PrepPet emergency kit checklist
What to have ready for your pets if the power goes off or you have to leave home. Tell us about your pets, tick off what you have, and print the list. Nothing leaves this browser.
Your pets
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Your pet emergency kit
Leads, carriers and bowls are per pet, using the pets number above. We use 1 if you've left it at 0.
Check it again every 6 months.
Food and water
Carrying and control
Health
Hygiene and comfort
Papers, in a waterproof bag
Arrange ahead
From preppantry.app. Checked 2 November 2026. Independent tool, not official advice.
How it works
Be Ready's checklist asks for pet food and bottled water. For the rest we used the British Red Cross pet list (food and water, leads, harnesses or carriers, medication, bedding, waste bags or litter), the PDSA's emergency bag for pet owners, and the RSPCA's advice on flooding. The papers come from the RSPCA: microchip numbers, vet details and vaccination records, sealed in a watertight bag with a photo.
Water: no official source gives a volume for pets. Be Ready says only to keep extra, so ask your vet. Our supplies calculator counts 1 litre per pet per day as a planning estimate, which may not suit your animal.
Pets can be hard to move in a hurry. Practise getting a cat into its carrier, and keep the carrier somewhere you can reach. If you have to leave, take your pets with you if you can. Blue Cross says to avoid leaving animals behind, even somewhere you think is safe: it could lead to injury, and it may be several days before you can get home.
If you're evacuated, your pets may not be allowed into a reception centre, as West Berkshire Council warns, so agree with a friend or relative who could take them, and ask your council what it does. If animals are stranded or in danger in a flood, don't try to rescue them yourself. Call the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999 (8am to 6pm), or 999 in an emergency.
Common questions
What should be in a pet emergency kit?
The PDSA lists a week's supply of sealed food, fresh water, collapsible bowls, poo bags, bedding, a lead, medication and proof of vaccinations. Add a carrier, your vet's details and a recent photo.
How much food should I keep for my pet in an emergency?
The PDSA suggests a sealed week's supply. Check the date when you check your kit, and rotate it into normal feeding.
How much water does my pet need in an emergency?
No official source gives a volume. Be Ready says to keep bottled water for pets, and its water page says extra may be needed. Ask your vet what suits your animal.
Can I take my pet to a rest centre?
Don't count on it. West Berkshire Council warns that pets may not be allowed into a reception centre, and to be ready to look after them outside, so plan ahead with a friend or relative. Ask your own council what it does. Assistance animals have their own plan: Be Ready has a page for disabled people and carers.
What do I do with my pet in a flood?
The RSPCA says to bring small animals inside and upstairs if you can, and move food, bedding and water somewhere dry. Keep pets away from flood water, and call the RSPCA or 999 rather than trying a rescue yourself.
Sources
- Be Ready checklist
- British Red Cross: prepare an emergency kit
- PDSA: flood safety for pets (6 January 2023)
- RSPCA: keeping animals safe during floods
- Blue Cross: preparing for a flood with your pet
- Be Ready: advice for disabled persons and carers (assistance animals)
- West Berkshire Council: animal welfare during emergencies
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Checked on 2 November 2026. This is an independent tool and not official advice. See sources and method.