On August 21, 2017 a total solar eclipse will take place and viewable in the continental US if weather permits. Although there have been many types of eclipses viewable to us, this eclipse is rare. Why? It will traverse across the entire country coast to coast. Only one other time has this happened in 150 years. That one occurred in 1918. There have only been 15 total solar eclipse events to affect even a portion of the continental U.S. since the first documentation in 1867. These happened in 1869, 1878, 1889, 1900, 1918, 1923, 1925, 1930, 1932, 1945, 1954, 1959, 1963, 1970, and 1979 according to the Weather Underground site at Weather Underground. The next one visible in part of the US will happen in 2024. In Green Bay we will not see a total eclipse, but the partial eclipse will be visible. The darkest time in Green Bay will be at 1:16:06 pm.

How will the eclipse affect our pets? Because most scientists have been very busy learning about the eclipse phenomena itself, it wasn’t until 1932 that studies were done on what happens with animals. It seems the scientific conclusion goes something like this according to a CNN news report.

Dogs that are sensitive to atmospheric changes such as thunderstorms may be distressed by the changes in temperature and light. As we know, our pets have become very sensitive to our emotions and reactions. If you feel spooked or excited by the eclipse, your dog may pick up on those emotions. Take precautions to keep you pet safe and secure in the event they get frightened. On a normal day, most dogs do not look at the sun so it is unlikely they will look up on their own. However, if their humans are excited and pointing and looking up, it may be a safer option to keep the pet indoors during the event.

Our Pet Cats will probably just take the whole thing in stride as they do most things that happen in the world around them.

As the sky darkens some animals will get confused regarding the time of day. Nocturnal animals and insects may come out and daytime animals may become subdued. Birds, for example may become quiet during the darkest time of the eclipse.

To read more about the reaction of animals during a solar eclipse go to CNN. Picture from CNN.