A Hurricane Go-Kit and Evacuation Plan for Florida Cats

By Justin N. · Central Florida · Updated 2026-11-09 · Affiliate disclosure: this page has Amazon affiliate links

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I'm not a vet, and I'm not an emergency manager. I'm a cat owner in Central Florida. This is general preparedness information, not a shelter assignment, evacuation order, or medical advice. Follow local emergency officials for your zone, and talk to your veterinarian about your cat's records and medications.

If local officials tell you to evacuate, Ready.gov says your pet should evacuate too. Leaving a cat behind can mean the cat is lost, injured, or worse. [1] In Florida that plan has to be finished before hurricane season, not while you are standing in a gas line. This guide covers a go-kit, a backup place to stay, and how pet-friendly shelters work at a state level without promising that the nearest public shelter will take a cat.

When to have the kit ready

The National Hurricane Center says the Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. [2] UF/IFAS Extension's 2026 season note uses the same dates and tells households to review plans and supplies early, including an adequate amount of pet food. It also reminds readers that loose yard items should be brought in or secured and that tears in lanai screens can grow quickly in hurricane winds. [3]

Ready.gov's hurricane page says hurricanes are not only a coastal problem: rain, wind, water, and even tornadoes can affect people far inland from landfall. If you live in an evacuation zone, you may have to leave quickly. Follow local emergency managers. [4] Bring cats indoors at the first sign or warning of a storm or disaster; both Ready.gov and the ASPCA say pets can become disoriented and wander. [1][5]

Use this page with our lanai and catio guide (screens and furniture before wind arrives) and our new-to-Florida guide (carriers and records if you are still settling in).

If you go, the cats go

Ready.gov is direct: if local officials ask you to evacuate, the pet evacuates too. Have a destination in mind before the emergency, because many public shelters and hotels do not allow pets. Set up a buddy system so a neighbor, friend, or relative can evacuate the cats if you are not home. Have the pet microchipped, keep the registry current, and list an emergency contact outside the immediate area. [1]

The Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) says to take pets with you when possible and that pets are unlikely to do well on their own. Research boarding, veterinarians, and hotels outside an evacuation zone in advance, keep phone numbers, and ask whether a "no pet" hotel policy might be waived in an emergency. Friends or relatives outside the affected area are another option; FDEM treats already-busy animal shelters as a last resort. [6] The ASPCA likewise says not to leave pets behind, and to arrange boarding, hotels, or friends beforehand, plus a nearby caregiver who has a key and knows where the cats and kit are. [5] FDEM adds that you may not be home when the order comes, so that person should know where the animals and supplies are. [6]

Ready.gov also says to take pets with you during an evacuation but that only service animals may be allowed in public shelters, so you should plan pet care now. Leave early enough to avoid being trapped by severe weather, follow recommended routes, and do not drive into floodwater. [7]

Pet-friendly shelters in Florida, without guessing your county

FDEM's sheltering page is blunt: most public emergency shelters do not permit pets, though they do permit service animals. There may be pet-friendly shelters in your area, but you have to research that in advance. If there is no pet-friendly shelter you can reach, you need another plan that works for you and the cats. [8]

Florida law adds a county-level requirement. Section 252.3568 of the Florida Statutes says the state's division of emergency management must address strategies for evacuating people with pets, and that if a county maintains designated shelters, it must also designate a shelter that can accommodate persons with pets. That shelter must comply with applicable FEMA policies and with safety procedures in the state and local shelter plans. [9]

That is not the same as "the high school down the street will take my cat," or "I will sleep next to the carrier." Counties decide which buildings open for a given storm, what proof they want, whether owners stay with the animals or check on them at set times, which species they accept, and whether space is first-come or requires a form that opens on a seasonal schedule. Those details change, and locations are often announced when a storm is actually approaching. We are not publishing a county-by-county list here because it would go stale and because shelter rules belong to each local emergency-management office.

