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This post is full of tips for adding pet supplies to your 72 hour kit.
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Pets & 72 Hour Kits
I don’t have pets, so this is a tough one for me. But for many, pets are nearly as dear to them as children, and it is very important to be prepared for them! Many of the first aid items you’ve already packed could be used to help your pet as well. Here are a few suggestions. And there are LOTS of fabulous additional tips in the comments section. If you have pets you’ve love, make sure to read the comments!
- Food (preferably dry for the longer shelf life)
- Treats
- Small bowls for them to eat drink from
- Litter
- A favorite blanket
- A favorite toy
- Plastic bags for waste
- Muzzle (may be more prone to biting if scared)
- Medication they may need
- Leash
- Pet first aid manual
- A stake to secure leash to if you can’t hold them
- Sedatives (in case of uncontrollable fear of loud noises, etc. Thanks to reader, Rachel for suggesting this.)
- Pet carrier (obviously wouldn’t fit in your kit, but have one nearby. Thanks to reader Shauna for suggesting this.)
- Flea & tick treatments (Thanks to reader Sharon for this tip.)
Becky is a wildlife enthusiast and pet and livestock care expert with a diploma in canine nutrition. With over a decade of experience in animal welfare, Becky lends her expertise to Simple Family Preparedness through insightful info about pets, livestock, bee keeping, and the practicalities of homesteading.
We have 3 GIANT (220 LBS, 175 LBS, and 125 LBS) dogs that we are prepped for. They each have a BOB of their own. We special-ordered their back-packs since they needed XXL to fit them. They have each been trained to carry their own packs, which they think is fun. They each have 3 days of food and water, Benadryl, waste bags, thermal blankets, collapsible bowls, and mini first-aid kits. The water is that emergency water so it is fairly compact and easy for them to carry. I don’t know what others plan to do, but this is what I have done for mine. At least if we had to get out, I would be able to feed them long enough to get out of the urban sprawl then they could forage for food.
Wow Laura. Way to go!
I know this may sound different but if anyone ends up in a bind. Keep dawn dish washing detergent available. It will kill fleas instantly with one use.
Love that tip Jessica! Thanks!
We have a small West Highland Terrier – and I’m ashamed to say I never thought to pack anything for him. We are blessed that he is a very laid back, carefree dog, so we would likely keep it simple – his dry food in a Ziploc, a few of his treats in a mini Ziploc, a collapsible water container that we already have (grabbed it at the dollar store), leash and collar (with extra contact info attached to it in case he runs away – we obviously wouldn’t be around for someone to get ahold of us!).
We also have an awesome “pet tent” made by Animal Planet that folds flat. Its a great alternative to a hard plastic carrier. We keep it in the car, but I doubt we would take it if we were on foot.
We also have harsh winters, so I’d bring along doggie booties and a sweater for the winter time.
We have 2 smaller dogs. I will be adding extra dry dog food (one is on prescription food so that is pretty important) and then 2 carriers next to our packs. If we need to walk a distance, I know that both dogs will not make it. We will have to carry them and a pet carrier (It’s like a large purse) will be extremely helpful!! 2 extra leashes as well.
I have 2 labs and we will try to get dog food for them !
Our dog is a larger breed (Plott hound – Lab mix) so he’s OK with a bit of work. We work with him constantly when we go hiking so he’s used to carrying a pack and he actually carries his own first aid, food, water and collapsible bowl. Inside his pack I made a pocket that carries his shot record and important phone numbers like his vet.
I need to pack some mini mice in my cat’s bin. They are her favorite toy and I know they would make her feel more at home.
We have two dogs and two chickens. So, I make sure to have plenty of backup dry food on hand as well as carriers for both of the dogs. I like the idea of the stake in case I can’t hold them… thanks! I also have backup food for the chickens and a large dog crate for the two of them in case we need to move them as well.
We no longer have any pets, so I will go back and see if there is anything else pressing that I need to add to our kit 🙂
My husband and I have an older Sheltie dog who is a devoted member of our family. Just like some humans, our pets may need regular prescriptions as well. I always make sure that I maintain an adequate supply of his thyroid medicine ready for him in case there is an emergency. After all, he has been a loyal companion to us for many years. He deserves to feel well also.
We don’t have pets but my daughter does. She rarely needed to have her dogs in the car and discovered that one of them freaked out. She solved this by regular short indoctrination rides, benedryl to reduce his anxiety and lots of positive reinforcement. Now if the dog needs to ride in the car it is no longer a major traumatic event and she no longer uses the benedryl (but keeps some handy just in case).
It’s good that you don’t have to think about that, Misty. My cats have added a lot to my life & I do have prep supplies for them. But, if we had to leave on foot, I’m not sure what we would do. Something I’m still thinking about since the last time you posted this one. I love my animals, they’re part of my family. They are not de-clawed and I let them out in the yard everyday (amazingly, they do stay in the yard!). They have brought me “gifts” on occasion, so I’m confident that they’d be able to fend for themselves. I would hate to leave them, but I realize that in some situations, it may not be possible to bring them. I know to some people that may sound awful. Just trying to be realistic.
