Pets have been a big concern for me as well as diy euthanasia. I have 2 older dogs who are doing well as long as I take care of their frailties but under difficult circumstances I probaby wouldn't be able to keep them happy and comfortable, so with great sorrow in my heart I have made inquiries into how to best euthanize them if need be.

MMM stew! 😆

MMM stew! 😆

You know that you're are going straight to hell, don't you? Do not pass Go, do not collect 200 of anything! 😈 😉

Just finished reading 'One Second After'... that scene near the end of the book where he picked up his dying dog, (who was all skin and bones from starvation,) and told her that she could save one more life, and that his dead daughter was waiting to play with her again, that choked me up. Difficult to read when you have tears in your eyes.

I have pets, and that's why bugging out is not an option. Everything is set up to bug in. There's a special circle of hell reserved for those who abandon their pets.

There are natural herbal sedatives for dogs and cats that will settle them in stressful situations.

When I transitioned to a new location in the country, I moved with 3 ferile cats that had taken a long time to tame and other than myself will run away from any human that approaches them. There was no way I could leave them behind.

Putting them in a cage was bad enough but the added stress of being put in a running vehicle made matters worse. The seditive I used helped immensely. It was called PetCalm if I recall correctly, but there are various kinds. A good pet supply store should have it.

Edit -- I just re-checked and the product was called Rescue Remedy. It's a bottle of drops that you add to the drinking water.

I'm with aaronbouge,

If things got SO BAD that I had to bug out from my home, pets would take a second place to the survival of my family. I have cats, and I am confident they could survive on their own, by hunting. However, I can't see sending them off to fend for themselves, only to be ripped apart by some hungry Pitbull left by their owner. I have factored my pets into my bug-in plans, and have ample food for months of down time. To be fair, the local squirrels and birds will be the first victims of any apocalypse. I have no problem shooting them to feed my cats, or my family. (I hear eagle tastes like chicken). When times become desperate, I would dispatch my pets, to save them any future stress. I figure that would be one year into a catastrophy, as that is what I have factored into my provisions. Again, if things were that desperate, I would be absolutely STUPID to leave meat behind, that could feed my family for several more days or weeks.

downunderpom: Basing your decisions of survival, on a book that brought a tear to your eye, I suspect, you base all your survival planning on fictional writings. Sorry, but I will be looking for every resource I can find for survival of my family. That would probably include eating the neighbor's dog, cat, and pond fish too. As for a 'Special Circle In Hell' for abandoning your pets, does that include in incidences where the police block your street, neighborhood, or town from anyone entering, preventing you from getting home to feed Fluffy? Bugging out may not be an option, until you are prevented from getting home by law enforcement / military. At some point, the food is going to run out for the pets, then what? You are going to take food out of your kid's mouths to feed a pet? If you are all starving, is Fluffy going into the ground, or the pot?

downunderpom: Basing your decisions of survival, on a book that brought a tear to your eye, I suspect, you base all your survival planning on fictional writings.

Errr... no. The point I was making (or trying to) was that pets give us their unconditional love. We have a duty to provide them with the same. If you don't, they're not family members. Maybe they're a food source you're holding on to for when the SHTF?

To quote Lazarus Long (another fictional character,) "Do not confuse "duty" with what other people expect of you; they are utterly different. Duty is a debt you owe yourself to fulfil obligations you have assumed voluntarily. Paying that debt can entail anything from years of patient work to instant willingness to die. Difficult it may be, but the reward is self-respect."

The emphasis is on the 'assumed voluntarily' part.

As for a 'Special Circle In Hell' for abandoning your pets, does that include in incidences where the police block your street, neighborhood, or town from anyone entering, preventing you from getting home to feed Fluffy?

I should have specified 'voluntary' desertion, i.e. it was too 'hard', or 'too much trouble' to get to them to feed and/or protect them. And food for these 'furry family members' is part of my prepping.

