Thank you Hill’s Pet Nutrition for sponsoring this post. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Have you or your pets ever been impacted by a natural disaster? We are in the height of hurricane season right now in Houston and I can’t help but think of how we got through Harvey! A few weeks ago we evacuated again for hurricane Laura. I never thought I’d be a prepper but our experiences made me so glad we took a proactive approach. September is National Preparedness Month and I want to help you make your pets a part of your emergency plans as well!

The first time we truly experienced life changing natural disasters, Kai and the fur babies were only 2. We frantically packed our house at 3 am with a cat and dog in tow, prepared to never see our home the same way again. Kevin even planned out how we were going to wade through high flood waters with Kai, Olie and Atlas. He has a little more experience than me. After all, his family was born and raised in Houston and lived through many hours of evacuation with their six cats. Today I am sharing 10 things to have in your pet emergency kit and how Hill's Pet Nutrition is helping our communities in these times!

Since establishing their Disaster Relief Network, Hill’s has responded to more than 100 emergencies like tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, floods, earthquakes and donated over 400,000 pounds of food! They work quickly with local shelters, vet hospitals to quickly provide FREE pet food in the most needed areas. Together we want to help you prepare your fur babies for these unexpected situations.

Here are 10 things to include in your pet emergency go-kit today!

• Basic first aid supplies

• A 3-day supply of bottled water

• Pet food, held in a waterproof container

• Safety harness and leash

• Poop bags

• Medications

• Copy of the pet’s medical records on a flash drive

• List of veterinarians and local pet care organizations

• List of the pet’s feeding routine and any behavioral issues

• Comfort items, favorite toy/blanket

If you have skittish pets, practice finding them in their most secret hiding spots. Also laminate a total number of people, pets - names and features to hang by a window so emergency personnel and quickly identify who is inside. I hope today has helped you get a few ideas on making your pet’s safety a part of the emergency plan. Feel free to share your tips in the comments below!