Three Days of Emergency Rations. But What About the Dogs?
Preparing for the unexpected is one thing. Forgetting the dogs’ dinner is quite another.
Recently, the government reminded us to be prepared for an emergency, with enough food, water, and essential supplies to last at least 72 hours.
Three days without electricity, running water or access to the shops. Food that doesn’t require cooking or refrigeration. And all the other essentials we might need if everyday life suddenly came to a standstill.
So, being a responsible citizen, I dutifully began stocking up.
Food? Check.
Water? Check.
Torches, batteries, radio and emergency supplies? Check.
I was feeling rather pleased with myself.
And then it suddenly occurred to me.
What about George and Lulu?!
There I was, making sure I had enough to eat for three days, and the Government forgot to mention about our pets! After all, what good would my carefully assembled emergency pantry be if George and Lulu had nothing for dinner? They would want my food.
Thankfully, the solution was staring me in the face.
James & Ella Freeze-Dried Dog Food.
We’ve been using James & Ella freeze-dried food for years, particularly when travelling. It’s been our trusty companion on countless adventures, especially when refrigeration or access to our usual raw food isn’t practical.
And suddenly, I realised that what makes it such a brilliant travel companion also makes it an ideal addition to our emergency supplies.
No freezer required. No refrigeration. No cooking.
Lightweight and easy to store. And, most importantly, it’s proper food that George and Lulu already know and love.
So, without further ado, I ordered several packs of James & Ella freeze-dried food to keep in our emergency cupboard.
Enough to see George and Lulu through at least three days, with a little extra for good measure.
And, of course, plenty of drinking water for them too.
What About the Treats?
Ah, yes. The treats.
Because while I might consider a power cut or a disruption to our water supply a national emergency, George and Lulu would undoubtedly regard running out of treats as a far more serious crisis.
So naturally, we stocked up on those too.
Food sorted. Treats sorted. Water sorted.
George and Lulu are now officially emergency-ready.
Although I suspect they’d be quite happy to start eating their emergency provisions immediately.
No emergency necessary.
What Did Mum Stock Up On?
Well, I’m glad you asked.
With the dogs’ culinary future secured, I returned to surveying my own emergency pantry.
And I must say, it’s like preparing for wartime – no electricity, no water …
Bottled water, naturally. Jars of tuna. Some delicious duck rillettes. Crackers. Packets of nuts. Poppadoms. Popcorn. And lots and lots of protein bars. Long-life Oatly oat milk, which doesn’t need refrigeration until opened for cereal, but unfortunately not for a cup of tea.
And a few packets of Tilda ready-to-heat rice. Apparently, the fully cooked varieties can be eaten cold straight from the packet. Who knew? Add a tin of tuna, and we might even have something resembling a proper meal.
And, of course, a little something to lift the spirits. Deliciously Ella chocolate-coated almonds. Because surely a national emergency is no time to give up life’s little pleasures.
Then there are the non-edible essentials.
A radio. Yes, an actual radio! Something I haven’t owned in years. Apparently, when everything else fails, good old-fashioned radio is still our friend. I don’t have one of the crank-up ones, but that is where power banks and batteries come in.
Torches, batteries, candles and fully charged portable power banks.
And if there’s no internet, I suppose I’ll have to read a book. We are well-stocked for that. Which brings me back to the popcorn.
Before remembering that without electricity, there probably won’t be any movies to watch. Never mind. Perhaps I’ll sit in the candlelit room, eat popcorn, and listen to the radio.
And last, but certainly not least, that most precious of emergency commodities. Toilet paper.
If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that civilisation might survive without electricity, but apparently not without a cupboard full of loo rolls.
Some lessons are never forgotten.
Ready for Whatever Comes Our Way
So there we have it.
Three days of emergency supplies for the humans. Three days of James & Ella for George and Lulu. And enough treats to keep morale high at least among the four-legged members of the household.
I sincerely hope we’ll never need any of it.
But something is reassuring about knowing we’re prepared, especially when it comes to those who depend entirely on us.
And I know George and Lulu won’t be wondering where their next meal is coming from.
As for me, I’ll be the one sitting in the candlelight, eating cold rice and tuna, with a side of chocolate-coated almonds.
Now, where did I put those batteries?