And if I decide to stay and face the Mongol hordes, rather than desert my 'pets', that decision is mine, and mine alone, in conjunction with my other family members, who feel the same way that I do - that they would kill, or die, to protect our "Fluffy" friends. I don't tell you what value judgements you should make. Please do me the same courtesy.

Remember no matter what you post, you will not change someone's mind on the subject no matter what you say. Maybe someone can post different ways to bug out with pets, rather then just saying yes or no.

In my case my pets are like my children and I can't see leaving them behind. I have been looking into ways of bugging out with them. Things such as getting a van to hold them, producing their food (healthier for them too), herbal remedies, etc. I would prefer to take them with me.

When I had a fire, I had to get out of the house without them as I could not find them. I was a basket case. Although they were fine, I felt horrible for weeks afterwards. It made me realize that if push came to shove I would in fact leave them behind. Never in a million years had I thought I would be able to do that. Until you are faced with the truth of bugging out, you don't really know what you would do.

The problem with this subject is that there is no way to answer this question.. sorry folks.. not really!

Can you prep for your pets, for sure, and I do..

Can you plan and think and worry the mental problem of what you could or would do? sure, go for it.

Can you know what in fact will happen and what in fact you would do, I don't think so, I think that its well and truly a personal thing, if SHTF, it is possible that some of our members have decided that they would put down x or y for the best interests of their family..

It is possible that others in SHTF think that having a dog at their side is one of the best things that could be..

Perhaps for that single older person who is prepping, that cat that is their friend, will be the thing that keeps them getting up in the morning, keeps them making the choice that its all to hard, in that case, keeping the cat might in fact save that person's life..

I have been in some hard times in my life and I can honestly say that my hounds or purrpots have been held onto while I have been struggling to lift myself up, but can I say, what I would or would not do today.. No way at all..

I have some older critters on meds, if I could not get that meds, and could not safely treat them, would I want to see them in pain each day on a steady and slow decline, I would like to think I would not..

I have been evacuated due to a bomb threat back in my early twenties, and my dog was left in the area that was expected that it could have gone in, would it surprise you at all to know that I went in a back way, and got my dog out and then had to recross the police line with her, they could not figure out how they missed me 😉 on the door to door counts..

But back then, I didn't have a husband, now I might or might not make that same call.. in my later 20's I lived in a kill zone around a large gas plant, we had to have stickers in the doors for evac on what critters was in the house to be saved if possible, but I CHOOSE to live in a area that if I got took out, that I knew could be a no go, kill zone for my dogs/cats/horse, but that didn't stop me from living in that area, the red zone had the best choices in cheap rent on a good pasture land..

If and that is a big IF, I had to choose between saving my hubbies life by having food for him or feeding my hound, I know which one I would choose, I just hope that I NEVER have to make that choice in my lifetime..

We live in a area that the culture norms now include words like Fur-baby, or furry family member and I get it, I do, but we also need to remember and respect that there are still huge! amount of cultures in this world that do not and are likely never going to feel that way..

I respect them both, but I do feel that in many ways talking about animals as a member of the family is very much a first world issue, where talking about SHTF in a true down situation, you should look to the third world counties cultures, because I think it would be fair to say that it will give you a much clearer picture on what is likely to happen.

I was joking when I made my comment about stew:) And I do consider my pets when it comes to SHTF. I have two dogs, and they will be bugging out with me. They have their own packs, with their own food and water in them. I have taken one of my dogs on "bug out practice" twice and he has no problem carrying his pack. When doing caches, I will consider them as well and pack for them. My dogs are loved very much, almost as much as my kids, and I will do everything i can to protect them. In fact next sunday im even attending a doggy first aid course.

