I've been researching alot about necessities and advice when it comes to survival gear. One thing that jumps out of the books I have read is to have gear ready should you have to pack up and leave in a moments notice. I have two cats and, especially as neither me or my partner drive, it isn't conceivable for us to run away. Whilst you can pack up dog bits to leave, it isn't possible to carry a cat in a small container and just let it out occasionally and expect them to hang around. There is nothing in this world that could make me desert my cats, so what are the alternatives? Is anyone else in the similar position and had to think up alternative plans?

We moved two of our cats and a ferret who had never been in a kitty carrier, a car or on a leash from Mexico all the way to Bellingham WA many moons ago and they did very well.

We kept the leashes on them the whole trip so in case one did try to escape we had it covered . We put them each in their own nylon kitty bag - took them out on their leashes when it was time to do their biz and by the end of the trip they were pro's. Just depends on what and where you want to be, because your animals understand more than you know and they will travel with you in most cases.

similar position. love my cat

In a drop and run situation, I have to consider 3 large dogs with my normal load. I had it covered with a decent sized minivan, but that one broke down. I certainly hope I have time to get another one in the near future before I have to worry about packing me and 3 dogs into a 4 door sedan.

I dont know about every cat owner, but I have a friend who walks his cats every night. He opens the door and goes for a walk around his apt complex. His cats follow him. They arent right under his feet, but they are always in sight. By the end of the walk, they are right behind him when he is walking back into his home. Cats can learn just like dogs to follow you and even walk on a leash. It just takes more time with cats.

I have a white persian rescue who is deaf. She would never make it on her own. Let's hope things work out for everybody.

Well it depends on the situation. If a nuke goes off near you, and you have fallout heading your way, well you might not be thinking about your cats quite as much.

There are situations where if you stayed home you would die. I would just put the cats in a pillow case, and shoot them up with sedatives until you get to your destination.

Or stay and die.

I have 2 big dogs, but they like riding in any vehicle. Then again I would never run to the hills, unless I was running from WMD attack.

I think most cats have a natural preditor instinct. My cat is a indoor/outdoor cat and almost every day she would catch a mouse or a bird. One day I came home from work and she had a small rabbit that she had caught. There are also times where my cat has been gone for days, and then returns. If it came down to me having to leave to sitX, I am confident my cat can survive on her own. Might be a good idea to get a few feed mice from Petco and let your cat practice being a preditor!!

It depends on your situation. For me, I live in an area where I would feel safer bugging out than in. My house was not built with how easy it would be to board up in mind. LOL. I know of a great bug out location where I would feel much safer, IF (big if) am able to get there. I could make bugging in work, but only if I had to.
For you it would be the opposite. Plan on bugging in, but make plans for bugging out as a last resort.

I have two cats. one who is disabled, she has cerabellar hypoplasia so she wouldn't be able to run at all. My other is to much of a mommas girl.
As a teen I spent 3 months homeless with a cat. I can be done. I used a leash and halter that I made my self, and in situation where i couldn't have him walk he got quite used to hanging out in my pack with it open enough for him to get air.
You wouldn't have to trank them. I have some great stuff I got at petco called Petcalm. Its an herbal supplement that you can squirt in some wet food and it mellows them out with out knocking them out. It contains valerian root chamomile, hops, passion flower and scullcap. I used it when I was moving to help them adjust.

If the SHTF then the cats would be with me and I do not want to offend anyone but in some places they are food ....in some places cows are holy and not eaten. I know that you think its cruel ....I know that with the way we are brought up in america is that they are pets. If it came down to starving or losing a pet...well lets just say the pet would lose that one.
It would be as a last resort. Every living creature is food for something or someone.

if you have decided to stay home, aside from all essentials,
Get a sheet of plywood for each window of your house,
make it 3/4" plywood, Get 2" screws and maybe some 2x4"s
get a drill, and start securing all the openings to your house,
Brace your doors with the 2x4s
Plan an escape route
You wont be able to stop people from breaking in but you can slow them down and make it so they will be quite noisy trying to get in. giving you enough time to escape through that hole you cut into your floor that leads out through your crawlspace.

