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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.
Our dog is micro chipped, so his ID number and tag numbers would help along with phone numbers, and a picture too.
When packing dry food for your pets, I would recommend buying a bag that would last for the necessary time (3+ days) and leaving it unopened with your kit. Once you open a bag of dry food, the oils in it will start to turn rancid in 4-6 weeks. Picky eaters will notice the change in taste sooner than “chow hounds”. You could also vacuum seal the food in smaller portions, but this should still be rotated regularly. If you use a zip-lock bag to pack the food, I would recommend rotating it out every month. And since the oils in the food will remain on the inside of the bag, you should use a new bag every time.
Maybe buy/pack collapsible carrier for cats, smaller dogs … Take up less space then traditional … May also one of those collapsible “bag lady” shopping cart things to put the carriers in to make easier to transport … Also depending on type of pets … I have snakes … Maybe pack a large backpack with individual cloth bags to put each smaller animal in … Little plastic carrier for chewer type pets (hamsters, gerbils, rats, etc.)
I plan to put together car kits for each of our cars as soon as I’m through with our main bug-outs, but we like to keep some dog stuff in our cars already. My recent idea was to get plastic pencil boxes (the kind with the fill top) to use as a storage container for the car. When open, the top and bottom can serve as food and water dishes. We can keep a serving of food, some treats, a spare leash and a toy in the container for unexpected use and the whole thing can fit under the seat. I am now thinking I want to do the same thing for the dog’s BOB as a way to keep it all together nicely. 3 days of food won’t fit, but everything else we’ll need should.
Keep pets heartworm meds. Vets name and phone numbers and copy of last vet visit. Pictures of pets. Are they chipped or tattooed. Medical problems
Many great ideas already posted. I have a hearing dog and have an emergency pack for him as well. An idea I did not yet see here is to have collars braided out of paracord in a bright color (I have neon orange). It is just like the survival bracelets for people but in a collar for dogs. I made my own (and braided a spare set of tags onto it) but have seen them for sale at REI. Also a blinking light beacon for attaching to their collar or pack is a good idea, especially for black or dark colored dogs. Hope this helps.
My dog has a paracord collar & leash as well a back up paracord collar incase I need to use one of them. I also suggest a bandana for your pet, tie around their neck and has hundreds of uses, from bandages to water collectors. The pet pack back is also a great idea, just make sure you take them for walks with it on them occasionally so it is not totally uncomfortable for them in an already uncomfortable situation. Thanks for all the awesome advice btw !!