Preparing for Natural Disasters

It’s never easy trying to face the many difficulties that occur when a natural disaster strikes, but a bit of careful planning can really help to ease a lot of the problems that may arise. This is especially the case when you have pet birds that need to be evacuated, since you will have to care for their needs despite the looming crisis.

Planning ahead for a crisis is especially important if you live in an area that is prone to things like earthquakes and hurricanes, but it is a good idea to be prepared even if that isn’t the case. Even if it is just a fire caused by an electrical fault – you want to be able to get your feathered friends out quickly and easily. Situations such as that always lead to panic, and that panic could be worsened if you find yourself hurriedly searching for pet carriers and towels or running out of food and water. When it comes to birds, there are two main things you will need to keep an eye on – food and water. Generally speaking you want to ensure that there is always enough of the two around to last your bird up to seven days. Bottled water is especially important, because often earthquakes and other natural disasters will affect the quality of drinking water immediately available after the event has occurred. Watching your birds suffer from dehydration is never a pleasant thing and should be avoided at all costs. And if the disaster means a loss of electricity for a time, remember to use any outdoor camping stoves outside to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning in yourself and your bird. Both the food and water should be pre-packed in a convenient place so that you don’t have to rush around looking for them when disaster strikes. It doesn’t hurt to add an emergency kit to the pack in case your bird injures himself during the sudden move.

Another really good idea is to ensure that you have enough bird carriers for all your birds. While one might be enough for casual trips to the vet, it certainly isn’t going to help when you suddenly have to whisk all of your birds away at the same time in a rescue situation. You’ll need an appropriate amount of carriers to enable you to carry all your birds away from harm without letting them harm each other. It also helps if you have a strategy regarding where you will go in difficult situations. Most public shelters don’t allow pets, so you can’t just expect to ‘wing it’. You want to look at finding a location that will allow you to keep your pets with you so that you can ensure that their needs are cared for. If you are fortunate enough to be asked to evacuate an area before a disaster strikes, you should take early warning and get out with your animals before the situation gets tense and panicky and your chosen accommodation gets booked up. If your bird isn’t a fan of carriers, it may help to keep a towel near the carrier so you can quickly and easily transfer the bird to his temporary lodgings. Being prepared is the key to getting every member of your family – including your pet birds – out of harm’s way quickly and safely.