6 gadgets pet owners need during storms

A little rain isn’t too bad, but a full-blown storm can have serious consequences, including flooding roads and potentially leaving people stranded and unable to get home quickly to their pets. There is. When making emergency plans, it’s important to consider your pet’s health as well. Because pets are domesticated, they depend on us for their needs such as food, water, and shelter. It is up to us to ensure that they are properly cared for during times of uncertainty, such as during natural disasters.

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In an ideal world, you would be able to be next to your pet to reassure them when you find yourself in a scary situation. After all, no gadget can replace real existence. However, there may be times, such as medical professionals, essential workers, and emergency responders, who need to be located away from them to perform their duties. Dangerous terrain may also leave you stranded at school or work and unable to return home immediately.

In general, alleviating your pet’s anxiety during a storm primarily involves making sure that your pet is physically safe and has a place to feel safe. When these needs are met, they’re more likely to be able to better regulate their stress, even when you’re not around. To that end, there are some gadgets that can help ease your worries when you’re far away from your fur baby. Here we will introduce some of them.

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Anyone who’s ever owned a cat knows the anxiety of not knowing if your cat is just hiding or has completely run away from your home. These days, you may want to get a smart collar with GPS capabilities and additional health tracking features. If you don’t know where to start looking, you can get some ideas from our list of the top-rated smart collars for dogs. You can also get popular trackers like the Apple AirTag, but they may lack some of the pet-specific useful features that smart collars have. Tile has a tracker specifically designed for cats, but only the big brands seem to offer it. Apart from smart collars, you should also consider microchipping your pet. This will help enable other features on this list, such as smart doors and food dispensers.

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Using a pet camera, you can not only check things like whether food and waterers are working properly, but also check various interactions that can make your pet feel less lonely when you’re away. The Furbo 360 Cat Camera ($210) allows you to remotely observe your cat, give it treats, and even attaches a feather wand toy that you can use to keep your cat busy. Not to mention, it also features smart alerts like vomit alert, continuous bark alert, and Furbo Cat Nanny subscription. Alternatively, Furbo also offers the Furbo 360 Dog Camera ($210) for dog owners. This has similar functionality, but alerts you to dog barks.

During storm season, one of the most important things for pet owners to think about is how to make sure their pet has something to eat and drink, especially if you won’t be around for an extended period of time.

One of the best-selling pet feeders on Amazon is the VOLUAS Automatic Cat Feeder (starting at $59.99), which has an average of 4.5 stars from nearly 10,000 reviews. With a maximum capacity of 6L, it can store up to 40 servings of grains around 10mm. Most importantly, it can also operate from a wired power outlet or battery. This is perfect if your home is prone to power outages. However, if you have a pet that requires a special diet or medication to be mixed into their food, you can get the SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder ($174.99) instead.

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One of the main benefits of automatic pet fountains is that they have a built-in filter, so you don’t have to change or refill the water frequently. Highly rated pet fountains include the Veken 2.8L Pet Fountain ($26.99), rated by over 36,000 users with an average rating of 4.3 stars. However, if you have a large dog or a household with multiple pets, check out the SIBAYS 7L Dog Water Fountain ($39.99), which provides more than double the hydration. With an average 4-star rating from over 800 pet parents, one full tank can last your large dog for almost a week.

If you’re a pet owner who normally lets your pet roam freely in your backyard or neighborhood, you may be worried that your pet will suddenly be trapped outdoors during a storm. It can be difficult to get them into your home from where they roam, but there are ways to ensure they stay indoors once they’re already there. It’s a smart pet door.

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To keep small dogs and large cats contained, the 11″ x 9.8″ CEESC Extra Large Cat Door ($22.99) is highly rated with an average of 4.4 stars from 9,000 reviewers on Amazon Optional. However, the only drawback is that the locking method has to be done face-to-face with a physical switch, so you can’t change it remotely, but that’s fine if you can secure your pet before leaving the house. It can be a budget option. .

For a more advanced option to keep other animals out of your home, the SureFlap Sure Petcare Microchip Pet Door ($199.99) uses RFID to detect up to 32 pet microchips and is battery operated, so it requires no power No need to worry. Power outage. However, if you want to see if your pet is already indoors and want to remotely confine your pet in the event of a sudden storm, you may want to purchase the PetSafe SmartDoor (starting at $399.95). Not only does it come with an app, it’s also battery powered and can be used with larger size pets as long as they weigh under 100 pounds.

