About 6 months after I moved to Chicago, the fire alarm went off in our building (HUGE building, probably 3,000 people it it, I lived on the 3rd floor). It was a Saturday morning so thank goodness I was home. Very first thing I did was throw Peanut in her carrier and put Tubby's leash on. I also grabbed a pillow case and put it on top of the carrier. The pillow case was just in case Tubby wouldn't cooperate and stay in my arms, I could throw him in the pillow case to keep him confined. I'm sure he wouldn't have been happy about it, but it would have been better than trying to carry the carrier and fight with him to get him outside or down the stairs or whatever. After my initial panic and getting them ready to go, I did what they teach you, feel the door to see if it's hot. It wasn't so I opened it and polked my head out. There was smoke in the hall, but not too bad, and one of the maintenance guys was opening the fire door (which was right next to my door so I would have had an easy way out - whew!) and he said that someone down the hall had left a burner on on her stove and forgot about it, then left a towel lay on it (electric stove). So everything was under control by the time I poked my head out, but it was really kind of scary. I learned a few things though, like where the fire escape door was (how had I not noticed it before since it was right there? ), where the emergency lights were, what the smoke alarm sounded like, and most importantly, what I would do with the kitties in a panic situation - since that was what it was for me until I found out differently.

I used this technique one other time, and that was when the emergency sirens went off warning of a tornado. I was in a smaller building - but again on the 3rd floor. I packed up the kitties - and this time I did put Tubby in the pillow case because I couldn't find his leash soon enough. We ran to a friend's apartment in the basement, and spent about an hour or two down there.

Might not be the best plan, but it worked for me.

My biggest word of advice is to not let the kitties know that it is a panic situation. Otherwise - like Peanut - they might run and hide and you will spend precious moments trying to find them and dragging them out of their hiding place. As calmly as possible, get them all in their carriers and get the carriers and yourself out the door and away from danger - which might entail asking a neighbor to help carry if you have more than two.

Also, as awful as it sounds, you have to think of yourself first. If you are hurt in whatever danger there is, there will be no one to take care of the kitties, so make sure you are safe first, and make sure you have time to worry about the kitties. It would be awful if you lost one or more in a fire, but it would be much worse if you were lost too.

I really hope that no one ever has to use their emergency procedures, but it is always best to have some sort of plan in mind before the situation arises.