What to do instead:

Before June, find your county emergency-management pet or shelter page (search the county name plus "pet-friendly shelter" or start from FDEM's county emergency-management directory on FloridaDisaster.org) and note whether pre-registration exists, what crate and vaccination proof they ask for, and how openings are announced.
Keep a backup that does not depend on a public shelter: a hotel list, a friend outside your evacuation zone, or a boarding option, as FDEM and the ASPCA recommend. [6][5]
Assume you will need a sturdy carrier, current rabies documentation, and supplies for several days even if a pet-friendly shelter accepts you. FDEM's kit list and Ready.gov's kit list both start there. [6][1]

What belongs in the go-kit

Ready.gov recommends two kits: a larger one for sheltering in place and a lighter one for evacuation, with food and medicine reviewed so they stay fresh. Its list includes several days of food in an airtight, waterproof container; several days of water and a bowl; extra medicine in a waterproof container; a first-aid kit chosen with your veterinarian; a collar with ID plus a backup leash, collar, and tag; copies of documents in a waterproof container and stored electronically; a sturdy carrier, ideally one per pet; litter and a litter box; a photo of you with your pet; and familiar toys, treats, or bedding. [1] FDEM's list is similar: medications and records in a waterproof container, a first-aid kit, sturdy leashes or harnesses and carriers, a photo of you with the pet, food, potable water, bowls, litter and a pan, a can opener, and notes on feeding, medical conditions, behavior, and your veterinarian's number. Transport cats in carriers; even a trustworthy pet may panic, hide, bolt, or scratch. [6]

The ASPCA's evacuation pack is more specific on quantities: 7 to 10 days of canned (pop-top) or dry food, rotated every two months; at least seven days of bottled water for each person and pet, stored cool and dry and replaced every two months; photocopies or a USB drive of medical records and a waterproof container with a two-week supply of needed medicine (also rotated); a carrier for each pet with the pet's name and your contact information written on it; disposable litter trays (it suggests aluminum roasting pans), litter or paper towels, and, especially for cats, a pillowcase, toys, and scoopable litter; extra collar or harness and leash; flashlight; blanket; and recent photos in case you need lost-pet posters. It also recommends a rescue-alert sticker on or near the front door listing the types and number of pets and the veterinarian's name and number, with "EVACUATED" written across it if you leave with them. [5]

Those quantity numbers do not all match, and we will not invent a single official figure. Ready.gov says "several days." The ASPCA lists 7 to 10 days of food and at least seven days of water. UF/IFAS, writing about household (people) supplies, describes a common plan of at least seven days of water at a gallon per person per day. [3] Pack toward the longer lists if you can store the food and water, and rotate anything that expires. Ask your veterinarian what belongs in a pet first-aid kit rather than assembling medications from a blog.

Carriers, practice, and getting cats into the box

Ready.gov says to leave the carrier out in rooms the cat already uses, keep it open, feed treats near or inside it, and put a familiar blanket or bed inside so it smells like home. Also note where each cat hides, so you are not hunting under a bed while the clock is running. [1] FDEM says to transport cats in carriers and not to leave animals unattended anywhere they can run off. [6]

One carrier per cat is the standard in both Ready.gov and the ASPCA lists. A soft-sided carrier that you already use for vet visits is better than an untested box you bought the morning of a watch. If you also keep a harness as a backup for transfers inside a closed room or vehicle, that is a backup, not a substitute for the carrier. Our new-to-Florida guide walks through containment on the road in more detail.

Go-kit gear on Amazon. We haven't tested these ourselves. They're listed because they match the carrier, sanitation, and backup-restraint items in the official kit lists above. Measure your cat and read current instructions before you buy.

Sleepypod Mobile Pet Bed, black (paid link): a carrier, pet bed, and car seat the seller lists as crash-tested. Compare size and weight limits with your cat; this is for the car, not a claim that any shelter will accept a particular model.
Sherpa Original Deluxe Travel Pet Carrier, black, medium (paid link): a soft-sided carrier with mesh panels, top and side entries, and a luggage or seatbelt pass-through. Measure your cat rather than relying on a generic size name.
Necoichi Portable Cat Litter Box, black (paid link): a folding, lined travel box that matches the litter-and-pan item on FDEM's and Ready.gov's lists. Introduce it before you need it.
rabbitgoo Cat Harness and Leash Set, step-in vest, black (paid link): a backup restraint for a transfer in a closed room or vehicle after gradual harness training, not a replacement for the carrier and never a reason to leave a cat tied out. Measure neck and chest.

