# Pets?



## ghostman (Dec 11, 2014)

I have two indoor cats and have always wondered when things go bad and I need to leave what should I do with them? When I mean leave I mean as in I may not be back for months, years, maybe ever. I thought the best thing would be to set them free and hope their animal instincts take over and they can survive.


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## BagLady (Feb 3, 2014)

If I had cats that's what I would do. Turn them loose. The dogs have to eat too.

By the way, you are my 1000th post!! You don't win anything, but I should. 
Hear that Admin?? I should get a prize!! 
(Not a subscription to Cats-R-Us either) :101:


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## knfmn1 (Dec 2, 2014)

We have four furry kids and have prepared for them as best as we can. We have supplies stored for them here and at our secondary location. They are indoor cats as well, so the goal is to keep them with us as long as it is feasible, sharing our food with them if need be. If things go on for long enough, we'll see if they're as good at hunting as they think they are.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Cats have a job . Rodent control and they do a fine job of it. The Dog, keeps the Cats on their toes and does guard duty. The Bird and fish back up cat food.


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## Hemi45 (May 5, 2014)

Provided they're not declawed I'd set them free and trust their odds of survival are better than yours.


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## Moonshinedave (Mar 28, 2013)

Plan to take the cats with you. I'm not a cat person, but I have two dogs, No way, I'd ever consider leaving them behind.


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## csi-tech (Apr 13, 2013)

Don't tell these people about your cats man! There are some on this board that consider skewered feline a delicacy.


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## SquirrelBait (Jun 6, 2014)

My dogs go with.


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## BagLady (Feb 3, 2014)

Well, duh. It goes without saying that the DOGS will go with the humans. They are very useful. They even kill and eat mice or rats! 
The only thing a cat is good for is oven mitts. :cool-new:


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## Sasquatch (Dec 12, 2014)

BagLady said:


> If I had cats that's what I would do. Turn them loose. The dogs have to eat too.
> 
> By the way, you are my 1000th post!! You don't win anything, but I should.
> Hear that Admin?? I should get a prize!!
> (Not a subscription to Cats-R-Us either) :101:


Another example of Obama changing of America. Someone wanting something for doing nothing. :icon_wink:


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## BagLady (Feb 3, 2014)

Sasquatch said:


> Another example of Obama changing of America. Someone wanting something for doing nothing. :icon_wink:


Hey Furball, I've spent nearly a year of my life entertaining here for free!!
...something for nothing...:smiley_simmons:


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

I have multiple rescued rottweilers. They are my 24 hour warning system. I've a really old girl that meds are keeping her having a good quality of life. Meds run out & would have to do the humane thing for her.

The dogs get quality kibble of which I have about 200lbs stashed away. But that is only half their diet. So easily keep two months of food for them. Also keep atleast two months worth of flea & tick control as well as ivomec for heartworm prevention.


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## Boss Dog (Feb 8, 2013)

If you can't take your pets with you, the best thing to do is to put them down. It is incredibly cruel to just turn them lose to fend for themselves after generations of being bred to depend on man. They also would turn feral and cause a lot of problems for other people they run into. 


By the way, did you know that cats, skinned, cut up and packaged, look just like rabbit? :icon_surprised:


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## MikeyPrepper (Nov 29, 2012)

I have a dog and cat and there both coming with me!!


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## Diver (Nov 22, 2014)

Once our team is assembled we will have 8 dogs. Don't even think about getting in undetected. LOL


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## Moonshinedave (Mar 28, 2013)

I believe when you adopt a pet, any pet, you take on the responsibility of caring for him/her. Plans should be made to take them with you, if you are one of the type people that a pet is just a thing, then IMO, you should not be a pet owner in the first place.


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## MI.oldguy (Apr 18, 2013)

Our dog would definitely come with us.I dont care what the rest of you say.


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## sargedog (Nov 12, 2012)

Now I am just plain sad, I miss my dog. He was like my youngest kid, he was very protective of our daughter. They kind of grew up together, he would have died for her. He was a 152 pounds of lean, mean, fightin' Rott.lol Someone poisoned him, I never found out who and I'm glad cause someone would been hurt bad. One day my daughter was small and the Jehovah's witness came in our yard, he got between them and her and showed them all his teeth. I can't have another right now, and not sure I would cause he was part of the family. I would have never left him behind.


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## tirednurse (Oct 2, 2013)

Ok this is probably not a popular view on this but here goes. I have a lot of animals both pets and livestock and love them all. If I had to leave I would take as many with me as it is possible to do so. If I could not take them I think the more responsible thing to do would be to euthanize them, not set them out to fend for themselves. you are talking about domestic animals with no clue how to care for themselves. Also imagine if everyone did this. domestic animals far exceed the number of people so you will be sending billions of animals out there to now take care of themselves. this is only going to turn out bad. they would not be able to find enough food and those dogs you have set free will be the first to decide us humans that gave us the easy meals before, look like an easy meal when their is no kibble in the bowl. Dogs will form packs similar to wolves and come after what they know to be an easy meal. 
Besides that with all of these animals running loose I would think they could also spread disease faster also. cats eat rats cats bite, scratch and then you are infected too.


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## Notsoyoung (Dec 2, 2013)

Moonshinedave said:


> I believe when you adopt a pet, any pet, you take on the responsibility of caring for him/her. Plans should be made to take them with you, if you are one of the type people that a pet is just a thing, then IMO, you should not be a pet owner in the first place.


I couldn't agree more. If you aren't responsible enough to take care of animals that depend on you, then don't get them. Also every Winter our cats bring mice to us. I have never found any droppings or damage from rodents on any of our food packages. They pull their weight and do what I want them to do in addition to giving us countless hours of comfort and entertainment. Also, it is possible to have both cats and dogs. It's easier if you have the cats when the dog is a puppy.

