Readers Respond: Power Outages and Pet Emergency Preparedness

If you are on a well that needs electricity to deliver water, storing drinking water is a valuable tip. Besides having food and water available, what else do you do to make sure you and your pets are safe when the power is out? Have you learned something from a previous power outage that would serve as a good reminder or tip for others?

Please share them here.

Power Outages and Pets

We have created ad modified version of a Bug Out Bag to use during power outages and for our pets. I have a separate bag that is easy to get to in the event of power outage or we need to retreat to a pet friendly shelter. I store canned foods easy to prepare, checking the dates of expiration. I too place flashlights in strategic locations. We live a rural area and decided a generator was the way to go before we moved in. This operates a few lights and our well pump

—Guest Denise

Tip for small pets

When there are major power failures around here, the local shopping malls seem to relax their no-pet rules. We see lots of small well-behaved pets in the mall during these emergencies, hanging out with their humans during the days.

—Guest Nancy

Gadfly

Dry Ice. Get medium size blocks and wrap in several sheets of newspaper, stack in heavy duty large cooler. Keep in a dark, cool place. Most important: remove as much air a possible. As you remove the opened cans of dog, cat food, meds or human food replace with wads of clean rags or towels, for example, to displace the air. I used this technique when driving from L.A. to Cape Cod with my dog and cat in a big old station wagon. Worked beautifully and that was during July, too.

—Guest Lynne Rayburn

Suggestion for outage

1.Flameless candles are a great alternative to real ones, especially if you have pets. Safer and last a long time, can be left unattended. 2.Crank radio and flashlight are always good to go without any batteries!

—Guest Cat

re: Power Outage-plan for pets

Like you, we have a well so any planning you do for yourself should include your pet - it's only common sense. Draw up gallons of water - use old milk jugs that have been washed out. Winter is always worse; we have been thru 2 ice storms where we were without power for days - if you can't have a generator, what would you do for yourself for warmth? Do the same for your pet. Of course, I'm thinking small pets, not horses etc. EDITOR'S NOTE: We finally got a generator, too.

—Guest Beth