Thunder!

[alanc]

Almighty thunderstorm this evening, rain pouring down and loud peals of thunder. Just what I did not want with Tilly in a delicate state, putting her off her dinner! After one loud peal, I looked round for her and could not see her - searched the house from bottom to top looking in all her normal hidey holes but nowhere to be found. Came downstairs from searching the attic room and there she was at the bottom of the stairs. No idea where she was hiding.

[bobbys girl]

Isn't that just the way?! Hope the thunder didn't bother her. We haven't had any thunder - yet! Don't know how the kittens will react

[Lilith]

In this house we just say, hey up, God's wearing his clogs again!

Hope Tilly's going on ok - it's incredible though how a cat of that size can hide without trace ... reminds me of the time I left Shahi on the bed for a moment and he did a runner ... how did a portly 5' python squeeze behind a (cold) radiator?

Animals ...

[fjm]

I sometimes think they can turn themselves invisible at will, as well as walk through walls! I have lost count of the times Sophy the Cat Finding Papillon has told me there is a cat under the bed and I have looked and said there isn't, and then a cat has strolled out 10 minutes later. I hope the thunder didn't put Tilly of her supper for long.

[Ruth B]

I'm lucky none of mine seem bothered by the thunder and the normally accompanying rain makes sure they are all inside. i wonder if part of it is that thunder storms don't bother me, I actually like a good storm and have been know to go and stand out in the garden in one, particularly when the build up has been really hot, humid and heavy, i do think animals pick up on our reaction to things and react accordingly.

Thunder was also an odd one with Blue, he hated fireworks and would hide for days from October to January, I assumed thunder would have a similar reaction but it never bothered him.

[fjm]

Sophy (Papillon) decided she didn't like loud bangs a few years ago. It started with the sound of shooting in the distance, then generalised to fireworks, thunder, and now even the crack of sticks burning. I have worked hard to desensitise her, but Poppy (Poodle) decided that if bangs were bad enough to frighten Sophy, who is much braver than she is, they must be really, really scary, and now has a complete conniption at the smallest crackle. The cats are completely oblivious, and sit on the windowsill to watch fireworks!

[alanc]

Normally, Tilly does not mind thunder as long as she is inside, but this was right overhead for hours with the rain belting down and she still is not herself. But she was back eating this morning (and lunchtime and evening - little and often).
Always amazed me that Badger, all 8kg of him, could hide himself away in seemingly impossibly small hidey holes, so I'm not entirely surprised that Tilly can do the same!

[bobbys girl]

The thunder this morning spooked the kittens. But as they were right by the gate and it made them run to the safety of the house, all was well!

[Lilith]

No thunder in Wakefield yet but by 'eck it's close ... I saw a really weird thing in the sky - it had clouded over but shining through the cloud was a rainbow, not a perfect bow but a bar of spectrum light. I thought it might rain, but not so far. Never seen anything like that before.

[bobbys girl]

I have seen that quite often and not always in bad weather. We tend to see them out at the coast - perhaps because there is more sky out there (no trees or buildings to block the view) We get them a lot in winter. I think they are ice crystals.

Totally unrelated - I have just looked out of the window onto a very still, quite misty garden, to see Purdy run along the top of one trellis, almost dance across the arbour and run along the top of the other trellis. Make the return trip, jump down and carry on as if commando training before breakfast was the most natural thing in the world! Cats eh!

[Lilith]

Ha, wish I was as fit!

Yes, I've seen those ice-crystal clouds in winter - eerie, but never in summer. Googled them and apparently even in hot weather they're still caused by ice crystals, and yesterday it was hellish hot ... we need a thunderstorm ... I like storms too; I believe it's one of the meanings of my name