My poor cat Grayson is positively petrified of storms. The sad thing is it doesn’t even have to have lightning with it – just the drop in barometric pressure will cause him to hit the floor and crawl as low to the hardwood as he can get to the basement or under the bed.
It really is remarkable how sensitive our animals can be.
The tough part with cats is, they often don’t want any kind of solace when they’re upset.
It kills me to see my boy so agitated when there’s nothing I can do about.
Dogs can be especially attuned to thunder because their senses are sharp enough to identify a drop in barometric pressure, lightning and even the smells associated with an upcoming storm.
My family pup, Max, who was with us for 19 years, could always sense a storm’s approach. We eventually realized it may have been the static on the radio that she picked up as much as the environmental patterns, but she always freaked out when she heard thunder.
As painful as it is for animal-lovers when their babies are scared, the appropriate response is for us to do nothing. I tried for years to explain this to my mom, but when she would see the brown eyes of her “babies” look at her with fear, she couldn’t help but scoop them up for a cuddle.
From the dog’s perspective, this is what they think: Any kind of attention is awesome. They don’t really know good from bad, they only know what gets them what they want – a pat on the head, a treat or a snuggle.
This is the foundation for training a dog – positive reinforcement of the behaviors we want to see. The “newspaper on the rump” or “rubbing his nose in it” techniques are a thing of the past. In fact, that method sometimes has the opposite effect because the dog doesn’t know what he’s done to warrant that reaction.
So, when your pup goes to the bathroom outside, a happy “good boy” and a treat will go a long way toward housetraining.
Back to the thunderstorm issue. From the way a dog’s mind works, if he’s scared of thunder and his human snuggles him and coos at him, he’s thinking, “This is so cool. I love attention and petting.”
Indeed, it’s actually reinforcing their fear response and behavior.
Now, I have to tell you, I’m just as guilty as my mom of cuddling the pups during a thunderstorm. I am just not strong enough to walk away from them when they give me that horrified expression.
I want to do the same things with my cats, but they often get so far under the bed I can’t even reach them, so. Yeah.
I think it’s human nature to nurture that which is frightened or smaller than us or under our protection and care. That need to comfort those in our charge is engrained in a lot of us and we can’t ignore that instinct.
For those of you looking for an answer that will not reinforce the fearful behavior in dogs, I have heard folks who have had a lot of success with a device called a thundershirt. I know, it sounds slightly medieval, but it’s actually a shirt of sorts that wraps tightly around a dog and gives him a sense of comfort through his anxiety. Keep in mind, like just about everything in life, it has helped some pups, but had little to no effect on others, so it depends on each individual canine as to its effectiveness.
I know when an animal is afraid, I’ve never wanted to be able to reason with them more, but sadly, for as much as we humanize our pets (and that’s a wonderful way to let others see the real value of them), they are still animals and not capable of discerning their own wellness and safety.
Indeed, the fight or flight response is their instinct, kind of like nurturing is ours, and a lot of us see the “flight” when a thunderstorm comes around.
It’s the time of year for storms – with the changing of the seasons – so for those of you who have sensitive four-legged friends, be ready to combat their fear in the best way for them and you.
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Jennifer Vanderau is the public relations coordinator for the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter and can be reached at [email protected]. The shelter accepts both monetary and pet supply donations. For more information, readers may call the shelter at 717-263-5791 or visit the website www.cvas-pets.org. CVAS also operates a thrift store in Chambersburg. Help support the animals at the shelter by donating to or shopping at the store.