Identification if you are separated

The ASPCA recommends up-to-date collar tags (name, telephone number, and urgent medical needs) plus a microchip, and writing your contact information on the carrier. Keep recent photos, including a photo of you with the cat, so you can make a lost-pet notice and help document ownership. [5] Ready.gov and FDEM ask for that same photo-with-you. [1][6] Update the microchip registry after a move; AAHA's lookup tool at petmicrochiplookup.org can identify which company to call if you are not sure where the chip is registered. [10]

A GPS collar is an extra layer, not a kit substitute. See our GPS tracker guide for what those devices can and cannot do, including the subscription and coverage limits.

If you are not in an evacuation zone

Ready.gov's hurricane guidance says to take refuge in a designated storm shelter or an interior room for high winds, go to the highest level if you are trapped by flooding (but not into a closed attic), and never walk, swim, or drive through floodwater. [4] Keep cats in carriers or in a single closed interior room away from windows while the worst of the wind is on. Afterward, do not let them roam a damaged house or yard: downed lines, floodwater, displaced wildlife, and household chemicals are all hazards. Ready.gov warns not to wade in floodwater and not to touch electrical equipment if it is wet or if you are standing in water. [4]

UF/IFAS says to inspect the landscape and to bring loose objects in before the storm. [3][11] After you return, walk the fence and any lanai screens before outdoor time resumes, and watch for new plant debris a cat might chew. Our fence guide and yard-plant guide cover those checks. Florida heat and power outages also make drinking water a kennel-side issue; our hydration guide is written for older cats but the "keep clean water available" point applies in a hot house after a storm.

Checklists

Before June 1

☐ Confirm each cat's microchip registration, collar ID, and a photo of you with the cat stored on your phone and in the kit. [1]
☐ Ask your veterinarian for current records (especially rabies), a medication plan you can legally travel with, and first-aid advice. [5]
☐ Practice carrier time until each cat will go in without a chase. Note hiding spots. [1]
☐ Write down two ways out of the area and at least two places that will take the cats: a hotel list, a friend outside the zone, boarding, and, separately, whatever pet-friendly shelter rules your county publishes this year. [6][8]
☐ Give a trusted neighbor a key and walk them through where the cats and the kit live. [6]
☐ Pack the kit and put it where you can grab it. Rotate food and medicine on a calendar reminder. [5]
☐ Sign up for local emergency alerts and know how your county announces shelter openings. [7]

When a storm is headed here

☐ Bring the cats inside at the first warning and keep them there. [1][5]
☐ Confirm hotel or friend reservations and recheck local shelter announcements rather than trusting last year's building list. [8]
☐ Stage carriers, leashes, records, and the kit by the door you will actually use.
☐ Bring in lanai furniture and inspect screens; close and lock doors once the deck is cleared. [3]
☐ Fill the car if you may have to leave; Ready.gov recommends keeping the tank up when evacuation seems likely because stations may be closed or without power. [7]
☐ If you evacuate, write "EVACUATED" on a pet-alert sticker if you use one, and do not leave cats behind. [5]

When you get home

☐ Recheck with local officials before you return if you left for the storm. [7]
☐ Keep cats contained until you have walked the house and yard for glass, chemicals, downed lines, and fence or screen damage.
☐ Give them time to settle; FDEM says to consult your veterinarian if behavior problems persist. [6]
☐ Restock and rotate whatever you used from the kit.

Sources

All sources were accessed and checked on 2026-11-09.

Ready.gov. Prepare Your Pets for Disasters. Page listed as last updated 2026-03-20.
National Hurricane Center (NOAA). Tropical Cyclone Climatology.
UF/IFAS Extension Orange County. Hurricane Season Begins June 1: Time to Prepare (2026).
Ready.gov. Hurricanes.
ASPCA. Disaster Preparedness.
Florida Division of Emergency Management. Make a Pet Plan.
Ready.gov. Evacuation.
Florida Division of Emergency Management. Sheltering With Your Pet or Service Animal.
The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes § 252.3568.
American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). Universal Pet Microchip Lookup.
UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions. Hurricane Landscaping.

Accuracy note: Facts on this page were checked against the linked sources on 2026-11-09. Wildlife ranges and veterinary guidance change. If something's out of date, email [email protected].