What should be in an emergency kit for a pet?
Pets get left off almost every emergency checklist, which is odd given how many UK households have one. The planning they need is small, and most of it is a spare of something you already own, kept somewhere you will find it.
This page covers what to add for a dog or cat, why a carrier and a spare lead matter more than they look, and what to write down. Then it builds the list around your household.
Built around publicly available UK emergency preparedness guidance.
What to add for a dog or cat
Pets need the same planning you do: food, water, sanitation and a way to move them. None of it is expensive, and most of it is a duplicate of something already in the cupboard rather than a new purchase.
- A sealed supply of their usual food, and extra water
- A collapsible bowl that packs flat
- A spare lead or harness kept with the kit, not by the door
- Waste bags, and a travel litter tray for a cat
- A carrier, if you have an animal you could not walk out with
- Microchip number, vet details, any medicines and doses, and a recent photo
Why the spare lead and carrier matter
The two items people underestimate are the spare lead and the carrier, and for the same reason: they are the difference between leaving with your animal and leaving without them. A lead kept with the kit means you are not hunting for one in the dark with somewhere to be.
A carrier is the harder one. If you have a cat, or a small dog you could not simply walk out with, there is no improvising it at short notice. It is the one pet item worth buying specifically rather than borrowing from the everyday routine.
Food and water, and why not to switch brands
Keep a sealed supply of their usual food rather than a generic bag, because a sudden change of food upsets most animals and an emergency is a bad time to find that out. Rotate it the way you rotate your own tins: use the kit supply, replace it, put the new one at the back.
Water is the part most people forget to scale. If you are storing water for the household, add for the animals as well. A collapsible bowl costs very little and packs flat enough to live in a grab bag.
Records you will want and cannot look up
Write down the microchip number, your vet contact details, and any medicines with their doses. Add a recent photo of you with the animal: if you are ever separated, that photo does more to prove ownership than a description does.
Keep it with your other documents rather than in a drawer of its own. One page, with the rest of the paperwork you would want if you had to leave.
Staying put, and leaving
Most UK disruptions ask you to stay home, and a pet is straightforward there: food, water and sanitation indoors. Leaving is the harder case, which is why the carrier, the lead and the records are the items that move to the front of a grab bag.
If you drive with your animals, a bowl, some food and a spare lead in the boot cover the common case of a breakdown with a dog in the back.
What this page does not cover
We do not recommend buying or stockpiling veterinary medicines. What helps is a written list of what your animal takes and the dose, and a conversation with your vet if you are unsure about supplies. Hotels and emergency accommodation vary a great deal on whether they take animals, so it is worth knowing in advance where you would go.
A home kit for two adults and a pet
What the builder produces for a household with animals, over 72 hours. Add children or a baby and the list changes with you.
Pet food
Your animals need the same planning you do, and a sudden change of food upsets them.
How much: 3 days of food (1 day of food x 3 days)
Pet water and collapsible bowl
Extra water for your pets, and a bowl that packs flat if you have to leave.
Spare lead or harness
A spare kept with the kit means you are never hunting for one when you need to move quickly.
Waste bags and litter
Sanitation for pets matters as much as it does for people, especially indoors.
Bottled drinking water
Mains water can be interrupted or put under a boil notice. Bottled water needs no power and no preparation.
How much: 18 L (3 L x 2 people x 3 days)
Manual tin opener
An electric opener is useless in a power cut, and a stocked cupboard you cannot open is not a food supply.
Shelf-stable food
Food that keeps without a fridge and can be eaten cold if you have no way to cook.
How much: 6 days of food (1 day of food x 2 people x 3 days)
LED torch
A phone torch drains the battery you need for calls. A proper torch is the most useful thing in a power cut.
How much: 2 lights (1 per person)
Plus 25 more items in the full list, including warmth, hygiene and documents.
Common questions
- What should be in an emergency kit for a dog or cat?
- A sealed supply of their usual food, extra water and a collapsible bowl, a spare lead or harness, waste bags or a travel litter tray, a carrier if you could not walk out with them, and a note of the microchip number, vet details and any medication.
- How much pet food should I store?
- Enough for the period you are covering, usually 72 hours, kept sealed and rotated. Keep their usual food rather than a generic bag: a sudden change upsets most animals.
- Do I really need a pet carrier?
- If you have a cat, or a dog you could not simply walk out with, yes. It is the one pet item you cannot improvise at short notice, and it is the difference between taking your animal and not.
- What records should I keep for my pet?
- The microchip number, your vet contact details, any medicines and doses, and a recent photo of you with the animal in case you are ever separated. Keep it with your other documents.
- Should the pet kit go in the car?
- A bowl, some food and a spare lead in the boot are worth it if you drive with your animals. The main supply belongs with the home kit.
Build a kit with your pets included
Tell us about your household and we will add the food, water and sanitation your animals need, then show you what you are still missing.
Build a pet kit listRelated reading
- Family emergency kitHow quantities change with children, babies and pets.
- What should be in a UK emergency kit?The categories most households need, and why.
- Grab bagA ready-to-leave bag personalised for your household.
- Car emergency kitWhat belongs in the boot for breakdowns and winter waits.
- Reviewing your kit twice a yearTen minutes, twice a year, keeps a kit from expiring.
My Emergency Kit is an independent service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the UK Government or emergency services. Our suggestions are general information for UK households, not professional, medical or emergency advice. In an emergency call 999.