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Looking after your pets in an emergency
A pet emergency plan for dogs and cats: pet grab bags, first aid, food and water, and leaving home safely with your animals.
By Slightly Anxious
1st July 2026 12 minute read
IN SHORT
Pets cope best when they are well trained, well equipped and not dependent on lots of electricity. Give them a plan, a Grab Bag and one person in charge of them.
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According to some surveys, 62% of UK households own pets. The majority own dogs, then cats with a sizeable minority owning fish or birds. Many people own a variety of pets and we haven’t even discussed horses, goats, llamas, alpacas, rabbits, turtles, snakes and insects. We are renown as a nation of pet lovers, yet when you read much of the material on preparing for emergencies hardly anyone mentions them. We know that in the Slightly Anxious office there are some people who would save their pets before their children or partners! We will try and rectify this by setting out a plan for pets in an emergency. We will mostly be talking about dogs and cats, if you are a llama lover than you will need to do some research, get in touch with us at Slightly Anxious and we will help.
Make a plan for your pets
Unsurprisingly, preparing for disasters with pets is quite similar to preparing for them with humans. You need an emergency plan, a pet specific Grab Bag and you need to have in your emergency store, pet specific items. The first thing you need to do is allocate who is in charge of the pets during an emergency. They should be responsible enough to look after them, you need someone as dedicated to their care as you, who we’re taking it as the ‘Squad Leader’, are about the humans, as will have your work cut out looking after them.
Water for pets, per day
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Small dog: half a litre
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Medium dog: 1 litre
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Large dog: 2 litres
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Cat: half to 1 litre
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Store at least 7 days of food and water for each pet
Keeping pets calm and close
The biggest fear in an emergency situation with pets is that they will run away. We should say now, that there is a good chance this may happen so be prepared for it. One of the ways you can be is by ensuring your pets (talking dogs & cats) can be identified if they do, as there is also a good chance they will turn up again. This means ensuring they have a good ID tag, that clearly shows your mobile number. You should also take a few photos of you with your dog and of the dog by itself as you may need to show people what the dog looks like and give proof s/he’s yours. Ensure that your pet, which has to be microchipped by law, is and that the details logged with the microchip are up to date. Since you may well be in contact with your vet for this, take the opportunity to get a printed copy of your pet’s medical records, vaccinations and a spare supply of any prescription medicines that they have been issued with. Both need to safely stored in the emergency kit.
What to pack for your pet
Now we move on to pet specific equipment that you will need for the emergency store, many of the items you may already own:
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Leads/Harnesses – we’re 100% certain you have one if you’re a dog owner, consider getting one for your cat as it will mean that you can prevent them running off. Also do consider getting spares as they can literally go walkies.
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Muzzle – you may never have needed it for your pooch but times of crisis are not ordinary times and your dog will be extra stressed – a muzzle will stop that stress turning into an issue
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Pet first aid kit – yes this actually exists and while we would normally dismiss it, in an crisis situation where you may not be able to easily rush to the vet, than this seems a worthwhile investment, an example is the Reliance Medical Pet First Aid Kit at c.£13-£17. We also think that it may be worth considering PawUrgent Activated Charcoal Gel at c.£35-£45. With people and pets spending more time together than usual in an emergency this does increase the chance that a pet my eat something they shouldn’t (e.g. chocolate, coffee, medication for humans, cleaning supplies). The charcoal gel will clear these poisons out of their system.
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Tick/Flea medicine – you will probably already own but check to see that’s its in date and enough
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Pet food for at least 7 days – get more of what they’re used to, an emergency is not the time to try new things!
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Tin opener – if you have tinned food, get a tin opener specifically for it as the law of nature says that if you depend on the one you already own, you won't be able to find when you need it
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Bottled water for at least 7 days – a small dog needs ½ litre per day, medium sized dog needs 1 litre per day and a big dog needs 2 litres per day. A cat will need ½ - 1 litre per day. Add these to your water store – read our article, ‘What to do when the water is turned off’.
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Collapsible water bowl – you may already own as with one of these attached to your Grab Bag and a bottle of water in a pouch, your pet can be watered on the go whenever they’re thirsty, an example is Coolon Collapsible Food/Water Bowl with Carabiner (Medium(650ML) at c.£7-£9.
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Pet Carrier – you may have one already for transporting your bundle of fluff to the vets but if you don’t they are a necessity and you need one per pet. We don’t need to remind you that you need to get one that fits! And also get one you or your chosen pet wrangler can actually carry with the pet inside as you may have to walk some distance with them. An example is Grtlpok Portable Pets Travel Carriers For Cats/Dogs With Shoulder Strap & Removable Mat at c.£25-£30 but do find one that fits and works with your pet.
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Pet favourite items to put in the carrier – this can be their favourite blanket, toys, chew toys, bones, catnip etc. Whatever they need to feel at home and keep calm
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Pet Treats – as with children, bribing is often the best way to ensure good behaviour. Ensure you have copious amounts as happy pets will make your emergency a lot easier.
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Pet Toiletries – your favourite furries will need to go to the toilet at some point so you will need the right equipment:
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Dog poop bags – self-explanatory, e.g. Earth Rated Dog Poo Bags, Guaranteed Leak Proof and Extra Thick Waste Bag Refill Rolls For Dogs, Lavender Scented, 270 Count at c.£13-£17
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Travel litter box for cats – a waterproof and leak proof collapsible rectangular plastic box, which when assembled and filled with cat litter provides your cat with a place to go, e.g. Luxtude Collapsible Travel Litter Box for Cats at c.£25-£30 – ensure you have a sufficient supply of litter for the whole week if not more!
