MetaChat is an informal place for MeFites to touch base and post, discuss and
chatter about topics that may not belong on MetaFilter. Questions? Check the FAQ. Please note: This is important.
23 October 2007
Ok, an apocalyptic event happens - you have to leave your home - what do you do with your pets?
I bring them with me... That's one reason I keep a car despite living in public transit-friendly Chicago. I have a greyhound and a kitty and dammit they are coming with me.
Luckily there are also few natural disasters that are likely to hit Chicagoland.
Well, right now I would say bring them, but I've never been in the situation!
When I do get a dog, I'm going to maintain a carrier for situations like this, but I know that during Katrina, many residents had to flee or be evacuated before they could find their pets and get them into a carrier.
I take them with me and if I am prevented in all circumstances from taking them because it jeopardizes my human loved ones, then I put them down myself and live with it for the rest of my awful fucking life. I'm getting a bigger cat carrier asap.
Depends on the event and the pets. All my pets are hypothetical right now (all except my lice and tapeworm, which I take with me regardless), but if a flood came, I wouldn't worry about my stocked pond, and if a plague of locusts came, my iguana would likely have a field day. Cats and dogs, though, I'd carry with me until I couldn't anymore, then set them free. I have a feeling they'd follow me to the ends of the earth or to heaven if I died, because my imaginary pets are paragons of loyalty and I'm such a good would-be pet owner.
It's shocking how many people died during Katrina and the flooding because they weren't allowed to bring their pets when they evacuated, so they decided to tough it out at home. (I'd probably have done the same- it's a bad idea, in retrospect, but there you go.)
When the rescue efforts finally got started in earnest, I remember Gov. Blanco saying the people WOULD be allowed to bring their pets when they were rescued, and I've since heard of this being done in other, post-Katrina evacuations. I think that's exactly as it should be. Yeah, it's extra work and makes some of the logistics harder, but it saves human lives as well as those of their animal companions.
I actually had a plan for this when I had a cat. If I had to run out of the house in an emergency, I would have put her in a pillow case. It is likely that the pillow case, if I had no time to remove it, would still have contained a pillow, but she still would have fit and I could presumably remove the pillow at some point to give her room. Cats who are scared often like to be inside dark, enclosed places like pillow cases, and she still would have been able to breathe, and I wouldn't have to worry about her getting away from me (this plan was more for a fire situation than an apocalyptic one, so I don't really have any thoughts on post-apocalyptic pet care).
people WOULD be allowed to bring their pets when they were rescued ... Yeah, it's extra work and makes some of the logistics harder
In a Katrina-esque apocalyptic situation, resources are limited. There's no question of some extra resources coming from thin air to rescue people's pets: every minute of a rescuer's time spent manhandling an Alsatian onto a coach (or, worse, a rubber dinghy?) is a minute less to spend on rescuing people. If pets were allowed then, yes, there may be cases of people being saved because they wouldn't go without their pets, but given that the number of people to whom this applies is much smaller than the total number of pet-owners, it must be a second-order effect. Therefore, there's a very real danger of there being a net loss of human lives because of this policy.
That's why dogs are easier than cats in some circumstances. Both mine will happily jump in the car on any excuse and given an apocalyptic event, they'll be right there, shedding all over the back seat like usual. Of course, then they'll want to go walkies right in the middle of the apocalypse, and they might pee on the Four Horsemen, because they're bad like that, but them's the breaks.
I was just listening to them talk about this on the news this morning. A family in San Diego was unexpectedly evacuated in the middle of the night due to the fire storms. This was a "you have to leave NOW" situation, so there was no way for them to make arrangements for their dogs, cats, and fish. They left the door open, and hoped for the best. The apartment burned down.
If at all possible they'd go with us. All of our pet carriers are in the house (two smaller cat carriers and one larger dog carrier) and easy to get to. One of the kittens in each of the smaller carriers and the two adults would go in the dog carrier. Kaylee would be on her leash. We would pull out the rear bench seat in the Jeep and the carriers would go there with whatever supplies we'd take with us (camping & fishing gear is in one place and easy to get to).
If we couldn't take them with us - I don't know what we'd do. Let them loose? Leave them behind with easy access to food and water (fill sinks and bathtub)? Euthanize them (we have a rifle)?
I hope we never have to make that kind of decision.
In a Katrina-esque apocalyptic situation, resources are limited.
Depends on if you are talking about the evacuation (pre-event) or the rescue (post-event). I think that better planning pre-event(in this case, allowing people to bring their pets), which motivates the maximum number of people to get out of the way of danger before it happens, is going to save the greater number of human lives.
(My example of the pets being rescued post-Katrina kinda confused that point- sorry.)
Step 1: Grab Cat.
Step 2: Grab Cat Harness.
Step 3: Run out of house
Step 4: Put Harness on Cat.
Step 5: Realize that because harness is on Cat, Cat will not be inclined to move at all. Pick up cat, place is backpack.
Step 6: If time, grab roommate's bunny. I might be hungry later.
My dog is definitely coming with me. A miniature schnauzer alone against a cold Alaskan winter? No. I don't care what anyone says, she's coming with me. With her leash and her favorite squeaking squirrel, if it's where it usually is (under my feet).
Asses situation. What type of disaster? What possible hazards will humans and animals encounter worst case by staying put or by travelling? Do you have resources for yourselves and your pets? Water? Food? Emergency shelter if vehichles must be abandoned? Medicines or supplies specific to the event? Know the proper doses to use to purify water for animals/what emergency human meds are appropriate for what animals in what situation? (Iodine for example?) Are you willing and able to euthanize your pets and/or human companions if it comes to that?
I've spent too much looking for a quote I can not find, it goes something like this: How you treat animals in this life determines how YOU are treated in your next life.
If I can't carry my cats along in their carrier, I am willing to sacrifice my own life staying behind so they don't die alone. Yes, yes, I most certainly would. I wouldn't do that for any human I know. No, I most certainly would not.
If there's a flood, we'll pile everyone in the sea kayak. Cats in the hatches, dogs in the cockpit. I guess we should teach one of the dogs to hold a paddle with her mouth.
I have an eight-year-old BluetickBeagle in prime health. She sticks with me whenever we run, bike, or backpack; is a decent hunter; and obeys fairly well.
We're grabbing the bike, hitting the road, and pedaling/hoofing it like I was Mel Gibson.
We actually had to consider this when N. Korea was testing it's nukes last summer. Company was sending out pre-prep emails letting us know what might happen in the event of a company-mandated evacuation. We had to get all our dog's paperwork and vaccinations ready, just in case. Luckily nothing ever came of it but I did have a few nightmares about having to leave him behind.
Oh, and to answer the question, I would smuggle him wherever I possibly could.
photo by splunge
photo by TheophileEscargot
photo by Kronos_to_Earth
photo by ethylene
