7 Day Challenge Day 4: Pet Preparedness

Welcome to the 2024 7 Day Challenge. For 7 days, we are testing our Emergency Preparedness and Food Storage Plans. Each day will bring about a NEW mini challenge that will focus on a different aspect of our preparedness plans.

In order to receive each day’s emergency scenario in your email please sign up for the 7 Day Challenge email list or subscribe via text by texting 7daychallenge to 717-788-3663.

REMEMBER: To get the most out of the challenge, don’t be too literal about the scenarios. Modify them to fit YOUR family’s situation. Also, try to actually DO each day’s challenge. Don’t try to justify why you wouldn’t “need” to. The point is to PRACTICE our skills!

DAY 4: Car Kits

When emergency strikes most of us want to take care of our pets as though they are members of our family. It is important to prepare adequately for them so that they are not a burden on your family in times of strife. Today we will practice making some homemade pet food and inventory our pet supplies.

POSSIBLE SCENARIOS:

Any emergency that would affect humans will also affect your pets. Consider how you would prepare for them in an evacuation situation as well as a shelter-in-place situation.

MINI CHALLENGE: Make some homemade pet food or treat

Remember the mini challenge can be done at any time during the day that fits your schedule. Take some time to actually DO the task and don’t just “think” your way through it.

🍩 If you don’t have a pet, make your family a treat using your food storage today!
🐶 Make a batch of dog or cat food using proteins, grains, veggies, and fats (here is a sample recipe)
🍪 Make some homemade cat or dog treats (google a recipe or try this one of mine!)
🎒 Go through your 72 hour kits and make sure you have supplies for your pets (food, leash, medicine)
📋 Make a meal plan using all shelf stable/freeze-dried or dehydrated foods for your pets
🗓️ Calculate out a year supply (or however long you want) of food for your pet
📷 Take some pictures along the way of your adventures today
🗣️ Share your experiences in our Facebook Group daily discussion thread
✔️ Go through the “evaluate” section below and look for any things missing or that need to up updated in regards to pet preparedness. Add them to your worksheets found under the “plan” section.

EVALUATE:

Inventory the resources you currently have to prepare your pets for any emergency situation. Here are a few questions to ask yourself :

Bug Out: Are your pets a part of your evacuation plans? Would you be able to evacuate on foot with them? Do you have food, water, medical supplies, leashes, etc. specifically for your pets? Are your pets well-trained? (v iew contents list for a pet 72 hour kit here)
Shelter-In-Place: Do you have a supply of food or ingredients to make food to feed your pets for an extended period of time? Did you include your pets in your water storage calculations? Do you have some pet medications on hand in case of injury or sickness? (consider downloading this brochure on “saving the whole family” for more resources)

PLAN:

Print out the worksheets below and add items you need to do, to learn, and to buy as you find holes in your preparedness plans throughout the week. Print multiple sheets as needed. These worksheets will become your road map for improving your preps over the next few months.

I will also be posting a lot on instagram (@jodi_foodstoragemadeeasy) over the next few days as I go through the challenges on my own. Come join the fun there and use hash tag #fsme7daychallenge if you are sharing your own adventures as well.