Will Pets in the Quad Cities Act Weird During the Eclipse?

As humans prepare for the moon to block the sun on Aug. 21 there will be countless pets, wild animals and other creatures who won't be quite so prepared. With daily routines influenced by human schedules as well as sunlight levels, pets and other non-wild animals often have relatively mild reactions to an eclipse.

Dogs and cats may be confused by a total solar eclipse, or in some cases even frightened, but probably less so than with fireworks or thunder. The total eclipse only lasts a few minutes at most, and an eclipse itself is silent, causing none of the noise that typically scares pets during storms and fireworks. Still, it's generally a good idea to keep pets leashed if they're outdoors with you during the eclipse.

Cats are rarely caught gazing at the sun so your kitty is generally not at risk, but dogs often follow the actions of their owners. If they see humans pointing and gazing into the sky it's likely your dog could follow. You can find protective eye wear for pets but there's mixed reactions from scientists if it's really needed or not.

While Fido and Fluffy are generally fine during the eclipse many Quad Citians will be watching, you may notice that songbirds are quiet, thinking it's evening and time to go to sleep. I wonder if Iowa pigs and cattle will take a snooze as well.