As excited as some people are about next week's total solar eclipse, there's a good chance their pets probably won't have much of a reaction to the celestial anomaly.
"I'm interested to hear any reports from my clients about their animals acting differently, although I don't anticipate hearing a lot," said Rebecca Lohnes, a certified dog and cat behaviorist in Rochester.
Past eclipse studies observing wildlife have indicated that some species shift their behavior to nighttime routines as the sky darkens and the temperature drops. But because domestic animals are tuned into the behavior of people, Lohnes thinks it is more likely that they will follow those cues.
"If we're excited and active and going in and out and watching the eclipse, it's probably unlikely that they'd think, 'Oh, it's gonna be time to settle down,' she explained. "But lighting conditions can sometimes influence that behavior."
Should you protect your pet's peepers?
By now, we have all heard about the dangers of gazing at the sun without wearing the proper protective eyewear.
Some members of an online Greyhound rescue group wondered if they had to worry about their dogs intentionally or unintentionally peering at the disappearing sun during the eclipse and damaging their eyes.
"I would say the chances of that are near zero," Lohnes said. "Something could always happen, but in general, our dogs and cats don't look at the sun, so it's unlikely that they would look at the sun on this day, even though different things are happening in the sky."
There is only one slight concern on Lohnes' mind. It has to do with pets who have a severe thunderstorm phobia, possibly interpreting the rapidly darkening sky as a signal of an approaching storm. But even that is unlikely, she said, absent any other environmental indicators, such as changes in the barometric pressure.
To be on the safe side, Lohnes advised, it can't hurt to keep nervous pets indoors. That way, eclipse watchers won't have to interrupt their viewing experience to tend to them.
Because Rochester and western New York are situated along the path of totality for the eclipse, we are told that we could see an influx of thousands of tourists in the region.
Local county emergency management teams are concerned about ambulances being able to reach patients and hospitals if they have to navigate heavy traffic.
The same is true for pets that may need access to emergency care on Monday.
Dr. William Murphy, owner of Westside Animal Hospital in Rochester, said his practice will be closed on April 8, to spare employees the hassle of getting struck in traffic.
He advises pet owners to be proactive in protecting their animals' health, to minimize the chances that they will need veterinary care.
"Make sure they're not getting into poisons. (If they're chewing on something), make sure that is something that is safe to chew on, so they're not going to be swallowing foreign bodies," Murphy said.
Like Lohnes, Murphy advocates that people leave their pets at home if they're planning on attending an eclipse party or any large gathering. What might be fun for people is often stressful for animals.
"It's scary for them," he said. "They like structure, and that's not structured."
