Helping Your Ferret Survive a Disaster
Every year there are devastating disasters that affect not only us, but the lives and wellbeing of our ferrets and other pets. In many areas, the major danger is hurricanes. Other regions deal with tornados or earthquakes. Regardless of what the disaster is, it's essential that you are prepared for it. Being prepared will allow you to care for your ferrets for an extended period of time, and it could save your ferrets' lives.
The most important part of disaster prepardness is to be ready. You never know when a disaster will occur, so there are a number of things that can do to be ready for it.
- Assemble an evacuation kit and a first aid kit for your ferrets
- Make sure you always have ferret carriers or transport cages handy and in good condition
- Have ID tags and harnesses & leads for all of your ferrets
- Keep your ferrets' veterinary records with your evaucation kit
- Assemble proof of ownership information - this includes adoption papers or proofs of purchase, pictures of you with your ferrets, and any other identifying information
- Have a disaster plan complete with your evacuation route
- Have at least three places that you can stay with your ferrets if your home is unhabitable
- Keep a list of emergency phone numbers
- Have emergency cash on hand
- Have alternate sources of water and food for both you and your ferrets
When it comes to preparing for a disaster, you need to make sure that both you and your ferret will be provided for and sheltered. In recent disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina, people were told to leave their pets behind and were assured that they would come back to get them. While you may actually be let back into the disaster area, and of course there is no guarantee that this will happen, your ferret very well may not be able to survive a couple days without you. Ferrets depend heavily on their owners for care, including food and fresh water. Additionally, temperatures over 85°F are dangerous, and if your house loses power during a summer disaster, your ferrets could die of heatstroke within only a few hours.
This is why it's important for you to have a few evacuation sites available. Call around to local hotels to see which one will allow ferrets. Call any friends or family members who live near you but outside the disaster area to ask if you can stay with them. Other places that may board your ferrets include boarding facilities, veterinary clinics, and ferret shelters. Remember that Red Cross shelters do not allow animals!
For more information, read Disaster Preparedness for your Ferret.
