# The pet go-bag: packed before the forecast says so

> CDC and AVMA on pet disaster kits: two weeks of food, water and meds, records in a waterproof sleeve, and an evacuation plan you have actually practiced.

Canonical: https://readynorthpets.com/blog/pet-go-bag-before-the-storm/

---

Storm season in New England does not send invitations. The CDC's pet preparedness advice boils down to one move: build the disaster kit now, with your veterinarian's help if needed, so a bad forecast is a checklist review instead of a shopping trip.

## Two weeks, not two days

The CDC's kit math is longer than most people guess: a two-week supply of food for each animal in waterproof containers, two weeks of water, two weeks of any medications, and non-spill food and water dishes.

Think of it as a buffer for the scenario where stores are closed, roads are out, or you are staying somewhere that is not home. Ask your veterinarian for help putting the medication side together.

## Paperwork in a waterproof sleeve

The CDC's document list is short and specific: photocopied veterinary records, prescriptions for medications, registration or adoption papers as proof of ownership, recent photographs of each pet, and a waterproof container to hold all of it.

The photos are not sentimental. If you and a pet get separated, a current picture and proof of ownership are what turn a found animal into your animal.

## The kit is half the plan

The AVMA pairs the kit with the logistics around it: an evacuation kit for every member of the household, pets included; a pre-arranged evacuation site outside the impacted area; and a transport plan you have actually practiced with all pets and their supplies.

Practice is the part that gets skipped. A carrier that only appears for vet visits is a carrier your cat will fight at the worst moment; loading it on a calm Saturday makes the real thing one problem smaller.

## Review it with the seasons

A go-bag rots quietly: food expires, water goes stale, the puppy outgrows the harness. Tie a review to something you already do - the first storm watch of the season, the smoke-alarm battery change - and swap anything dated.

Keep a dated note of what is in the kit and when you checked it. When a warning actually posts, you are confirming a list instead of inventing one, and your notes say exactly what needs replacing.

## Sources

- [CDC Healthy Pets: Build a pet disaster preparedness kit](https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-pets/emergency-preparedness/preparedness-kit.html)
- [AVMA: Pets and disasters](https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/pet-owners/emergency-care/pets-and-disasters)

[More from the blog](https://readynorthpets.com/index.html)