"My little old dog: A heartbeat at my feet." - Edith Wharton

Planning for emergencies takes only a little time, and it might save you great heartache in an already stressful situation.

Many animals (including cats) can be trained to come at a specific call. This is invaluable in an emergency. For instance, in June of 2008, there was an electrical fire in an apartment that contained three cats. The cats had been trained this way and responded to the owner's call, despite the noise of the fire. The owner was able to stuff them in their carrier just in time to be ushered out of the building by a fireman - who would not have waited even one second more for her to catch a recalcitrant cat.

In addition to a call, ensure you have enough carriers, cages and leashes for all the pets that live with you. Place this equipment in an easy to reach and well-known location so there is no scrambling to find them when the emergency hits. Keep shot records and other important medical information in a folder that is also easy to get to.

This page (obviously), needs more work. In the meantime, again, go visit the Forums for help and information. 

Here's a few links you might find helpful.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), www.fema.gov