Or if you live in the city in an apartment,

fight every hobo and crazed nutjob lurking in the stairwells till you get outta town.

If your doing that chances are that it has realy hit the fan.
Plywood will not stop a bullet or a angry starving person long at all.
Hope you have a network of people to join up with because you just left your shelter and all the supplies that you have there that you couldn't carry on your back.
Life would suck if this did really happen for anyone. You would not have items to trade or to bring to wherever your headed, everything you preped for would be in the hands of strangers... or angry neighbors.

I know that and so do you ...however some people will have a hard time eating fifi in general soe's chicken.
I pray that it never come to that, however this country has seen much better days.

Whilst most people enjoy the company of their pets, various pets can have an advantage to having them around, obviously a big dog not only make a detterent to an intruder , they can also be trained to carry loads, or pull them should the need arise. I'd suggest buying your larger dog a harness to carry a backpack, and get them their own little kit ready, food water etc, let them wear it and get used to having it on.

As for cats, you'd be surprised how independant they can be should they feel the need, You don't feed a cat for a couple of days and ignore the mewing, you watch it head outside and catch its own bloody supper. The only reason they don't need to is because YOU are there to look after them.

Should the SitX be severe enough for you to vacate your home / premises in a hurry I think the last thing on your mind would be your pets, Yes we ALL love our pets and wouldn't want to harm them in any way, we treat them like people, THEY ARE NOT, their animals who survived long before man domesticated them. They'll revert to their natural instincts if your not there to look after their every whim.

Should TSHTF be bad enough you watch how many dogs that are left to roam by their owners will end up in a pack, from the smallest to the largest , they'll team up and overcome to look after themselves. Now, for example, You've escaped the cities with your family and your pet cat and a few months down the line you've managed to survive, I don't think your cat will stick around long enough to be cuddled of a night, even deaf cats have sharp eyesight, and could probably survive, only the fit survive, pets ( I know of a couple) that need medication will be a hinderance to YOUR OWN survival, besides meds will no longer be easily accessible so your pet may end up dying in your arms, its better to think " he's ok and running wild" than to see him expire looking mournfully at you and wondering why didn't you get him his meds?

That kind of thinking distracts and allows you to make mistakes which could be lethal to you and your family. Only pets that are fit and are able to pull their own weight WITH YOU will be able to be a use and a cause for keeping them.

My advice should the SHTF be bad enough, let the pets out, that includes cats and birds, and any 'exotic' pets, spiders, snakes and rodents. Let them fend for themselves, after all its what they did before you came along.

We all love our pets, but would we want to see them suffering with us ? I say let them go, it'll hurt less in the long run...

[edit on 17/8/09 by DataWraith]

Cats can actually be quite useful when hunkering out in a cave where there are rodents and spiders. Cats can be trained. My friend trained her cat to catch spiders for her on command, so i trained my cat after hearing that. All I have to do know is say "get the bug" and she gets all excited waiting for me to point out the general location. Hey they may even catch you a few squirrels, quail and maybe even a rabbit.

Thank you for all the replies! Some really good stuff to learn! I have been considering the lead/harness and as chilled out as cat's can be, if they are in an unfamiliar environment or feel at risk, there ain't nothing you can do to stop them freaking out and hurting themselves in the process.

Peoples suggestions of deserting them or using them for food is way too much of a no go for me. There is no way, no how that I would EVER leave them, even in a certain death situation. Even if they could survive on their own, I would never leave them, same as people wouldn't leave their kids in a similar situation.

The food... I'm more likely to kill a person to feed my cats (I'm a vegan, so hoping it doesn't come to that for me!) than that suggestion. Especially if someone else saw my cats as food because they had better run quick or they'll have a mad woman swinging a baseball bat at their head before they know it.

The advice on buckling down and giving survival your best shot from home was really good to hear. I have a years supply of food for the hubby and me, and the cats. It's just things like this that makes me wish we had access to guns. (even though I'm very against them in a normal situation.) There is only so much you can do with your normal every day items to fight back if necessary!

Thanks again for all your advice