Are cats safe during a solar eclipse? Should I cover windows?

If you are seeing a change in vision in your cat, it could have been caused by him looking at the sun. However, Texas was not in the path of totality, and pets are not prone to looking at the sun (that seems to be a human trait!). I think your kitty will be just fine.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Yes, Finn will be fine. The reason we do not stare up at an eclipse is the same reason you do not stare at the sun. You can burn the back of the eye called the retina. The more interesting question is why we do not see more retinal burns in animals? How do they know not to stare at the sun? Depending on where you are in the country, it may get dark enough that Finn may think it is bedtime. In any case, you certainly can cover up the birds at the time of the eclipse. Take care.

Thank you for your question. I really don't think there is cause for alarm on Monday. Although solar eclipses happen on a rare occasion, they are not a threat to human or animal safety as long as you or your service dog do not look directly at the eclipse (could cause ocular problems). Dogs do not typically look up directly at the sun so this isn't really a concern. There may be more crowds of people in your town or area if it is listed as a major viewing area and traffic may be worse due to people going to these major viewing areas but aside from that, I wouldn't lose sleep over it! If you wanted to talk more about this, you may request a consult with me and I am happy to answer any further questions you may have.

Max is beautiful!! It is wonderful you are thinking of his delicate skin. I would look into the windows that you have to see how much UV light they block. It certainly helps vs having him lay outdoors in the sun, but if you want more protection you could also add a UV film to the windows he lays in most often. Putting a small amount on his exposed areas is unlikely to hurt him, but I prefer barrier methods as to reduce his exposure to chemicals. I hope this helps!

No, it's not likely to be harmful for your cat, it's mainly an issue for white cats but your cat is mainly black, especially on the areas that are exposed to the sun so i would not be worried about it.

The opening of kittens eyes is not triggered by light and i would not expect it to speed the process. Very rarely surgical opening is required. If there is no swelling behind the eye, warm compresses for 2-3miinutes may help but be very gentle not to put any pressure on the developing eye structures

Sun screen will likely not do anything to help unless you are placing it on hairless areas, and I would be concerned if there are chemicals in it that may harm your cats if they groom themselves. Instead, providing your cats with a shaded, cool area to relax, and providing plenty of fresh drinking water should help.