It follows, then, that the best way to deal with an animal is to convince it that you mean it no harm. This may be difficult if the animal is already in a life-threatening situation, such as in a flood. For large, heavy, powerful animals like horses the preferred method is to get them to cooperate. For small, skittish animals like cats, restraint is the best option. As a rescuer, you need to understand enough about the animal's instincts, physical characteristics, and psychological makeup to make an intelligent decision about what your options are.
Animal behavior is driven far more by instinct that is that of humans.
In disasters animals follow their instincts more than what we would consider reason. Like humans, they may panic and exhibit non-purposeful behavior. For the rescuer, it is important to know how different animals react. Sometimes, animals are not aware that they need to be rescued. Dogs, for example, will often continue to defend their territory against rescuers.