Tornado season in Texas can be very scary and dangerous for your pet birds. Being prepared is some of the best advice I can give you. You may have a very short time to act and having a plan and safe route is imperative to you and your pet's safety. Every household is different and every plan will be different. Having a plan can mean the difference between life and death.
Please feel free to add your safety tips to the blog comments on the bottom of the page.
Any tip that can help someone is greatly appreciated.
Here is a quick list of items to have ready for emergency situations.
- Carrier with water bottle attached - clean and with a towel or paper towel in the bottom ready for quick evacuation. It is best to have 1 for each pet.
- Clean towels - I like to have hand towels and a larger one to cover the carrier. You may need to wrap your bird in a towel to get him in the carrier.
- Bottled water - have enough for you and your pets for a few days
- Apples, oranges, and ziploc bags with your birds food & treats
Know where you are going to stay to be safe. Have a plan that everyone in your household knows. Having your children have responsibilities in the emergency plan can help keep them calm.
Don't forget to remain as calm as possible and take a deep breath if you need to. Your bird will feel your anxiety and this can make him even more scared than he already is.
The Red Cross Tornado App has some great pointers. I just downloaded it so that I can be warned ahead of time. I haven't used it yet, but a good friend recommended it. It has a feature that let's you notify people when you are safe after the storm has passed via social media & e-mail.
In most cases you will be fine after a couple hours. It is always better to have your bird ticked off at you for a change in routine than lost forever.