Keeping Your Pets Calm During Violent Weather | Baristanet

At the first sound of thunder, your dog runs for cover under the kitchen table. Your cat has gone hiding somewhere and you haven?t seen her for several hours. Are these normal behaviors? How can you comfort your cat or dog during stormy weather?

Pets take their cues from us, says Kathy Diamond Davis, author of Therapy Dogs, who offers these tips for calming dogs during a storm:
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? Cuddle her. She may really fear of being left alone as it thunders.
? Distract him. If he?s having fun, he?s less likely to focus on the storm.
? If your pet is so frantic that she tries to escape or is destructive, keep her in a crate or other confined space if that calms her.
? Pump up background noise. Turning on a fan may help soothe a dog.

Your cat?s behavior can also be affected by stormy weather. Before a storm, cats tend to constantly rub their ears due to the drop in air pressure, according to veterinarian Nicholas Dorman, a contributor to PetPlace.com. They have very sensitive inner ears so they can tell when a thunderstorm is approaching, he said.

During a storm, cats can become extremely fearful and might seek a hiding place. In addition to sensitive hearing, cats have sensitive eyesight because they are nocturnal and diurnal (they can see at night and during the day). Thunder to them can seem like a cannon going off. To that end, cats will avoid open spaces, and stay in small spaces for a very long time.

After the storm, cats take precaution and may stay in hiding for up to three hours to recover. When they do emerge, they might be a little high strung, jumping at every little noise, and will keep rubbing their ears as a result of the low air pressure.

?Probably the best treatment is avoidance,? he says. ?If the cat can be brought to an area of the house, like a finished basement, that is relatively sound- and light-proof, the problem can be averted or at least attenuated.?

Dorman says you can also encourage your cat to do something pleasurable as a distraction during the storm so that he associates storms with fun times instead of fearfulness. Using food to train the cat to respond to some voice cues is best.

As with dogs, if your cat exhibits extreme phobic behavior during storms, you might want to ask your vet about anxiety-reducing pharmacological treatment. Do NOT attempt to medicate your pet without consulting a professional.

As we?ve mentioned in a previous article about pets and storms, some dogs may freak out thunderstorms and try to escape your home or yard. It is worth the effort to secure screen doors and gates, check for places the dog can slip through, and block them.

If your pet does manage to escape, here are some important numbers you should have: Bloomfield Police (24-hr. non-emergency) 973-680-4141, Bloomfield Animal Shelter 973-748-0194, Glen Ridge Police 973-748-5400,?Montclair Police 973-744-1234, Montclair Animal Shelter 973-744-8600,?East Orange Police 973-266-5000, Newark Associated Humane 973-824-7080 (used by several towns in Essex County).

If you are in or near an Essex County Park such as Brookdale, Watsessing or Branch Brook, the Sheriff will need to be called 973-621-4111; Associated Humane 973-824-7080 (also used by the County).
If you are in the county parks, your first call should be to the Essex County Sheriff as they have jurisdiction in the parks. But don?t be surprised if the police and sheriff are too busy during a hurricane to help with a missing pet.

Source: http://www.baristanet.com/2011/08/keeping-your-pets-calm-during-violent-weather/

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