While residents across the Truckee Meadows have been feeling the quakes for months, the shaking is now also affecting our pets. Since the latest stronger earthquakes hit that started last Friday, pet owners have reported some erratic behavior coming from their four-legged family members.

We spoke with a vet who has an office on King's Row, not too far from where the quakes are being felt the strongest. He says after Friday night's 4.7 quake, he got over a dozen calls for medical attention, about half of which were earthquake-related.

Doctor Mark Ditsworth felt the quake all the way from his home in South Reno, so when he went to work Saturday morning, he knew he'd have his work cut out for him.

"I had one dog that was actually scratching at the door to get out so violently he'd broken a toenail. I had two birds that were so freaked out they flapped in their cage and banged their wings so hard, they had some bleeding and bruising issues," said Ditsworth.

Ditsworth attributes the erratic animal behavior to anxiety. Unusual noises and shaking movements caused by earthquakes are what many animals fear. What makes it worse is, animals naturally have stronger intuition and stronger senses than humans do.

"Lots of pacing and kind of circling with her nose in the air. Sniffing things. She's really nervous," said Kristen Shaw, pet owner from Reno.

"Friday night when the 4.7 hit, she woke me up before I felt it. She was growling and barking. Obviously she knew something was wrong," said Doug Franshaw, pet owner from Sparks.

Many people say their pets start acting strangely, even before the earthquake hits. There have been studies to see if animals really can predict when an earthquake quake will strike, but so far, there's no scientific data to back that theory up.

"There are questions whether animals have premonition for earthquakes. It's controversial whether that is true or not. Some say animals will act differently, dogs, cats, birds in their own individual way."

However your pet reacts to the quake, Ditsworth says it's not a bad idea to listen to their concerns. Some pet owners say when an earthquake hits, the companionship of their furry friends is exactly what they need.

Ditsworth says it's the noise, more than anything else that bothers animals...and pets often react the same way every 4th of July during the fireworks displays.

He says dogs tend to get more hyperactive, but cats usually just hibernate somewhere, like under your bed. He says birds, of all animals, usually react the most.

Some people choose to medicate with over-the-counter drugs like Dramamine or Benadryl, but the vet told us that should be a last resort. He says something interesting that also works is rubbing peppermint oil between the pads of your pet's feet to help to calm them.

He says the best option is to pet your animal, tell them it's okay, and give them some good old fashioned love and attention.