This morning I was woken suddenly by what seemed to be the loudest, most soul-shuddering thunderclap I think I've ever heard. I stayed still in bed, relatively calm, and after what seemed like a few minutes, drifted back off to sleep. Then again, suddenly, another boomingly loud thunderclap, followed shortly afterwards by an incredibly bright flash of lightning. By this time, my young cat was fully awake and alert, swinging his head from side to side like a periscope searching for land. I then realised that this was most likely, his first thunderstorm. Tiger, my older cat, is well versed in matters relating to earthly physics and natural phenomena, so she was tucked up soundly in a ball near my feet.
The thunder and rain has continued here for the best part of the day, but I'm not too worried about the effects that it might have on my cats as they are indoor-only (well, Nauty is, Tiger still has outside privileges). Unfortunately, it is all too common a situation where a pet (usually a dog) hasn't been properly acclimatised to storms and adverse weather conditions, and if kept inside, can create chaos with the house furnishings or even the physical house itself. There have been cases of dogs jamming their heads in cat and dog door flaps, ripping the frames to pieces in an attempt to remove themselves from the situation that is happening around them. Some pets have also broken glass doors and windows to remove themselves from the noise, either narrowly escaping with their lives or unfortunately being found lifeless by their owners on their return home because of injuries the pet has sustained in its escape attempts.
With winter quickly approaching and storm surges on the rise, I urge you to ensure your house and property is as safe for your pets as possible. Make sure that any possible escape routes for your pets are safe, and if possible, add stickers or cover the bottoms of glass panels so that they are more visible to your pets. Have your cats wear elasticated or easily breakable neck collars, and keep an up-to-date tag on your pets' collars in case they do escape your property. By law, all dogs over 3 months of age must be microchipped - currently this is the only form of permanent identification available for pets. I strongly encourage you to consider microchipping your cats also - if they go missing, they are more likely to be reunited with you sooner than if they didn't have a chip. If you find that your pet has gone missing in stormy conditions, call your local veterinary clinics, the SPCA, animal control and put flyers in letterboxes in your neighbourhood asking your neighbours to contact you if they find your pet.
You can also purchase CDs that have recordings of thunderstorms on them which are used to desensitise pets to the noise of a storm. Play them at a low level to begin with, and engage your pet in a fun activity such as playing with a toy, training with rewards, or just gentle cuddling and stroking (provided your pet isn't scared at the time, otherwise you will inadvertently reinforce their fear of storms). As your pet begins to ignore the noise (and if played low, it shouldn't bother them anyway), gradually turn up the volume so they become more accustomed to the noise level.
As we share our lives with our pets, we need to understand their needs. Something we have become accustomed to will be new for them and we must respond to their needs appropriately. Then we can be sure that they will be able to accept anything.
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