Unusual pets and What to Prep

• Unusual Pets
• What You Should Have
• What They Need

Unusual Pets

So you have dogs and cats. You know what they need for emergencies. What about those unusual pets? The reptiles, goats, small furry friends. We all know someone who has a pet that is not the normal four legger that they also consider family. Like us, we have more than just dogs and cats and goats. We also have chameleons and bearded dragons.

This type of unusual pet is in a lot of homes and sometimes, with evacuations mainly, people are not sure what to grab or what they should have for the just in case. While this list is not a complete list of everything you need to have for the just in case scenario, it is small list of things you should have for any small or unusual pet.

What you should have: Master List

In this section you will find a master list of items you should have on hand for any unusual pet. Again, this is not a complete list, just items you need to always have on hand. This list is not specific to any animal, that will be covered in the next section. If you want information on K-9 first aid kits see my other post.

• Carrying case
  • This should be size appropriate for the animal. Dog crates, cat travel pens, shoe boxes (vented!!).
• First Aid kit
  • You should have a first aid kit apprpriate to each type of animal you have.
  • We have several. One for each type of unusual pet, but also a generic kit for all the animals in general
• Food
  • This should be at least 2 days worth of food packaged and accessible for you to be able to grab in the case of an evacuation
• Medical records
  • This could be a binder, a thumb drive, or a notebook with pertinent information like vet name and number, vaccine records, Age of pet, pictures proving the animal is yours.
• WATER
  • All living things need water. I cannot express this enough!!! You should have enough water for all your animals along with yourself to get you through any type of emergency. Make sure you have bowls/buckets to be able to provide this life-giving item to any and all of your animals in whichever method the animal requires (dripper/spray bottle for reptiles, bucket/bowl for livestock/poultry).

What they need: Specifics

This section will cover the basic needs of certain unusual pets depending on what you have. This is what you should have per animal and is not all inclusive but is a breakdown of items from the master list and will have other specifics other than what is on the master list. It will also have a better description of items from the master list.

• Reptiles:
  • You should have a small case for them. I would recommend depending on the size of the reptile a vented shoe box or a smaller enclosure that is portable. This is helpful for vet visits or evacuations. You could use the container that the animal came home in if you have saved it.
  • Food is a must. Most reptiles once they are over a certain age, do not need to eat every day. This is a plus when it comes to having something on hand for them to eat, but you should always have extra just in case you have to leave on feeding day.
  • Supplements and lighting. Most all reptiles need supplements on their food along with specific lighting. Keep extra bulbs and fixtures on hand. You never know when you need to make a smaller hospital box or need to go, and you do not have room for the monster light fixture on top of your reptile’s enclosure. Keep small ones on hand and be prepared in the knowledge that it will be used for emergency purposes only.
• Goats/Livestock
  • Collars/Halters. Our goats are collared but we know of several that have halters or no collars at all. You should have a collar or halter for all of your goats/livestock. If something happens with one of the herd, you need to be able to get the others out without having them all run amuck. A collar is in my opinion easier than a halter but again, I have goats, and cows and pigs do not usually wear collars due to neck size.
  • Leash/lead. I keep a long lead rope (normally used for horses and such) at my gate for the ability to be able to grab and clip if needed. I also have several other leashes all proven to be able to hold my goats within a short walk from my gate as well. If one of my herd gets sick or injured, I can grab all leashes needed to be able to hold them back while I go and take care of the sick/injured animal.
  • Food/Treats. You should have a small container with “treats” (sweet feed, true treats) within reaching distance of your gate. This helps to get them to you without having to chase them around the pen/enclosure.
  • Medications. If you have livestock of any sort, you know what I am talking about. They have a medicine cabinet that would probably shame the one in your house. You should have extras in a bag/case that is able to be grabbed if needed to evacuate or for any emergency. I keep one handy due to the fact that our neighbor has goats as well and always calls me if help is needed.
• Chickens/Poultry
  • Containment. I always seem to use dog crates for transporting chickens. They are collapsible, and easy to grab and you can get them into them easy.
  • Food. Keep a small container (larger container if you have lots of chickens) in an easy accessible place. I will say though, one of the nice things about chickens is the fact that they will eat scraps, so if you forget to grab their food, you can always give them the rest of your meal as long as there is no poultry products in it that isn’t cooked (ex. raw egg, raw chicken is not something you want to give your chickens/poultry).
  • Supplements. I know of people who supplement their poultry. If that is you, make sure that you make sure you have extra supplements to be able to grab in case of emergency.

In Conclusion

While this list is not all inclusive, it gives you an idea of other things to have on hand and ready to go. I would love to hear of anything else that you would consider putting into your unusual pet prep kit. I hope this helps when it comes to stocking items you would need and possibly put you in mind of anything you have forgotten. Good luck to you and I hope you never need to utilize any of the above mentioned but if you do then at least you have them ready to go.