Yeehaw - the stories to tell ... each is basically different and is very predicated on proximity. I've seen the ground liquefying in waves traveling across the earth, I've had the house slammed sideways from the north and from the west. The worse was felt like the whole property had been dropped about 20 feet. Violent shaking is almost a given, if you're close by, and particularly with the immediate aftershocks. Each are different. I was watching the Sunday Morning Funnies and felt the slight rolling and immediately I checked for things swinging, and there were. I'm 17 miles north of the LA civic center.
Animals do feel the vibrations proceeding the quake, you just have pay attention and to be adept at understanding their language.