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How to Deal with Pets and an Outbreak
As one that is concerned about the impending zombie apocalypse, I often wonder how I will deal with my two beloved cats. One of the things that makes dealing with pets or even small children difficult is that there is little to no warning for an outbreak. Sure, in the occurrence of an outbreak, the Center for Disease Control and the United States Government/Military would be on hand to deal with the issues. However, as with a lot of things, the outbreak may be covered up or dealt with in a way so that it does not alarm and panic citizens. I have to be honest with you, as much as I think that the public has the right to know, there are some things that are kept from us to keep the masses from panicking. It also become impractical to lock up your pets in carrying cases before bedtime just in case. So what is one to do?
First of all, it is important that you save yourself from the infected, dead or living, whatever is the outcome of the virus. In many cases, animals are immune to the blood and airborne diseases of man. But diseases and viruses of this nature can affect every living thing, so it is best to assume the worst.
The main fear of an outbreak, apart from infection itself, would be starvation and the possibility that the infected, in their need to feed, will eat you or your pets. There are many dangers with going back to your home. In many cases, this is like putting the last nail into your coffin. This can be especially dangerous if you live in a highly populated area or community living areas, such as high rise apartment buildings or condos. Also, since your doors and windows may be open or destroyed, there is no guarantee that your pets will even be there. This is not to say that this is a lost cause, but it will unfortunately not be a top priority.
There are some things that you may be able to do that wouldn’t completely impact your current life. It is suggested, as is in earthquake preparedness programs, that you keep a box or bag of supplies – some water, canned food, and extra medication. For outbreak issues, you may even want to keep a spare car key in the bag as well. It is unlikely that you will be interrupted in your sleep by a zombie unless you are a very heavy sleeper, so you may have a few precious minutes before you have to split. If you have pets, you will want to keep some extra canned and/or dry food and water for them as well as any medications. As a cat owner knows, it can be difficult to get a cat into its carrying case to go to the vet so it stands true that it’ll be equally or more difficult to get the cat(s) into the case in an event of an outbreak emergency. Hopefully, the dead have not yet invaded your home and you can find the cats easily. If you have the time to put them in their cases, do it. If not, you can put them into pillowcases, as you are instructed to in the event of a home fire. Keep in mind, this would be a temporary solution and the cats will NOT be happy.
While there is no real answer for this horrific question, but as is the case for any disaster, all we can do is prepare for the worst and hope for the best. A solution will vary between outbreak situations. My best advice is to be creative and try to think outside of the box. That thinking will not only save your pets lives but will come in handy and save someone else’s or even your own life. Educate yourself and be prepared!
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8 comments for “How to Deal with Pets and an Outbreak”
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Honestly…I think I could abandon my cats, my bird, and my tortoise. I’d have to at least put my turtle in a pond someone, but my dog I’d have to take with me. It’s not because I love her more or am more attached so much as the fact that dogs are considerably more codependent and domesticated to survive on their own.
It’s tough either way. We all become attached to out pets but I’m sure if it was a matter of survival…we’d all do what was necessary. We can only hope that it never comes to that!
i htink this ais a great idea..and i could leave my 3 cats behind if i needed to but my dog..well he is very protective over me…so i woud at least use him as a tool. he could eaasyly take down a zombie or two for me…
That would be hard. Ive had my cat since he was a kitten. Hes smarter than other cats. I dont know that would be a hard thing to do yo leave him behind.
well like what sigsby said i would bring at least one of my dogs with me at least to cause a distraction long enough for me to get away. while this may seem horrible to some to sacriface my pet, if it lets me escape im sorry to say i would be all for it. on the other hand keeping a dog close would be a very good way to stay alerted as to the whereabouts of any nearby infected, thus again allowing me ample time to prepare myself for escape. dogs dont require lots of food to survive so that wouldnt be a problem and none of my dogs need meds at the moment so that makes it much easier to bring with me. hes not a tiny dog but hes not a huge dog. hes a german shepard husky mix so most places i go to he could withstand. meh in my opinon i would deff take at least one of my dogs.
Sorry to say but i have both cats and dogs and 1 of my cats sarah is old and blind,2 young tabbies about a year old ,a momma kitty with 4 kittens, a chihuaha/weinerdog mix named Petey and i have Alpine a 2 yr. old strapping strong german shephard who fears no one except “petey” long story.
Now i love my pets ,but it goes down like this .When its time to get out of dodge and it will folks,it would be suicide to barricade inside the house no matter how big because not just those things do we have to worry about,its about every psychopath given free reign to do what they will,so folks if you wanna get through this horrific time ,you have to be mobile,suvs cars motorcycles,small to medium groups of well armed people is best,but work with what you have .
Back to the pet situation,i would put out in the backyard a large amount of dry food for the 2 tabby’s!my blind cat along with momma kitty and her 4 babys have to be put down as humanely as possible,you cant shoot a cat too much can go wrong and a waste of ammo,its awful but 1 at a time a pillow case and a wall,yes its hard but think of the alternative,i let the tabbys outside,trust me if your cats are healthy,they will be fine!!!
Petey and Alpine stay with me,dogs are mans protectors by nature and can sense the presence of people alive or dead long before we can.as long as they are healthy and uninjured,they can stay right with you.GOD FORBID they get sick or injured,they must be put down immediately so they dont suffer.also if the health of yourself or the people your with are weak with hunger,supplies can and will run out and sorry people, but it will be hell on earth worse than anyone of us could imagine,so sadly our animals could ultimately have to give thier lives so we may live!!! Im not a monster people,but should this happen hard decisions must be made!
i think that if it really came down to survival….. if food were ever scarce pets could substitute for a few good meals to keep you alive fighting the good fight. iin an apocolyptic event attachment might only get you killed.
i agree that you could eat your pets in an undead situation if food ran low. but i would definetly take my boy Roxas with me. he is huge and very well trained. he listens to me so well that i can tell him to chase down a cat and bring it back to me without injuring the poor kitty. if you must know how i figured this out…. i was chasing my cat Chiyo because she stole a small cooked chicken from the counter. Roxas was watching and i finally gave up and he went after her! i wa so worried but i yelled, “no eating!” and he just picked her up like a tennis ball and brought her to me. tha’s a good dog! anyways, he is a mastiff. i have a rottweiler and sheperd mix, which i would take if she were younger! adn then i have my sweetheart coyote/blue healer. she is so old that i would have to put her down. in my mind i think that you eating your pet would be their last way of caring for you. i belive that my dogs love me enough to die for me.