Kit Library · Household
Eight categories of supplies for dogs and cats. Food, water, carrier, records, medications, sanitation, comfort, and first aid. Built from FEMA, ASPCA, CDC, and Red Cross guidance.
Build the kit01 · The problem
During Hurricane Katrina, an estimated 600,000 pets were killed or left stranded. Not because their owners did not care, but because the evacuation systems, the shelters, and the household plans were not built for animals. People were forced to choose between evacuating without their pet or staying in a dangerous situation with one. The federal PETS Act of 2006 was written specifically to prevent that choice from recurring, but it only works if households have done their part of the preparation.
The ASPCA, FEMA, the CDC, and the American Red Cross all recommend that pet owners maintain a dedicated emergency kit for each animal in the household. Not gear borrowed from the kitchen drawer at the last minute, but a ready kit staged near the carrier, with the records already inside, the food already sealed, and the medications already rotated.
This kit covers dogs and cats. It is organized by the eight things you will actually need when the evacuation order comes or the power goes out for a week: food, containment, identification, medical, sanitation, comfort, and the one first aid item that matters most. If you have multiple pets, each needs its own food, water, medication, records, and carrier. The first aid supplies and sanitation items can be shared.
02 · What to buy
Eight categories. Everything below is per pet. If you have two dogs and a cat, you need three sets of food, water, carriers, and records. First aid and sanitation supplies can be shared across animals.
Food and water
Store your pet's normal brand in a sealed container or rotate sealed bags. Do not switch foods during a disruption; digestive upset during an emergency compounds the stress for both the animal and the household. Dry food stores longer and takes less space than wet food, but include a few cans of wet food for cats that refuse dry food under stress. For water, plan roughly one ounce per pound of body weight per day: about a gallon daily for a 70-pound dog, a quarter gallon for a 10-pound cat. Collapsible silicone bowls pack flat and weigh almost nothing.
Containment
A hard-sided carrier for cats (Petmate Sky Kennel or similar, $30 to $60 depending on size). A travel crate or collapsible wire crate for dogs, sized so the animal can stand up and turn around inside. This is the single item that makes evacuation possible. Pet-friendly shelters require containment. Hotels require containment. A loose dog in the back seat of a car during a stressful drive is a safety risk for everyone. Practice carrier training before the emergency; a cat that has never been in a carrier will fight being placed in one during a chaotic departure.
Leash and collar
A second set, not the one your pet wears daily. The daily collar can break during the chaos of an evacuation, and the daily leash is wherever you last dropped it. The backup collar must have a current ID tag with your phone number. For dogs, include a six-foot fixed leash (not retractable, since retractable leashes break and offer less control in crowded or stressful environments) and a body harness, which is more secure than a collar alone when an animal is frightened. For cats, a harness and short leash are useful for brief outdoor breaks at a shelter or hotel.
Identification and records
A waterproof sleeve or zip bag containing: proof of current vaccinations (rabies, distemper, bordetella for dogs; FVRCP for cats), your veterinarian's name and phone number, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control number (888-426-4435), a current photo of each pet (printed, not just on your phone), your pet's microchip number, and any boarding or shelter paperwork you might need. Pet-friendly shelters require vaccination proof. Hotels may ask for it. A lost pet flyer without a photo is nearly useless. Update this sleeve annually when vaccinations renew.
Medications and prevention
If your pet takes daily medication (thyroid, seizure, pain, insulin), keep a rolling thirty-day backup supply in the kit. Ask your veterinarian for an extra prescription fill specifically for the emergency kit. Include one month of flea and tick prevention (Frontline, NexGard, Seresto collar, or your regular brand). An evacuation to a new environment, especially a crowded one, exposes your pet to parasites they normally avoid. Rotate medications quarterly so nothing expires in the kit.
Sanitation
For dogs: a roll of waste bags and a small pack of paper towels. For cats: a sealed bag of litter (five pounds is enough for a week), a disposable aluminum litter pan, and a scoop. For both: a small spray bottle of enzyme-based pet cleaner (Nature's Miracle or similar). Accidents happen in unfamiliar spaces, especially with frightened animals, and enzyme cleaner is the difference between a manageable cleanup and a permanent stain in someone else's home or a hotel room that charges you for damage.
Comfort
A blanket or towel that smells like home. One toy the pet already knows. A bag of their usual treats. These are not luxuries. A familiar scent in an unfamiliar carrier, car, hotel, or shelter meaningfully reduces the stress behaviors (pacing, barking, hiding, refusal to eat) that make an already hard week harder for everyone. The blanket does double duty as bedding in the carrier. The toy gives a frightened animal something to focus on. The treats give you a reward tool when you need cooperation.
Pet first aid
A small first aid pouch with: gauze rolls, non-stick sterile pads (Telfa), self-adhesive wrap (Vet Wrap or similar, which sticks to itself and not to fur), antiseptic wipes, a digital thermometer, a pair of tweezers, and disposable gloves. Include the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center number (888-426-4435) written on a card inside the pouch. This is not a substitute for veterinary care, but it covers wound cleaning, minor cuts, pad injuries, and tick removal until a vet is reachable.
