How Will The Eclipse Impact Animals in Louisiana & Texas?

In case you haven't heard, there is a total solar eclipse coming up. Millions of people will be looking to the skies on Monday April 8th to see this celestial phenom. If you've been paying attention to the coverage at all, you've seen tons of warnings for folks - "Don't look directly at the sun without protection", "Don't Drive With Your 'Eclipse Glasses On"...just all kinds of stuff.

But, this morning, we got a message on our free mobile app that got me thinking - "Is there anything we need to do to keep our pets safe?".

How Will the Eclipse Impact Animals?

After doing a little research, it looks like your animals pals will be fine. In fact, as one expert told Forbes, "Unlike some foolish humans, animals know better than to look at the sun.” So, in short, there's very little risk to pet from a safety stand point.

However, that does not mean there will be no impact on animal life. As far as we know, most animals don't know how to read a clock. So, even though the eclipse may only last a few minutes, the animal kingdom will look at the sun disappearing and think "it's nighttime".

So, don't be surprised if your dog or cat starts going into their nightly routine. They may want their evening meal. They may do all the things they normally do bed time.

One expert, however, did note that the loss of daylight may confuse some animals. So, if you have a dog or cat with a nervous personality, you may want to leave the lights on to help counteract any confusion or fear.

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What Time Will I Be Able to View the Eclipse?

If you want to have an 'eclipse party', be prepared to take care of your pet or anything, there is a projected schedule of when each area will be able to take in and view the eclipse.

According to Eclipse2024.org people who are in the path of totality will see anywhere from 3 to 4 minutes just before 1:43 pm central. You can find more details on the path and all that here.

Now, if you want to get the best view possible of the eclipse. In the local area, experts say the best place to view this celestial event is in Texarkana.