PET CARE
Hurricane Pet Preparedness
As hurricane season is in full effect, it's important to remember these important pet safety tips if you and your family are being impacted by a hurricane and/or tropical storm.
Have A Pet Evacuation Plan
It’s natural to be hesitant to evacuate your home, but when you have pets it’s wise to evacuate early.
In order to properly prepare for an evacuation, you need to know which types of disasters you’re likely to face. Flooding, high winds, and tornados are all things to prepare for if a hurricane and/or tropical storm are heading your way.
Make a list of the potential threats that could call for an evacuation. This will help you determine where to seek shelter as you evacuate. Once you know the threats, research the recommended evacuation routes for your local community. If your city is being evacuated for a hurricane, knowing the correct and safest evacuation route near your home can help you leave quickly and safely.
Put Together An Emergency Kit
A pet first-aid emergency kit should contain all of the essential items that your pet will need in the event of an evacuation. Following are some suggestions of what to include:
- Food for 2 or 3 days
- Water for 2 or 3 days
- Any essential medications
- Collar and leash
- A carrier (if your pet needs one)
- Litter or poop bags
- A list of pet-friendly accommodations
- List of emergency contact numbers and addresses
- Copies of your pet’s medical records
If you and your pet need to evacuate in a hurry, or even switch locations to avoid tornadoes, this emergency kit will come in handy. You won’t have to think about anything other than finding a safe place to shelter.
Make sure you replace the perishable items (food and medications) in your emergency kit every so often. The last thing you need is for your pet to suffer from food poisoning during an evacuation.
Make Sure Your Pet Is Identifiable
There’s always a chance that you will become separated from your pet during an evacuation, so it’s important to make sure he can be identified as yours.
Check to ensure that your pet’s microchip and tags are updated with your best contact information every few months.
Make sure your pet wears proper identification tags on their collars. Even just wearing a collar will help strangers recognize that your pet has an owner who is looking for him.
Identification tags and microchips with your updated phone number will help your pet find his way back to you more easily if you become separated.
Be Prepared
At MetLife Pet Insurance1, we get it… Pets are like family. Taking the right precautions to ensure your dogs and cats are safe come hurricane season can ultimately be well worth it.
Protect your Pets
Nothing in this article should be construed as financial, legal or veterinary advice. Please consult your own advisors for questions relating to your and your pet’s specific circumstances.
1 Pet Insurance offered by MetLife Pet Insurance Solutions LLC is underwritten by Independence American Insurance Company (“IAIC”), a Delaware insurance company, headquartered at 485 Madison Avenue, NY, NY 10022, and Metropolitan General Insurance Company (“MetGen”), a Rhode Island insurance company, headquartered at 700 Quaker Lane, Warwick, RI 02886, in those states where MetGen’s policies are available. MetLife Pet Insurance Solutions LLC is the policy administrator authorized by IAIC and MetGen to offer and administer pet insurance policies. MetLife Pet Insurance Solutions LLC was previously known as PetFirst Healthcare, LLC and in some states continues to operate under that name pending approval of its application for a name change. The entity may operate under an alternate, assumed, and/or fictitious name in certain jurisdictions as approved, including MetLife Pet Insurance Services LLC (New York and Minnesota), MetLife Pet Insurance Solutions Agency LLC (Illinois), and such other alternate, assumed, or fictitious names approved by certain jurisdictions.
2 Provided all terms of the policy are met. Application is subject to underwriting review and approval. Like most insurance policies, insurance policies issued by IAIC and MetGen contain certain deductibles, co-insurance, exclusions, exceptions, reductions, limitations, and terms for keeping them in force. For costs, complete details of coverage and exclusions, and a listing of approved states, please contact MetLife Pet Insurance Solutions LLC.