Evacuating Before Hurricane Irene With Pets
Hurricane
Irene found part of my family evacuated from our South Jersey home in
the summer of 2011. Thankfully two family members were already out of
state visiting relatives so that left myself, my adult son, my Vos
Eclectus Ruby and our 16 yr old cat having to find a safe place to stay
in a very big hurry. A young couple (very dear friends) quickly invited
us and another couple to come 5 miles inland and take shelter with
them in their very tiny one bedroom apartment. It took an entire day to
secure our house. We truly appreciated having a place to go since it
would have been very difficult to find a motel that would accommodate a
parrot and a cat! Our friends did not bat an eye as two families moved
in with big bags of personal necessities that we all were afraid to
leave behind as well as our litter box, table top perch plus cat and
bird carriers! Ruby, who is a habitual plucker due to food allergies,
has recently started on a strict all raw veggie/fruit diet plus specific
healthy seeds and nuts as well as Lucy's Unpellet and other nutritious
food selections from Phoenix Foraging Rolls, LLC.
My
biggest concern was not having access to fresh foods for her since the
stores and all the roads were closed even where we were staying. What
was I to do to insure Ruby had healthy food to eat for the duration
since she refuses to eat frozen fruits and vegetables? I soon found I
was able to relax and rely completely on my supply of Lucy's foods for
the two nights/three days we were evacuated. It turned out this also
helped keep Ruby calm because it was the one familiar feeling of
home....she was without her cage, her toys and her home surroundings but
Lucy's foods were now also her comfort food and I found listening to
her rhythmic munching had a calming effect on me as my son and I spent
the time wondering if we'd have a house to return to. Evacuation was
lifted on the third day and we nervously drove through familiar streets
now littered with the remnants of Irene. We were overjoyed to find our
house was just as we left it with only downed trees and debris to
contend with. There was not even one broken window!
The first
thing I did was place Ruby back on top of her huge cage and she
promptly tucked her head under her wing and proceeded to take her first
deep sleep in three days as my son and I started to put furniture back
in place and hook electronic equipment back up in the rest of the
house. It would take a good three days to get the house all put back
together but it was only three hours after we returned home that I
truly knew all would be ok because that is when I heard coming from the
bedroom Ruby's loud girly laughter. My little redhead was happy to be
home and as I let out a big sigh of relief, I realized so was I.
