Be prepared to care for your family — including pets — if Mother Nature wreaks havoc in your town. Here are some helpful hints.

By Ilene Springer

During the terrible aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, a man managed to get back to his battered home after several days. He was shocked and overjoyed to see his cat — whom he had had to leave without — yowling in a window in a room that miraculously was not submerged or destroyed by the storm.

Make plans before you’re forced to evacuate. Take your pets with you because you may later be prevented from returning to your home.

This lucky cat must have had nine lives plus. Sadly, many pets do not survive disasters when left behind at home. “There is a misconception that animals somehow find a way to survive,” says Carmine DiCenso, manager of the Boston Care and Adoption Center, Cape Cod region. …

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