Iguanas + Emergency Situations

I never thought we would have to evacuate because of a hurricane but last week, we did! It was scary watching officials on television telling us to "get the hell out." Having a young child I was going to take no chances so I packed everything up, made hotel reservations for a few hours away and got out Iggy's carrier. Most of my family said, "You took the iguana?!" Well, of course, she was my first baby and is part of the family, duh!

Any one, at any time can fall victim to an emergency situation and have to take beloved pets with them (surely, you wouldn't leave your child, how could you leave a pet!?). So, it's important to have an emergency plan/kit available.

For evacuation orders, you should make sure you have a carrier available. Many people use pillowcases to keep their iguanas in as it keeps them more calm since they can't see all the goings on around them. Personally,  I find it very difficult to maneuver Iggy around while inside, so we have a small dog carrier. Of course food is important but honestly, most will not eat when stressed. If fresh is not available you can buy frozen veggies (squash, collards, peas) and offer some soaked wheat bread to keep the iguana hydrated. Last resort is canned and is handy to have for Super emergencies. Most importantly is heating needs. A couple years ago I purchased a Mega Ray and by now I'm sure most, if not all, of the UVB rays have dissipated but the heat of 100+ degrees still works. I keep this bulb in the closet for emergencies.

For emergencies where you must stay at home, it's important to have a generator. If you have a major snow storm and have no way to heat your iguana, things can get ugly. Last resort is to put your iguana under a blanket with you so he can use your body heat to stay warm. Some of those winter hand warmers, you know the kind you shake up?, are great to have in case of emergencies, too! Remember to shake them and put them under a blanket, never directly on skin/scales :)

We ended up bringing Iggy and Pixie the cat with us to the hotel. I think the cat was way more stressed out than Iggy which was super surprising to me. Iggy didn't change colors (no grey or brown stress signs) and she even ate. We set her up in the closet with the Mega Ray over her. And because of my excellent planning, we were able to bring fresh collards in a cooler for her. She would come out of the closet and climb up to look out the window, lol!

Me hoovering over Iggy while baby + Grandma look on (see Igg's tail? lol)

I could never imagine leaving her behind. I had horrible images of a tree falling on the house, knocking her cage over with her crawling out and getting lost in the storm! Oh, the horror! So, that's why you should definitely be prepared for these emergencies. You never think it can happen to you but then it does!