Thunder and lightening! Lily takes cover!

[bastetservant]

We're having a thunderstorm now in northeast Illinois. I forgot she always does this, but at the first sign of lightning and thunder, my Lily took off for the basement. She'll stay down there for the duration. I have joked that she must have taken a tornado preparedness class at some point.

It's funny because Lily is my most fearless cat, and the dominant one (and the smallest at under 8lbs.). The others don't react to the storms much at all. The only thing I can figure is she must have had a really bad experience with a storm or two when she was a stray (as were all my cats).

Do any of your cats react like this? I feel bad for her that she goes down there by herself, which she otherwise never does. She must be scared, but I don't know what I can do for her.

Robin

 

[natalie_ca]

We haven't had a thunderstorm this year yet, so I don't know how Spencer and Katie will react. Likely afraid because it will be something totally new.

I don't like thunderstorms either. I don't mind the lightening, but the thunder totally freaks me out. My RB kitty Chynna used to hide under the covers with me. It was unclear who was more afraid....her or me, because we clung to one another like velcro!!

Abby was spooked when she was younger. But she's going to be 13 next month and hasn't run off and hid during a storm for years. She does look startled when there is an extra loud thunder crack, but she stays where she is. The only noise that seems to freak her out is the vacuum! In fact, me even touching the vacuum will send her off hiding behind the blinds.

 

[cheylink]

My beloved Pandi was the same way! She wouldn't take sh*t from nobody, but when it came to thunder storms, she ran for cover. I felt her panic and would try to calm her by talking and snuggling her, but she always hated thunder storms.

 

[feralvr]

Hi Robin

So I am having the same storms

as you since we live so close. Perla, Perkins and Presley are new to storms since they are only about nine months old. Presley doesn't seem to mind storms and takes on Pipsqueaks reaction to storms. BUT Perla and Perkins are quite frightened. They would really have no reason or no previous experience either. Perla always runs to the basement too, like your Lily. Perkins hides under my bed, which he never otherwise goes under the bed. I just try to talk to them soothingly and have found out the laser works for Perkins to get him to come out for a few minutes but as soon as he hears the thunder, off he goes. Perla hides downstairs in the cat tree carpeted hideaway. She won't budge. But I can tell she feels safe in that, so I leave her be. I am hoping they will get over this fear. I have never had cats before that react to storms like these two do.

 

[bastetservant]

Lily came out when the storm let up. Later she disappeared when the lightning and thunder started up again. I awoke this morning to her curled up at my feet, something she doesn't do often. Usually she sleeps in a big chair in Tonya's room, keeping her company. Because she was alone, and could see Lily, Claude, and Harlow on my bed with me, Tonya made these plaintive cries from behind her gate. This she's hardly ever done. So it was an unsettled night.

I wonder why some of them are afraid of storms? I never had a cat with this problem before, though I've known alot of dogs afraid of thunder and fireworks. Those bother Lily, too.

Robin

 

[mystik spiral]

Holland is afraid of thunder. We had a storm last week and she was upstairs with me at the time (we're currently living in the basement at my mom's, ugh...). She got scared at a loud crack and went to run to the basement only to encounter my BIL standing near the basement door. Then she REALLY freaked out (she's afraid of other people, too) and started yowling until I got to her to "escort" her downstairs.

I know she was really frightened because her tail was all poofed out. She is afraid of people, but normally she'll just dart away from them. She rarely gets the poofy tail, so I know the combination of thunder and stranger danger pretty much did her in for the night.

 

[jenwales]

Two of my cats don't react at all, but my little Boo (generally the calmest of the cats) walks from window to window growling during thunderstorms. This is a cat who never growls or hisses otherwise. She's a sweetheart.

 

[ldg]

Aw, poor kitties! None of our gang are scared by the storms - though when they start a few get wide-eyed. Our dog, Kyffin, however, was absolutely TERRIFIED of storms and loud noises (4th of July was a nightmare for the poor little guy!).

As we've had thunderstorms every day for the past week (and expect them every day for the next week), I'm REALLY glad none of them hide out of fear!

 

[ritz]

The very first thunderstorm Ritz and I experienced together was around three months after I adopted her; she was formerly feral, lived on the streets for the first six months of her life.
I was awaken by very loud thunder, heavy rain, lightening, around midnight. She was in bed with me, by my feet, and she crawled up onto my chest--very unusual then and now--seeking comfort. I spoke calmly to her, told her she was safe with me, and I'd protect her no matter what. And we watched/heard the storm together, with my arms lightly around her.
She isn't afraid of thunderstorms at all, although she doesn't like wind in other situations--makes too much noise.
Interestingly, I love love love thunderstorms and don't particularly like wind.