Growing up out in the country, every farm that I know of had both cats and dogs, and a majority of them had both indoor and outdoor cats. There was a reason for that.


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## Hemi45 (May 5, 2014)

I'll add, while cats could and would thrive if they were turned loose, I would NEVER leave my dogs behind.


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## LONE WOLF (Dec 12, 2014)

I couldn't imagine leaving my cat behind. He will be coming with us!


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## thepeartree (Aug 25, 2014)

The only difference is that dogs are family members while cats only use us as a convenient source of meals. Not to say that they don't like us, sort of like us having a favorite fruit tree...


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## Doc Holliday (Dec 22, 2012)

csi-tech said:


> Don't tell these people about your cats man! There are some on this board that consider skewered feline a delicacy.


I so wanted to make a joke on eating *****, er cats


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## alterego (Jan 27, 2013)

A 22 rimfire. If you do not want to waste the ammo blunt force to the back of the head. Ferrell cats kill substantial wild life that person's in the area may depend on. Turning this animals out is irresponsible. And you are taking your lack of responsible management and creating a burden on others. Cloaked under the guise of being humane. Think post Katrina. Many people took the same stance and turned their animals out. The suffering was well documented. The damage to the local animals was well documented.


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## longrider (Mar 25, 2013)

I've read of packs of once-domesticated dogs in Detroit, that are now feral. And not afraid of humans. The humane society there had caught 35 packs of feral dogs - not individual dogs, but Packs of dogs in one month. One month. That was in the beginning of Detroits drain circling. Jus think of the number of dangerous, hungry dogs that would/will be out there when SHTF. If you can't take the cats, put 'em down. But make the effort to take them. Just think of the comfort they will bring, when there isn't much comfort out there. Plus, they can catch mice in your eventual BOL. All of my animals are coming with me. 2 horses, 2 dogs. I'm prepping for them, too. They will work along side of me.

On the flip side, when SHTF I'll take down and cook any feral animals I see. Dogs, cats, bunnies; collar or no. I'm still top of the food chain, for now.


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## rickkyw1720pf (Nov 17, 2012)

ghostman said:


> I have two indoor cats and have always wondered when things go bad and I need to leave what should I do with them? When I mean leave I mean as in I may not be back for months, years, maybe ever. I thought the best thing would be to set them free and hope their animal instincts take over and they can survive.


Cats have a good chance of making it on their own. 25 years after Chernobyl nuclear accident the third generation of cats are doing fine even though the natural predators like bears and wolves have returned.


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## longrider (Mar 25, 2013)

How many eyes do these Chernobyl cats have each?


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## rickkyw1720pf (Nov 17, 2012)

longrider said:


> How many eyes do these Chernobyl cats have each?


I would say the cats made it and will be ok, since this would be the 3rd or 4th generation and after 25 years the radiation would be a fraction of what their great grandfathers lived through.


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## oddapple (Dec 9, 2013)

All ours are family. We bug out together and it's theme park for them.
They get daily diet for pox & rad, but animals drinking water with algae in it get some protection from both. People use algae for both. 
Dogs eat basically 1/3meat, 1/3 veg & 1/3 grain, cats need some minerals in tiny amts but you can look it up.
We are ok deep wilderness too, which helps but going to try being easier than that and just lay low year 1


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## rjd25 (Nov 27, 2014)

I realize some people view their pets as kids and this post may come across as insensitive for which I apologize. I have always viewed pets as more of a hinderance if the need ever arose to bug out. They are more mouths to feed, can be unpredictable, throw OPSEC into upheaval, and on and on. I have a no pet rule in my house and thats how I think i'll keep it.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Roaming packs of once domesticated dogs fear no human. This makes them dangerous. It won't be that much of a danger in the country, we know how to deal with such threats...but imagine the big cities. Longrider points out the Detroit feral dog situation is out of control. Don't let that happen in your city.


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## alterego (Jan 27, 2013)

Moonshinedave said:


> I believe when you adopt a pet, any pet, you take on the responsibility of caring for him/her. Plans should be made to take them with you, if you are one of the type people that a pet is just a thing, then IMO, you should not be a pet owner in the first place.


where do you draw the line. Pet fish in a bowl? Parakeet in a cage? Pet rabbit. Goat for your kids 4h participation. Or just your defied dog.

Lack of consistent direction proves that you are operating on emotions.

Animals are not the same as people.

This silly emotionally charged mentality is pervasive and permeates society. It starts in little girls and old women then transmits it self into men with no balls.

the next thing you know the liberals are trying to force taxation to support health insurance for pets.


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## shooter (Dec 25, 2012)

I have 2 dogs and if I have to bug out they are coming with me. When I sleep they are my guards, both are good hunters and the emotional support will help keep me sane.


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## 3forus (Sep 8, 2014)

I would dispatch any cat that was an indoor cat, they will never make it on their own, it will be kinder for both parties. Dogs I would take unless it was a useless ankle bitter, but some of the little shits will alert you with yapping, but that my give a hindrance to your life, But If SHTF fast, I would only take what I could feed and make sure I could keep


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## david1990 (Jan 20, 2014)

3forus said:


> I would dispatch any cat that was an indoor cat, they will never make it on their own, it will be kinder for both parties. Dogs I would take unless it was a useless ankle bitter, but some of the little shits will alert you with yapping, but that my give a hindrance to your life, But If SHTF fast, I would only take what I could feed and make sure I could keep


I completely disagree! Cats and pigs go feral so fast that even indoor cats would survive and probably flourish without people. No need to "dispatch."


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