I traumatized my cats because of a tsunami warning
Wednesday, 12 Mar 2025
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Better traumatized than drowned. It’s nice that the tsunami didn’t happen, but if you hadn’t prepared appropriately and it did happen, you would have much more regret
You did the right thing, you weren’t to know the warning would be lifted. Please take the same action again for any future warnings, your cats will recover from the trauma of being chased and put into carriers but they likely won’t live if a tsunami hits. Be kind to yourself, you were doing what was best for your babies ❤️
Poor kitties. They will be fine. Better safe than sorry!
You might try getting carriers that you can leave out as beds, and train them to go into the carriers for treats. Then there won’t be all the running and stressing out next time you need to take them somewhere!
Safety is far more important than their comfort.
Especially when it comes to a natural disaster.
Some cats just despise their carriers, but a few tips:
Leave the carriers out at all times, put a comfortable blanket in it, make it more like a small home for them to lay in.
Treats for the carrier helps. Not in emergencies, but for them to get used to something good from it.
Towels, blankets or another object like it. Throw it over them, keep their head and paws covered (wrap it around them if you can), and shove the whole thing in the crate if need be.
Have food, litter, water and other supplies at the door waiting in case you have to leave immediately. It vastly helps in emergencies.
Do emergency drills, get them used to this beforehand if you can. Also have this prepared and ready to go, have all of it close to each other so you can grab and run.
Not being critical, you had to get them out of there, and I applaud you for immediately thinking about them during the warning when I hear so many horror stories about owners (and sometimes they can’t get the alert in time), losing their pets like this. Just suggestions for later emergencies.
Out of curiosity, you don’t have to answer, but do you live in California? If so, this will also help with wildfires.
are you me? also in the Bay and live on the shoreline with two cats. my younger cat Squid is very small and runs to hide. she was terrified all day and started panting with her tongue out. i took her to the vet to be safe. you did the right thing ❤️
Awww. Here in Humboldt too?? Give them time.
You did the right thing. Just put out some extra treats for them. 🙂
You did right. Imagine how guilty you would feel if you left them behind and the warning wasn’t lifted.
You absolutely did the right thing. Better traumatized, which they will get over, than the alternative, if the tsunami had hit.
Now that everything has calmed down, it wouldn’t hurt to start desensitizing them to the carriers. Leave them out with treats and a nice blanket. Over time, they will think of the crates as their safe space, and it will be a lot easier to gather them up when an emergency strikes.
Poor babies! You did the right thing though, glad to know you are safe!
You absolutely did the right thing! I have had to due this too due to hurricanes. Give them a couple days to a week and they’ll be go back to normal and trusting you.
you did what you had to do to save them in a possibly life-threatning situation. they’ll come around, don’t worry OP. you’re a good cat parent.
Don’t see it as traumatising them. See it as trying to save their lives. Yes it got cancelled. So they got what 30 mins of being annoyed at you.
But trust me that 30 mins is better than if there had been a tsunami and something happened to them you’d have years (or decades) of traumatisation with blaming yourself for not saving them and reliving that as the worst decision you ever made.
You did the right thing! I had to evacuate my kitties last spring for a gas leak one of them got so stressed she couldn’t stand the other for a few weeks. She got over it and they both are fine now.
Not the same but I actually just did a fire drill with my cat last night. Something was going on in my building with the alarm and when it kept going off I figured it wouldn’t hurt to get her quickly in a crate and comfortable with it in case an emergency does happen that would need a quick response
You did the right thing OP! They’ll get over it, I promise
Better safe than sorry.
I’d like to live at the beach and probably on the eastern US side. I will have a hurricane evacuation plan in place. Basically, I’ll have a trunk of the things that are most important to me. Pictures and such. And it will be that I can grab my animals, that trunk, and leave. Everything else I won’t care about.
There’s really almost nothing in my house right now. I care about anyway. Furniture. My computer. So what.
Just the cat, that’s all that matters.