8
Categories per pet
$105–$250
Full kit, one dog or cat
14 days
Food and water supply
Affiliate disclosure: New World Survival earns a small commission on qualifying Amazon purchases at no cost to you. We only recommend gear we would put in our own kit.
03 · What not to buy
Pet emergency kits are a growing market. Several items marketed as essential are either unnecessary, unreliable under stress, or create problems they claim to solve.
Pre-assembled "pet survival kits" with twenty items
Most pre-packaged pet emergency kits include low-quality versions of items you need and several items you do not (whistles, glow sticks, plastic rain ponchos for dogs). They rarely include the most important things: your pet's actual food, your pet's actual medication, or a carrier that fits your animal. Build the kit yourself. It takes an hour and costs less.
A retractable leash as the backup
Retractable leashes allow dogs to reach 15 to 25 feet of range, which is dangerous in a crowded shelter, a hotel hallway, or near a road during an evacuation. The spring mechanisms also break under stress. A standard six-foot fixed leash provides control when you need it most. Save the retractable for the park.
Sedation medication without veterinary guidance
Some guides recommend keeping sedation medication for anxious pets during transport. Do not administer any sedative without specific instructions from your veterinarian for your animal, at a dosage they have prescribed. An improperly sedated animal in a carrier in a warm car is a medical emergency, not a calmer pet.
A soft-sided carrier as the primary carrier for cats
Soft carriers are lighter and easier to store, but a panicked cat can claw through mesh panels in minutes. Hard-sided carriers with a secure latch hold up during the exact conditions you are planning for. Soft carriers are fine for short vet visits in normal times. They are not reliable during a chaotic evacuation with a terrified animal.
04 · Budget version
The budget version keeps every category and trades the name-brand picks for the least expensive option that still works. The carrier stays at full price because it is the structural item the rest of the kit depends on.
7 days of regular food + stored water
Half the supply, still covers most outages
Basic hard-sided carrier (cat) or wire crate (dog)
Do not cut this cost. Check secondhand stores.
Collar with ID tag + basic leash
Skip the harness for now
Vaccination records + photo in a zip bag
Free if you already have records from the vet
Waste bags + paper towels
Cat owners add 3 lb litter + disposable pan
Blanket from home + treats from pantry
The cheapest category. Use what you have.
Drugstore first aid basics + ASPCA number card
Gauze, tape, antiseptic wipes, gloves
Budget total (one pet)
The microchip note: if your pet is not microchipped, add $25 to $50 at any vet visit. It is a one-time cost, takes five minutes, and is the single most effective way to reunite with a lost pet after a disaster. Every source we consulted recommends it. A collar can fall off. A microchip cannot.
05 · Better version
Three upgrades that matter most for households in hurricane, wildfire, or flood zones, or for anyone with a pet that has chronic health needs.
Identification add
A GPS tracker on the collar (Fi, Apple AirTag in a collar holder, or Whistle) that shows your pet's location in real time through a phone app. During an evacuation, a frightened animal that slips a leash or escapes a carrier can be miles away within hours. A GPS tracker reduces the search from "post flyers and hope" to "drive to the dot on the map." Requires a subscription for most brands, but the annual cost is modest compared to the alternative.
$30–$150 + $5–$10/mo
Amazon →Evacuation add
A printed list of three to five pet-friendly hotels along each of your evacuation routes, with phone numbers and pet policies noted. BringFido.com maintains the most comprehensive database. Print the list and keep it in the records sleeve. Do not rely on searching by phone during an active evacuation when cell service is degraded and every hotel within 200 miles is filling up. Call ahead when a watch is issued, not when the order drops.
Free (research + print)
Safety add
A free sticker from the ASPCA that lists the types and number of pets in your home and your veterinarian's phone number. Visible to rescue workers if you are not home during an emergency. If you evacuate with your pets, write "EVACUATED" across the sticker so responders do not waste time searching. Available free from the ASPCA website.
Free
Neighbor plan
Exchange emergency plans with a trusted neighbor who has a key to your home. If you are at work when an evacuation order is issued, your buddy evacuates your pets (and you do the same for theirs). This costs nothing but a conversation, and it closes the single biggest gap in most pet emergency plans: the owner is not home when the order comes.
Free
Better version total
Full kit + GPS tracker + hotel list + rescue sticker + buddy plan.
~$135–$400
06 · Maintenance
Pet kits drift faster than household kits because the animal changes: weight changes, medication changes, food brand changes, vaccination records expire. The annual vet visit is the natural check-in. Use it.
The carrier fit check: puppies and kittens outgrow carriers. An annual check ensures your pet can still stand up and turn around inside. A carrier that was right at six months may not be right at eighteen. A too-small carrier during a stressful trip compounds the animal's anxiety and can cause injuries.
07 · Save it
Every item in this kit, with maintenance intervals, in a checklist you can save to your dashboard and check whenever your vet sends you home with updated records.
Save it to My Readiness and it stays current across devices. Print it and tuck it inside the carrier.