The cats are a different issue though. I have to of them. And I dont plan on taking them with me on a bug out. Unless its a bugout where I can drive to my location, then yes of course I will take them. But if I have to walk, boke, or whatever to get out and if Im forced to go deep within the mountains to survive, then Im sorry but my cats simply cant make the trip. I dont think I would actually go as far as making them into a stew before I left, but only one of two things can happen. I can either leave as much food for them as possible, then let them fend for themselves. They already spend lots of time outside and at least one of them is capable of hunting for his food. Or, if I believe they are going to die a long, brutal death from starvation, or as preppersaurus said a hungry pitbull ripping them apart, then the best option may be to euthanize them before I leave. It seems harsh. It's definately something I dont want to do. But preppersaurus is right, my kids, and even my dogs, hold higher priority then they do.Anyone who owns hamsters, fish, snakes, or anything else incapable of coming along with them needs to prep for euthanziation as well. I dont think Ill end up in Hell for this line of thinking.

As with others, I plan to bring along the dogs.
My husky and pitbull are integral parts of my security system, and I also have food and water packed for them.
The only person that actually walks all the way up my front walkway is the mail woman, believe it or not!
The positioning of my dogs outside prevent visitors from daring to get within 20 feet of the front door.
Also,once I get another BOL set up, there will be caches for them as well.
I only plan out solid structure BOL's, so yes, the cat will also come along, as rodent protection.

I'm with aaronbouge,

If things got SO BAD that I had to bug out from my home, pets would take a second place to the survival of my family. I have cats, and I am confident they could survive on their own, by hunting. However, I can't see sending them off to fend for themselves, only to be ripped apart by some hungry Pitbull left by their owner. I have factored my pets into my bug-in plans, and have ample food for months of down time. To be fair, the local squirrels and birds will be the first victims of any apocalypse. I have no problem shooting them to feed my cats, or my family. (I hear eagle tastes like chicken). When times become desperate, I would dispatch my pets, to save them any future stress. I figure that would be one year into a catastrophy, as that is what I have factored into my provisions. Again, if things were that desperate, I would be absolutely STUPID to leave meat behind, that could feed my family for several more days or weeks.

downunderpom: Basing your decisions of survival, on a book that brought a tear to your eye, I suspect, you base all your survival planning on fictional writings. Sorry, but I will be looking for every resource I can find for survival of my family. That would probably include eating the neighbor's dog, cat, and pond fish too. As for a 'Special Circle In Hell' for abandoning your pets, does that include in incidences where the police block your street, neighborhood, or town from anyone entering, preventing you from getting home to feed Fluffy? Bugging out may not be an option, until you are prevented from getting home by law enforcement / military. At some point, the food is going to run out for the pets, then what? You are going to take food out of your kid's mouths to feed a pet? If you are all starving, is Fluffy going into the ground, or the pot?

I'd be more concerned about hungry people going after cats and small dogs ....I don't think you would need to worry about pitbulls at this point going after cats 😕

I was joking when I made my comment about stew:)

Hence the wink ( 😉 )

Who is going to be hauling the bag of Kibbles and Bits for the dogs? I had 2 huskies and they tend to eat alot. Sure you can back off the rations, then they weaken, and become prone to sickness. Couldn't imagine strapping a sled to them and let them haul their own stuff. I would never see them again. Huskies are runners. Mine were. I bet when all that food runs out, there is going to be some hard decision making for the Hellbound.

Dogs would be of more value on a walking bug out, than a cat. They can warn of bears etc. But they will still require a lot of food.

I'm not letting any of my pets suffer. By the same token, If it has come down to that, I'll be making full use of the resources at hand, and I probably wouldn't be burying good meat, while my family starved. Juicy is right. Any stray pitbull would be dinner for a hungry Preppersaurus.

well if there is a spot in hell for people that abandon their pets then i guess im driving the bus down there!!! a dog can come along when it comes time to bug out. A cat... not a snowballs chance in hell, IMO cats are about as useless as a dull razor!!! That may sound harsh, but im ok with it. I guess it's a good thing i dont have a cat.