My daughter lives in SC, I bought her, her roommate and both of their cats their own life jackets last year. Because when you need one, you will REALLY NEED one
They would have been more traumatised if they were fighting for their lives in the swell
Thank God you all are safe ❤️❤️❤️
My area got an earthquake and tsunami warning as well 😭. I’m glad we’re all okay
They’ll come around. You did the right thing, even if the warning was lifted. I’d rather a kitty be shaken up than anything worse. ❤️🩹
Just give them extra treats/food and whatever else they like a lot in the next few days 🙂
the other night, our fire alarm went off at 2 am while everyone was sleeping. i didn’t think, i just started grabbing cats – even tho they were yowling and scared. i felt bad, but some churu brought them around 💞 you did the right thing! (There was no fire – the battery was low 🤣)
Better to be a little frightened by a false alarm than lose them if the real event were to happen. You did the right thing. Just get them some Churu treat tube’s and they’ll forget all about it.
you are a very good parent!
Kitties don’t know about tsunami warnings. What were you supposed to do? Just leave them behind to die if it actually happened?
I’ve repeatedly shoved all of my 4 cats into a bathroom during tornado warnings. They’ll forgive u and it’s in their best interest
i swear churu cat treats will heal the emotional pain, lol! you did the right thing, girl. they will come around. 💗
Dont think that way
If there was a tsunami
You would have Dead cats right now
But you went to pick them up
Lucky there wasnt
They Will calm down,just give them time and space
Sounds like a time for some catnip.
This is when you bribe them openly and with all humiliation with a lot of treats, and extra extra extra love. Good luck! 😇
Consider it a test run. Take notes on what you’d do differently
They’re alive and safe. One block away from the shore plus evacuation – I don’t see what choice you had.
For all they know, they avoided a narrow escape from the vet when you turned around. Just let them decompress and have treats and cuddles available on demand. They’ll be fine.
You did the exact correct thing. I can’t imagine what I would do in that situation but you acted in the best possible way. Never think otherwise. Thank you for being an awesome pet parent.
It’s gonna be ok. You are such a responsible cat lover‼️ my vet says “your cats will forgive you.” Below: Freddie (Mercury), Maine Coon Adopted from The Cat Lounge, La Jolla, Ca. We have 6 and adore them. We have the room, why not?! We ❤️ them❣️😹😻
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I thought there was a fire in my building a while back.
I got my cat put him into a pillowcase and carried him downstairs fireman carry.
He was so deeply unhappy for like a day. Then he got over it.
My old lady has a severe carrier trauma from being returned to the shelter several times (at least I believe thats why). She’ll hide if it’s even visible to her so we have to keep them outside.
The few times I’ve had to take her to the vet she hid from me for days, but eventually gets over it and returns to her usual lovey clingy self. Its really sad, I cry every time I have to crate her because of how stressed out she gets. She’s experienced so much in her little life and I wish I could keep her comfy at home all the time but sometimes it’s not possible. You did the right thing OP.
Aww! That must have been so stressful for all of you! I bought a big pack of Churu, that I keep refilling. It took them a week to learn to come flying out of any corner, as soon as I turn that lid for their evening snack. Maybe a similar thing can lure them into your arms? Feeding and treats in their carrier as suggested also sounds great! We take in the cat backpack indoors
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once in a while for playing and getting treats in. Picture taken once the lid was off the Churu jar.
The only time my cat ever hissed at me was when the tornado sirens were going off, and I grabbed him by the leg and crammed him in his carrier to get to the basement.
He doesn’t remember it at all, my cuddle buddy has forgotten everything. You did the right thing, they’ll come around in a week or so.
If it makes you feel better I have done the same when I heard my neighbors fire alarm go off (small apartment building). I shoved her in that crate and only when I got outside did I hear it turn off and the neighbor said sorry they burned their dinner. No fire, so no harm technically done. Kiki was not happy with me for days, but I would rather chase her in a panic from fire than have her burn in a crappy apartment ( or anywhere). It sucks we can’t tell them what is going on, but I suppose that’s why they are out babies. Much like parenting to human children, there are some things they won’t understand but you do it to protect them anyway.
You did an amazing job. Recognize that you also were scared and in that moment you were proactive and made the best decision you could with the information you had.