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Even for protection from the elements, being indoors for long periods of time can be stressful for some pets, especially working dogs or pets that are used to being active. One way to keep kids occupied is to keep them entertained with interactive toys that can run automatically by touch or by setting a schedule. One of the highly rated toys on Amazon is the PetDroid Interactive Dog Ball ($39.99). This ball is activated with just a touch, so you don’t have to be near it to start bouncing. With an average 3.9-star rating from over 9,000 reviewers and a 4-hour battery life, it’s sure to give your dog the movement he needs. If you don’t mind the noise it makes when it occasionally goes into crazy mode on hard floors, it might make a good companion for your pet on a stormy night.

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For cat owners, the ORSDA 2in1 Interactive Toy for Indoor Cats ($31.99) comes with multiple feathers and two balls, with the option to purchase additional accessories. The Smart Mode feature works for 10 minutes every 4 hours during the day, giving your furbaby at least 30 minutes of training time, even when you’re not around. Over 7,000 pet parents have purchased this toy, giving it an average of 4.3 stars, with several buyers mentioning the excellent customer service. It runs on batteries, so it’s perfect if your house loses power due to a storm.

A common problem faced by cat owners is cleaning the litter box regularly. After all, cats are known for being particular about their hygiene, and will relieve themselves outside the litter box if they don’t like it. If you don’t want cat pee on your clothes when you get home, a robotic litter box like the PetSafe ScoopFree Crystal Pro Self Cleaning Liter Box ($164.95), which has an average of 4 stars from 18,000 reviews, may be the solution. I don’t know.

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However, there are some things to consider before purchasing a self-cleaning toilet. First, you need to buy a design that suits your cat’s preferences, such as a closed or open litter box. Next, it’s important to consider your cat’s size and make sure there’s enough space for him to work comfortably. Thirdly, you also need to think about the safety mechanisms of the machine. Earlier this year, the Daily Mail reported that certain litter box models that close completely had a design flaw that could trap and injure cats.

The great thing about automatic toilets is that they can still operate like regular toilets even if they stop working due to rain or power outages. That being said, it’s also important to have the right number of litter boxes for the number of cats in your household, one more than the number of cats you have.

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Scent plays a huge role in a pet’s life, as it serves as the main way pets navigate the world around them. This means that as a pet owner, you can use scent to comfort your pet during stressful situations such as storms.

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A popular pet calming spray on Amazon is NaturVet Quiet Moments Herbal Calming Room Spray Dog Supplement ($13.99) with an average of 4 stars from 47,500 reviews. Not only can it help ease your dog’s anxiety related to storms, but it can also be used to calm your dog during car rides or trips to the vet. For cat owners, over 30,000 owners rated FELIWAY Classic Cat Calming Pheromone Spray ($24.99) 4 stars to soothe stressed cats. Alternatively, if your dog doesn’t like to be in the same room for long periods of time, you can buy a collar that slowly releases calming hormones, like the Calming Collar for Dogs ($18.96).

On the other hand, if you want to avoid the hassle of constantly spraying, the FELIWAY Classic Cat Calming Pheromone Diffuser ($24.99) has a 4.0-star average rating from over 26,000 reviews and lasts for 30 days. Feliway, like its spray version, claims to be effective in reducing anxiety symptoms such as scratching, hiding, and spraying urine. For dog owners, the ThunderEase Dog Calming Pheromone Diffuser Kit ($24.99), also available for $18.18, provides the same benefits for dogs.

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The recommendations on this list are items I have experimented with over the years as a pet owner. I have cared for multiple pets over the years, from large dogs such as German Shepherds to small dogs such as Chihuahuas and Yorkshire Terriers, and cats. My country experiences an average of 20 storms a year. This means that work and other activities must continue as usual, even during floods and power outages. This is why you should have a plan in place for your pet’s health and safety in the event that you may not be able to get home right away due to road closures or poor visibility.

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For our recommendations, we considered reviews from users on various platforms and included items that received generally positive reviews from buyers. That being said, please do your own due diligence, especially if you have a pet that has special needs due to age, disability, pre-existing health condition, or requires accommodations. remains important. And, of course, while many of the items on this list are useful tools that can give you peace of mind, they still can’t replace your physical presence or the watching eyes of a trusted friend or family member. there is no. Like any natural disaster, storms can be unpredictable, so it’s best to avoid leaving your pet alone during these times as much as possible.

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