Dogs and cats and thunderstorms

Holden turned six this month. That's middle aged for a big dog, maybe even past middle age. You'd think that by this time, he'd have figured out that thunder and lightning are natural phenomena and not something to be terrified of. Not only has he not figured that out, it has gotten worse with age. It used to be, he'd crouch underneath the desk, cowering. Now, he's found a spot under the stairs in the basement. The first time he went there, Bobby and I ran around the house, calling him, wondering where he was. We finally found him, terrified, under the stairs. He's continued to head underneath there at the first approach of thunder or rain this storm season. Last night, after the storm (but before it stopped raining), I made him come out of there for a bit, but he just ran back downstairs when I turned my head.

It's so strange to me that he's so scared, and that it's gotten worse. It's also interesting to me, because I think his fear of storms - and dogs' fear of storms in general - is proof that dogs have a sense of their own mortality. The fear that Holden feels is the worst fear I've ever seen him experience; I was hugging him last night as he quiverred uncontrollably, and it wasn't even thundering out. He is scared to death, or maybe he's scared of death.

It's also interesting to me that to the cat, the storm is like a usual day. If anything, he was more lazy than usual. He just sits on his chair, rolling over and meowing at me when I walk by, the storm the farthest thing from his mind. I wonder what Holden senses that Tobey doesn't. I don't have enough experience with cats to know if this is a cat thing or not, but I just find it interesting.

Unlike this entry, probably.


In calmer times.