Keeping Your Pets Safe During The Solar Eclipse

Updated: 8/21/2017 at 9:09 a.m.

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Solar specs are an absolute must if you want to safely view Monday's solar eclipse.

But what if your furry friends want in on the fun? Experts say since they can't wear the special glasses, they'll have to be kept away or risk retinal damage.

CBS2's Lonnie Quinn Explains The Solar Eclipse

"Dogs and cats, of course, horses and cows are all considered mammals and their retinas are very similar to ours," veterinarian Dr. Pam Harold said. "They should be kept indoors and away from the windows as a precaution."

As CBS2's Lonnie Quinn reported, most people will see a penumbra, or partial shadow, where you still see a portion of the Sun. But a select few, will see an umbra, where the Moon completely blocks out the Sun.

Web Extra: Solar Eclipse Events Around The New York Area

It's called totality, and the area where it hits on the Earth is known as the path of totality.

On Monday, it goes from Oregon to South Carolina.

More: Can't Get Your Hands On Eclipse Glasses? Make Your Own Pinhole Projector

So in Charleston, South Carolina people are going to a get a bonafide 100 percent solar eclipse. Places like Portland, Oregon are going to get about 99.5 percent.

If you move to the north or south of the path of totality, that percentage will drop. 

In the Tri-State area, we're expected to see about 71 percent of the Sun obscured by the Moon.

"We're only going to see about a 70 percent eclipse, which means there will still be a third of the sun coming through, which can instantaneously cause one to be blind," eye surgeon Dr. Stewart Levine told WCBS 880's Sophia Hall.

More: Protect Your Eyes & Camera Equipment

He warned some of the solar viewing glasses may be fake.

"If you have eclipse sunglasses, you can hold them over the lenses of your phone and take a picture that way. Without looking at the sun yourself, you're indirectly looking at the eclipse," he said. "But I think the best way and the safest way is to watch it on a live streaming website, where you'll see it in totality, from a good location, and a totally safe environment."

Monday's total eclipse is the first to span the United States, coast to coast, in 99 years.