What does $5, hurricanes and peace of mind have in common?
OK today was not the best day to take my VERY house bound in-door cat out in the 100F summer weather in a cat carrier in a car without air conditioning to go get a rabies shot. My cat seems to grow 500 additional legs when trying to get her into the cat carrier. Oh did I mention I have my leg in a cast and walking with a cane? The trip was certainly not my favorite thing to do on a hot Saturday afternoon! So why all the effort to vaccinate a house cat? Simple -- my cat Sugar is important to me and I love her and I want her safe even in facing the potential of a hurricane danger.
Our local Animal Service Center it turns out by luck of the draw scheduled the hottest day so far this year to have its rabies vaccination program. I’m so thankful that they have such a program even if it was blistering hot. I don’t care how hot it is. It is well worth it. I just wish they had also offered the microchip at the same time as as the rabies shot so more animals would be identified if something should occur and the pet and family get separated. .
For $5 anyone could get their pet vaccinated. Its my understanding that after the first annual vaccine the pet is then vaccinated every 3 years. It’s important that every pet be kept up to date on their vaccinations for their protection as well as that of the general community.
Some folks think that if their cat is an ‘indoor cat’ that they really don’t need to have the rabies vaccine. I can understand their reason for thinking that way but they are very wrong in that sort of logic!
There is another important reason to have ALL pets vaccinated. Should an emergency occur in your community requiring emergency evacuation, animal shelters will only accept up-to-date vaccinated animals into the shelter for safety reasons.
Many communities will have several vaccination events early this summer. Call your local Humane Society, Health Department or pet stores to see when the rabies clinics will be made available in your community. Often this is the cheapest way to get your pet protected. It’s quick, easy and you and your pet are safe guarded.
Please make sure your pets are vaccinated for all the necessary diseases. If you have a dog, the vaccinations may also include kennel cough vaccine
Can you imagine what it would be like if you were facing down a hurricane and went to a shelter only to be told that your pet is not acceptable since YOU did not get your pet protected with the necessary vaccines? There would most likely not be time find a vet and to get the rabies shot and get back to the shelter without major problems, stress and strain. The worse case is you would have to then make hasty unplanned decisions about the housing for your pet. Your choices would be very limited to say the least. The results could be deadly for your pet! That is not the way to treat your best animal companion in the midst of an evacuation emergency.
Yes it was a terribly hot today and neither Sug nor I enjoyed the heat and the efforts to get to her protected. Yet after the trip and a cat washing since she left an intestinal protest in the cat carrier (she really hates to ride) it was well worth all the trouble. When Sug at long last came back and sat in my lap as a sign of her forgiveness, I was glad and thankful for the opportunity to know that she was as safe as I can make it for her.
She is powerless to get the necessary vaccinations and the emergency preparedness necessities to keep her safe should a disaster occur. It is up to me, her ‘human mommy’, to do all I can, within reason and to the best of my ability to keep her safe. That is the least I can do to show her I can!
Remember that emergency preparedness is not just for humans but also for your pet as well. It is very important that you have a written emergency preparedness plan for each of your pets, as well as have low cost emergency survival kits for each of your pets with all your emergency preparedness necessities that your pet will need when faced with a disaster.
Keep a copy of the vaccination records in a water proof plastic storage bag with your pet's emergency preparedness kit so that you will not need to hunt down the proof of vaccination later on in the hectic moments before a hasty evacuation. For a hurricane reference guide check out my Emergency Get & Go Disaster Guide For Pets. for more information and tips.
COMMENTS WELCOMED!
Please share your thoughts, emergency preparedness tips and stories here on this blog.
All I ask is that everyone be respectful and sensitive of each other and that identifying information about a person who is not the author be limited to protect their privacy.
Be Safe – Be Prepared – Help Others!
Terrie
www.trainforahurricane.com
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