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Puppy pads – when you have a puppy that hasn’t been trained yet about where to pee, this absorbent and odour neutralising mats are a godsend. Stressed older dogs may well benefit from them as well, e.g. Simple Solution Super Absorbent Premium Dog and Puppy Training Pads Pack of 100 at c.£30-£40
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Antiseptic pet wipes - as a pet owner you will know that pets pick up all sorts of dirt and grim in their everyday activities, having some wipes means you can clean them up so they don’t walk it about the place, Pet Guru Dogs & Cats 100% Plastic Free Biodegradable Antibacterial Deodorizing Multi-Purpose Cleaning Thick Pet (200 Wipes, Unscented) at c.£13-£17
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Paw protection – your dog and to some extent your cat may well be venturing into places that were previously considered completely safe and now not so. This can be flood water or newly found debris, either way their paws are at risk of injury, we recommend that you get them paw protectors. An example: Eyein Dog Boots Paw Protector at c.£15-£21
Pet emergency kit
Item
Example
Guide price
Pet first aid kit
Reliance Medical Pet First Aid Kit
c.£13-£17
Collapsible water bowl
Coolon Collapsible Bowl (650ml)
c.£7-£9
Poo bags
Earth Rated Poo Bags (270)
c.£13-£17
Carrier
One per pet, the right size
Varies by size
Food, water and treats
Your usual budget for a week
Varies
We’re pretty certain you will already own most of these items. The biggest issue isn’t really the kit as you probably own it, food and drink are critical obviously, its what you do with your pets during the emergency that matters. Pets, like a lot of people are creatures of habit and so minimising stress for your pets involves doing your best to keep their routines as much as possible. So feed them what you usually fed them, when you usually feed them and exercise them the best you can.
Cats and dogs
The issue with dogs and cats, as mentioned before, is their desire to escape. This is why you need to have the pet carriers available at all times as not only may you need to evacuate with your pet but you may also need to lock them in if they look like they are wanting to make a break for it. Have the carriers by the front door with your and your pet’s Grab Bags, so you are ready to evacuate if necessary.
Both cats and dogs need to be comfy with getting in and out of the carrier and being transported in it. Doing this for the first time when your emergency has turned into an evacuation is a sure way to have them run off, so get them used to it – take them on trips in their carrier and make the destination be one where they get treats and lots of fun and love. This way they will positively associate getting into the carrier and travelling places, bribe them like they’re a recalcitrant teenager. Your mission is to have your pets able to enter their carriers voluntarily, tolerate being put in leads/harnesses, coming when called and travelling calmly in vehicles.
Small mammals, fish and reptiles
As for the more exotic of pets – small mammals such as rabbits, guinea pigs etc. then the advice is much the same just scaled down proportionately. Be prepared with extra bedding as they are more susceptible to heat and cold than cats and dogs and ensure that their carrier is well ventilated and secure. Birds will need to covers for their cage to de-stress them, also be aware that they are very susceptible to smoke and fumes so keep them away from the kitchen and from open windows if there is smoke or generator fumes.
As for fish and reptiles – you are the most difficult to deal with as you need constant heat and light and this means power. If you read our articles ‘What to do when the power goes out’ and ‘What to do when the heating stops’, you will see that keeping aquariums and terrariums/vivariums lit and warm for up to a week is quite tricky especially if you need a basking light as that sucks up power. Our rough maths shows that its almost impossible to keep a terrarium with a basking light going for a week on a power station, you will need to look at diesel generators which is way out of our league! You can help things by insulating your tanks and use rechargeable hand warmers but even then there will be issues. The major one being what do you do if you need to evacuate quickly? Being honest, at Slightly Anxious, we are at a bit of a loss what you do about your fish or reptiles in an emergency. We think you have basically two options: just pray that you will never suffer an emergency and if you do you may have to sacrifice your pets – please don’t release them into the wild! Or, be prepared to spend the large amounts of money you will have to get your tanks emergency prepared. Unfortunately, even then the what to do in if you need to evacuate isn’t solved. Please contact us at the website to discuss and we will try and help formulate a plan.
If you have to evacuate
We will finish by considering emergency evacuation plans. In the event you have to evacuate your property, say because of a flood or a wild fire, then do you know where you’re going to go? In some evacuations the authorities will direct you to a pre-arranged evacuation centre, in some emergencies they don’t and you are left to fend for yourself. If the fire/flood is very localised to your property then the local authorities won't even have a plan, so you need to have an emergency plan and have pre-agreed with your household where you will meet up. Do read our article, ‘The complete UK household emergency preparedness guide’, to find out more. Having pets adds an extra level of complexity as not every location you choose as a muster destination will allow them. Which is why you need to spend time now, in ‘normal time’ identifying pet-friendly hotels outside your area, checking boarding kennels, asking friends/family if they can temporarily house animals and identifying nearby vets with emergency boarding capability. The safest approach is if there is a build up to an emergency in your area, evacuate your pets as soon as possible so that you have the time to do it in as little stress as possible. Although remember, that many emergencies will happen with little warning so you may have to endure your crisis with your furry children anyway.
As you can see from this, pets in emergency situations will survive best if they are well trained, well-equipped and not dependent on large amounts of electricity. We know your pets are an extension of your family and their survival is vital to you and we will try and do whatever we can to help, but the majority of this is down to you! Have the right equipment, have them well trained and have a plan.
Your to do list is:
1. Decide who is in charge of the pets in an emergency
2. Take photos of each pet, and of you with them
3. Pack a pet Grab Bag: lead, muzzle, first aid kit, bowl, food, treats
4. Store 7 days of food and water for each pet
5. Get a carrier for each pet and get them used to it
6. Plan where you would go with pets if you had to evacuate
