Tag: Just In Case

J Is For… Just In Case!
By Rachel Wilder.

If you discover that the shelves are empty at your grocery store and can’t find what you need, it’s not because of overseas conflicts, politics, transportation issues, or the fault of last-minute panicked hoarders. It’s because you have dismal short-term memory skills and haven’t done anything to be prepared, even after 2020. So don’t bother now, you’ll just add to the mess. It was your decision to do nothing.

But your pet? They didn’t have a choice and can only rely on whether or not you actually care or thought about them before an emergency happens.

Emergency Planning for Your Pet: the Basics
- 5 days or a week supply of food for your pet. Consistently.
- Medications- refill before you run out. Consider having light sedatives on hand, like those used for fireworks, to help keep them calm.
- Vet records- easy to find and put in a gallon zip-lock bag.
- Leashes and collars with current information attached.
- Microchip.
Plan to take your pet if you evacuate.
- Sturdy carrier or kennel and the things needed for your pet to stay in it. Dishes, litter box, litter, scoops. Favorite toys and blanket.
- Water- more than you think, in case you need to rinse them off.
- Evacuation plan. Who can you go to if you must leave your home? Family, friends and hotels. Many shelters won’t let you keep them with you- remember Hurricane Katrina?
- Emergency sticker for your home placed by the front door showing that you have pets that need rescuing inside and remembering to mark ‘evacuated’ or ‘safe’ when you leave with them.
- If you plan to shelter in place- like in the event of a tornado or storm- plan for them as well- but do NOT hesitate to leave your home if that is a safer alternative. Deciding at the last-minute limits your options.
Think of them first, and think of them now. Because to them, you always come first.

Resources

There are many websites to help you. Here are a few to get you started:
April 12, 2022
J Is For Just in Case

My friends joke with me that I’d look forward to a zombie apocalypse. I’d almost rather deal with a few shuffling rotters than a natural disaster that actually can happen. You don’t have to be on an episode of Doomsday Prepper to need a three day supply of food and water. Just think back to Hurricane Katrina or Superstorm Sandy. I honestly don’t think I could live in the tornado alley of the Midwest or along the flood zone of the Mississippi.

But then there’s no place that’s truly ‘safe’. So the best you can do is have a bit of common sense and planning. It doesn’t take much time or money but it can give you loads of peace of mind. You don’t have to worry about outrageous scenarios, just be practical about the possibility of a bad winter storm or the possibility of loosing your electricity and plumbing due to construction.

But, on the million and one chance zombies do come….

Having a bit of a plan and some extra supplies can’t hurt. That way you can sit back and relax while you’re waiting until Daryl shows up.

April 12, 2016
E is for Emergency

A lot of my friends tease me about being a Doomsday Prepper because I grew up in hurricane country and tend to be prepared.

For anything. Including, perhaps, zombies.

But to be honest, an emergency can happen anywhere, anytime to anyone. And information can be vital. So some questions everyone should ask themselves is … if something happens to me and I am hospitalized who will take care of my children or pets? Does my family know what hospital I prefer? Do I? Which one is covered by my insurance?

Do I have a list of important numbers that isn’t locked in my cell phone? Does the person I want to ‘be in charge’ know about it? Even better, do they know and agree to be my ‘go to’ contact?

You can go deeper and consider if you have a current will or a living will? Does family know your wishes if you can’t express them? The time to figure this out is before you’re unconscious. Might be easier- just saying. After all, when you get home you want to concentrate on getting better.

April 6, 2016