“Do I need to worry about my pet’s eyes with the solar eclipse?” “Should I get them eclipse glasses?” “Do I need to keep them indoors?” The easy answer is no. Pets don’t care about the sun. They only care about the sunlight. They might look at it….briefly.
Of more concern is how they react to the darkness. You might notice some changes in your pet’s behavior as a result of the sudden darkness in the middle of the day. Pets that are food motivated may start thinking that it is time for their evening meal. Some will expect their owners to be walking through the door after work in the middle of the day. Some of the more anxious pets may get confused with perceived time with the actual time. Dogs that are already suffering from “sundowners” syndrome may face more confusion. Many may just feed off the excitement that their owners are feeling.
There have not been large studies on how pets react to solar eclipses. Between the fact that the solar eclipse is occurring in densely populated areas and that a large number of people have a way to video their pets this has the potential of providing vast amounts of information. If you are home, videoing any abnormal behaviors your pet is experiencing may be beneficial to behaviorists. At least provide some good TikTok fodder.
The Fort Worth Zoo would be a good place to spend during the eclipse. The Zoo is participating in a study on the effects of the eclipse on various exotic animals. Watching the animals that aren’t keying on the humans’ reactions may be more entertaining. The metroplex is expecting a large influx of people for the eclipse and the Zoo may be crowded.
If your pet is anxious or is afraid of thunderstorms, try making things as normal as possible for them. If they take medication for thunderstorms, and you won’t be home to watch them, it would be best to medicate them to prevent undue anxiety. Closing curtains and blinds may help decrease their perception of any changes. Pets overall are expected to behave better than their human counterparts.
