How will dogs and cats, cows and bats, lions and Reeves's muntjacs react to the eclipse?

If you have a pet dog or cat, keep a close eye on him during the solar eclipse on April 8.

Chances are, you won’t notice your pet doing anything unusual.  But you never know.

There aren’t many studies on how cats and dogs behave during eclipses because eclipses don’t happen very often, said Dr. Brian Collins, a veterinarian and senior lecturer at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in Ithaca.

“We tend to think animals are going to respond probably one of two ways,” he continued. “Probably most of them won’t show much of a response at all or they’ll just show a normal response to what happens when it starts to get dark.”

So Spot and Fido might start scratching or kneading their bed and flop down for a nap.

“Or there may be animals,” Collins continued, “particularly animals that are anxious to begin with, that might show some confusion or disorientation and may look to their owners for comfort.”

Collins, his family and his dogs will watch the eclipse together at the family farm, a place where his dogs feel comfortable, he said.

“I think it’s going to be very interesting,” Collins said. “I’m looking forward to hearing reports (from) people of what their cats and dogs and farm animals do.”

Pet owners who go away for the eclipse, but leave their dogs and cats home might want to check any home video cameras later to see and report on how they handled the eclipse, Collins suggested.

Here’s how local experts say different kinds of animals might respond to the eclipse.

More on pets

Dogs are probably more likely to exhibit unusual or anxious behaviors since cats are more nocturnal and sleep much of the day, anyway, Collins said. In fact, cats could actually get a little more active.

If you’re planning on going out to view the eclipse in a place that’s likely to be crowded, to be gone a long time or risk getting stuck in the heavy traffic that’s expected, it’s probably best to leave pets at home, he said. Just make sure they’ll be comfortable, left loose or in a crate, depending which is usual, with some favorite toys around and some lights on to minimize any disorientation, he said.

If you do bring your dogs along to a public place, just make sure they’re leashed and wearing identification and/or have a microchip, he said. And bring food, water and toys in case you get caught in a traffic jam or otherwise end up being gone a long time.

“People know their pets,” Collins said, “and hopefully just a few minutes of darkness won’t be too disorienting for them.”

Keep pets in the house, though, even if they normally roam, if you live near a spot where a crowd is likely to gather or where traffic will be heavier than usual, he said.

And no, even if you let your pets outside during the eclipse, they do not need solar glasses. It’s not that looking is safe for their eyes; it’s just that animals don’t look at the sun, Collins said.

Animals normally only look up at the sky is they’re distracted by a bird flying by or something like that, he said. “Your dog is more likely,” Collins added, “to stare up at you staring at the sun.”

Animals in the wild

When the world suddenly goes dark at the height of the eclipse, animals that are active during the day might think it’s bedtime and start on their dusk or nighttime routines, said Matt Perry, naturalist and conservation director  at Spring Farm CARES in Clinton.

For birds, that might mean roosting or getting quieter, he said. Bees and other diurnal insects might return to their hives or nests, he said.

The darkness could be more confusing for nocturnal animals, Perry said. Owls and some nocturnal mammals might start to hunt. Animals like raccoons and coyotes could become more active than they normally are during the day, he said. And birds that migrate at night might start to migrate early.

People might also “hear” the eclipse as bird song stops or as crickets start chirping and frogs start croaking early, Collins pointed out.

“Of course, the eclipse won’t last that long,” Perry said, “and so the wildlife should revert to normal behavior once it’s over.”

Zoo animals

If you choose to visit the Utica Zoo during the eclipse, you might witness a children’s storybook in action with lions walking on their hind legs, wallabies waltzing and PreZOOdent Tate the Pallas's cat giving a political speech.

But don’t count on it.

“The truth is, because these events are so rare, we don’t know 100% what to expect behaviorally from the animals,” Education and Conservation Manager Zak Hughes said. “And there’s not a lot of research on the effects.”

Hughes did not predict upright walking, dancing or talking. It wouldn’t be surprising, though, he said, if some nocturnal animals wake up early or if some diurnal animals go to sleep early.

“Until it happens, we won’t know for sure, but that’s what makes it exciting,” Hughes said. “We have an entire animal collection to observe during this event and each outdoor animal will likely react in its own unique way.”

Zoo staff will be sure to stay alert, too, in case any of the animals are spooked by the eclipse, he said.

Farm animals

Farm animals tend to spend a lot of time outdoors and are likely to just do whatever they normally do as it gets dark in the evening, Collins said. Chickens might roost, or cows and sheep might keep grazing or lie down, he said.

“I wouldn’t expect farm animals to do anything too unusual,” he said.

If you’re riding a horse or using it to pull a buggy or a plow —or having animals do any kind of work — it might be best to give them a break during the eclipse, Collins said.

There’s probably no need, though, to take animals that are normally outside during the day into the barn, although putting them in the barn, especially if there are just a few and not whole herd, wouldn’t hurt either, he said.

Service animals

If animals should take a break from work during the eclipse, what about service animals?

“That’s a really good question,” Collins said. “I guess (owners) would probably want to either change their routine or just be prepared.”

Anyone with a service animal (which can be dogs or a variety of other species)  probably knows how the animal behave in the dark and should be able to figure out if it’s better to stay home for the eclipse or to find a quiet place to sit so that the person doesn’t end up stuck in a public place trying to calm down an anxious or confused service animal, he said.

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Solar eclipse 2024: Predicting reaction of domestic, zoo, wild animals