ASHEVILLE – Amid the excitement of today's solar eclipse, many pet owners are wondering if their furry friends will become confused or anxious during the celestial event.
It's no secret that Asheville is full of animal lovers and pet owners. In fact, a previous report by the Citizen Times featured Asheville ranked No. 1 on a list of pet-friendly cities. Although the city is not targeted by the 2024 total solar eclipse, pet owners wonder if their pets will notice the changes caused by the 85% partial solar eclipse that will peak in Asheville at 3:09 p.m. There may be some.
Scientists say anxious pet parents don't need to worry too much during a solar eclipse. In fact, experts' biggest concerns for animal welfare related to solar eclipses don't come from the sky at all.
Will the 2024 solar eclipse bother my pets?
Dr. Lena Carlson, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association, discusses this in an article for USA Today. Carlson revealed that most pets are more likely to pay attention to the energy around them than to the sky.
“More than the effects of the eclipse, I'm worried about the excitement and all the people,” she said.
Veterinarians say the crowd of eclipse viewers is more likely to confuse or upset pets than the eclipse itself. Your pets at home are unlikely to be affected at all, so if you're heading to a viewing event with them, make it a priority to keep an eye on them.
“Make sure they have plenty of fresh water, don't overcrowd them, and keep them on a leash so you can find them if they jump out and get lost,” said Dr. Jerry Klein. Chief Veterinarian of the American Kennel Club.
As for concerns about the eye area of pets, Klein reassured pet owners that the urge to directly observe the eclipse is strictly a human phenomenon. Animals have no reason to look at the sun, so their vision is not at risk during a solar eclipse.
“They hate bright light. Unless we force nature to do something that is not beneficial to them, they tend not to look at it,” Klein said.
How do animals react to solar eclipses?
The correlation between pet behavior and solar eclipses has not been extensively studied, but the information that exists seems to indicate that most animals are not strongly affected. A study published in March was conducted during the annular solar eclipse on October 14, 2023, and reported the behavior of more than 200 animals, primarily dogs.
Adam Hartstone-Rose, a biology professor at North Carolina State University who conducted the study and studies animal behavior during solar eclipses, said animals' reactions may simply be based on their individual personalities. said.
“About half of people wrote that their dog started barking or howling during the eclipse, but half said their dog stopped barking or howling,” Hartstone-Rose said. .
One observation from the same study may come as a relief to worried Asheville pet owners. The researchers observed that the higher the overall percentage, the more likely the owner was to observe the animal's response. This means pets in partial solar eclipse areas such as Asheville are less likely to react, according to the study.
How Asheville pet parents can help scientists understand
Although this data is a good start, the current sample size used in the study is too small to draw definitive conclusions, Hartstone-Rose said. The 2024 solar eclipse could be a great opportunity for scientists to learn more.
“We need more data,” Hartstone-Rose said.
Researchers on the Solar Eclipse Safari project hope to receive observations from as many pet owners as possible on April 8th. Visit scistarter.org/solar-eclipse-safari-resources to provide information about your pet and learn how to keep it healthy. Stay tuned for more data once the eclipse is over.
What will a solar eclipse look like?
Iris Seaton is a trends reporter for the Asheville Citizen-Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Please contact us at iseason@citizentimes.com.
