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