Just to clarify: Since cats aren’t like dogs, they won’t follow you easily. That said, it would have to be an extreme situation for me to leave my cats. I would make sure that they had access to water & shelter & leave what food I had for them. At this point, I wish I had leash-trained them when they were young. I’m just not sure I could handle a carrier & a backpack. Clearly, I’m concerned about this. But since I live by my faith, I have to leave it in His hands.
Deb, my cat is my baby too. She was orphaned at a day old and I hand fed & raised her so she is attached to us and vice versa so there’s no way I would leave her behind. I also have an outside kitty but she is a hunter so I know that she would be okay if I left her.
I know you posted this a while back but in case you do see this I wanted to let you know the solution that I came up with. I found these soft carriers and I thought I could carry my backpack and this carrier across my shoulder. https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3261+2053+27171&pcatid=27171. I’m a single mom so my bob bag will be loaded so it would be heavy carrying both but I’m in shape enough to do it. And I plan on putting pet supplies in the pockets so it will do double duty. They also make a backpack carrier for pets: https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3261+16901+19228&pcatid=19228. Not sure how you would manage to carry this and your bob bag if you had to walk. I had thought about this one and having my kids alternate carrying it while I carried their smaller packs so that could be an option if you have someone else to help. Or I think this one is perfect if a car is going to be available,
I would really like to find one that is a front carrier that wouldn’t interfere with my backpack but until then I’m prepping the best I can. My cat isn’t leash trained either but I still have a lease and harness to put on her just in case something happens and I need them. Hopefully you see this and it gives you some ideas.
If you pet will wear a pet vest they can carry most of their stuff themselves. Great space saver when you need it the molst
I have a dog that I have prepared for. I didn’t think of a ground stake though. Good idea.
Thanks.
Cat carriers on my list now, thanks!
We do not have any pets but I know how important they are to other families! So while I won’t be adding pet products to my kit I did get a great deal on some fire starters so I will be adding those to my kit this week!
Hello! We are jus beginning our 72 hour kits for our family of 6, so this week I got 6 backpacks and 3 cases of bottled water. Thanks for breaking this down and making it manageable. (=
Lots of good tips in the comments, love it. I did stock up on some the shelf reliance Mayday emergency dog/cat food. It’s Inexpensive, compact and has a 5 year shelf life. Hopefully, we’ll never have to evacuate with four dogs, a cat, a chinchilla and our chickens but if we did we do have enough crates and carriers to do it. I need to remember to add vaccination information to our emergency binder. Thanks.
I’m new to prepping. My son and I have been bonding over it! I’m loving it! We have 2 dogs and a cat. Our “old boy” takes 2 medications twice daily. I’ve called the vet to get a larger supply of meds so we can have extras to pack. I’m going to keep an extra bag of food for the dogs and for the cat, along with litter in our home. I will also pack a BOB just for the animals. I’m going to follow your list and make sure they will be all set, too! Love my 4 legged babies as much as my 2! Thanks for doing this. It’s changed the way I think!
We don’t have a pet, but we do have plans to reorganize the pantry this week.
No pets means no pet supplies for me to add this week. I will use this week to rotate out some of the food that is nearing its expiration date.
food, water, medicine, leashes, crates/carriers, blankets, am wanting to get a a backpack for dogs so they can help carry stuff AND if get time have thought may want to train them to pull a cart of sorts.. then they could help carry more stuff haha…
All we have are four chickens. We would not try to bring them along if we had to evacuate. I’m not sure what we would do with them. Something to think about.
We have a lot to do in this area, but I do have an extra leash for our dog and pet carriers for our cats. I need to get a pack for their stuff.
I have spent a lot of time trying to decide what to do with “The Beast” in an emergency situation. We have a Great Dane who eats 10 cups of food daily and drinks a large amount of water. If we had to evacuate by car, we are OK, but evacuating on foot would be more difficult. Initially, we thought we would just release him. Then after much thought and planning we decided we would bring him along if he could carry his own supplies. He would also offer great protection for our family. Here is our list:
– Polar fleece lined coat
– Dog backpack
– Food for 3 days packed in individual serving baggies
– Water (Not a lot. We figure he can usually find his own water source….he does drink out of the toilet, after all)
– Collapsible water and food bowls
– Mushers Secret (balm to protect feet, cut, wounds, etc)
– Treats
– Collar/leash/harness
– Emergency blanket (to lay on or cover up, if needed)
– Rain poncho (to keep his pack dry if raining)
– Baggies for dog droppings
– Microchip info
– Copy of shot records
– Copies of flyers with photo and contact info in case he gets separated from us
– His pack has a laminated tag with DOB, shot records, allergy info, microchip info and our contact info in case he gets lost
I also have extra carabiners in case we need to attach something to his pack for him to carry for us like an extra pair of shoes. The Beast is probably most prepared in our family. LOL!