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So many people insist the full moon makes their pets (and kids) go a little manic. And while I’m probably not qualified to explain the human side, I thought I’d look into whether the moon actually changes our pet’s behaviour. And the answer might just surprise you…
I’ll be honest. I went into this a little sceptical. Could that big white rock really influence whether our pets pace, escape, bark and generally misbehave? But given the behaviour I’ve witnessed in wildlife (especially in Australia and Africa) with animals more active, restless and even vocal under a full moon, it might have some credibility. Sadly, the full moon is also associated with more poaching activity of rhinos in Africa too. But what about pets? Well, here goes with some facts.
If you accept that increased activity leads to an increased level of accidents then guess what? It turns out that long held belief that the bright moon can bring out the more manic side of your best friend may in fact be true. A scientific study found that cats are 23% more likely to need be hospitalised while dogs are 28% more likely to need veterinary attention during a full moon.
So why could this be occurring? Well, it’s believed the brighter nights mean more dangerous after-dark exploring and therefore a greater risk of being involved in fights, falls, contracting infections or most dramatically being hit by cars.
So there you have it. That full moon might have a full-on effect and bring on a higher tide of misadventures than you might expect…
