By now, we hope everyone is prepared as Hurricane Sandy batters the eastern United States and Canada with gale-force winds, massive walls of water, and, in some spots, snow. While we wish that everyone who evacuated would have taken their animals with them and that those who are staying will have allowed their animals indoors to ride out the storm in safety, we know that not everyone understands that domesticated animals cannot survive "on instinct" and that they stand little chance if left outside. Especially during natural disasters, animal advocates must be vigilant about helping chained dogs, "outdoor cats," and rabbits left outside in hutches.

If you know of animals kept on chains or in hutches or pens, please look out for them! You may be their only hope. People do not always do what's needed, and animals die miserably during these weather emergencies. If necessary, beg guardians to allow their animals indoors until the storm is over. If the guardian refuses, be persuasive and ask to take the animals to your home and then return them when it's safe. If all else fails, note the animals' condition and location and call animal control, the police, or other local authorities and implore them to use their power to rescue the animals. If people have left and you must take emergency action to save an animal in rising waters or another situation, then you must do what you need to do.

PETA's vans at our Norfolk, Virginia, headquarters and Washington, D.C., offices are stocked with food, medicine, and other supplies, and we will be diligently combing the surrounding areas searching for any animals in need. In times of disaster, we rely on our generous Animal Emergency Fund donors to make these rescues possible. If you are able, please consider supporting our Hurricane Sandy rescue efforts. 

One day 18 years ago, I was out walking my dogs along a bike trail when I saw a bicyclist stop and do something peculiar: He took out his water bottle, and instead of taking a swig, he opened up the top and dumped a pile of cat kibble onto the ground. He was immediately swarmed by cats, who, I later learned, were being fed scraps by a trio of elderly brothers who lived nearby in a dilapidated shack (which dated back to the days when the trail was a railroad track).

Over several weeks, I trapped the cats, who were initially terrified, having had very little human contact. But all of them were born lap cats and quickly decided that life in a warm, cozy house with three square meals a day beat hiding under piles of junk and scrounging for scraps of stale bread and days-old meat.

Outgoing Ziggy, whom I adopted along with three of his relatives, was the fastest to decide people weren't such a bad lot, and today, he acts as ambassador to all human and animal visitors. If he's awake, he's purring (and sometimes he even purrs in his sleep!). I've had many cat companions over the years, but only Ziggy has earned the title of Best Cat in the Universe for his unfailing graciousness, dignity, and sunny disposition. If he were a human, he would be Prince Charming.

© Kencredible
Best Cat in the Universe

As Ziggy can attest, life for "outdoor cats" is no walk in the park. Over the years, Ziggy has had several bouts with diseases that could have led to a lingering, painful death if he had not received veterinary care. That's why it is vital always to trap stray and feral cats and either bring them indoors or take them to a reputable animal shelter. Even if homes can't be found for them, at least they are safe from the many dangers that they face outdoors, including attacks by dogs and wildlife; being poisoned, shot, or hit by cars; and contracting deadly contagious diseases.

A cat was found in the back of someone's garage, emaciated, anemic, and suffering in the final stages of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), which attacks cats' immune systems much like HIV does in humans. Several people in the neighborhood had been feeding her and noticed that she was eating less and losing weight, but no one had bothered to take her to a veterinarian.

PETA's Cruelty Investigations Department gave the cat a merciful release from her suffering, but countless other stray and feral cats—and even cats who have homes but are allowed to roam outdoors—suffer agonizing deaths after contracting FIV, feline leukemia virus (FeLV), feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), and other contagious and fatal diseases.

These diseases are incurable and almost always deadly, and they are easily transmitted from one cat to another, often through saliva or feces. (Catfights are the prime mechanism for the transmission of these illnesses.) Infected cats may not show symptoms for years and may even test negative for the diseases initially, only to test positive later. If you let your cat roam outdoors, he or she is at risk of contracting these diseases and contaminating other cats (including the other felines in your home) before you even know he or she is sick.

Please protect your cat from these terrible diseases as well as the many other dangers cats face outdoors, such as traffic, cruel people, poisons, attacks by animals, parasite infestations, and weather extremes. Keep your cats indoors and allow him or her out only on a leash and harness (with you at the other end of it, of course) or into a securely fenced yard while under your constant watchful eye.

This cat was hit by a car

Shamanic Shift|cc by 2.0

And if you see a cat hanging around your neighborhood, don't assume that someone else is taking care of him or her. Instead of leaving the cat to take his or her chances on the streets, take the animal to a shelter, where he or she will have a chance at finding a loving home with people who care enough to keep the cat safe indoors.