Insurance Company (“IAIC”), a Delaware insurance company, headquartered at 485 Madison Avenue, NY, NY 10022, and Metropolitan General Insurance Company (“MetGen”), a Rhode Island insurance company, headquartered at 700 Quaker Lane, Warwick, RI 02886, in those states where MetGen’s policies are available. MetLife Pet Insurance Solutions LLC is the policy administrator authorized by IAIC and MetGen to offer and administer pet insurance policies. MetLife Pet Insurance Solutions LLC was previously known as PetFirst Healthcare, LLC and in some states continues to operate under that name pending approval of its application for a name change. The entity may operate under an alternate, assumed, and/or fictitious name in certain jurisdictions as approved, including MetLife Pet Insurance Services LLC (New York and Minnesota), MetLife Pet Insurance Solutions Agency LLC (Illinois), and such other alternate, assumed, or fictitious names approved by certain jurisdictions.