Pandemic pets. It’s a phrase that would have sounded a little disturbing before COVID-19 rocked our world. But now, that phrase brings along feelings of love for a furry friend who helped get us through some of the most stressful times of our lives.
I was home alone for a majority of the time at the beginning of the pandemic. Being stuck inside attending Zoom classes without the ability to go have a social life really drained me. I needed some sort of companion to dote on and keep me company. After considering a dog, I decided my apartment was much too small and that I wouldn’t have been able to spend quite the amount of time a puppy would need.
So, I got a cat. My fluffy, orange, dorky Crookshanks kept me sane throughout the pandemic. He wakes me up with cuddles in the morning and sits with me while I eat dinner. While I’m writing he brings me his favorite toy, a nerf dart, to play fetch. He’s an easy-going cat who seems to want to play at just the right times and knows when I need a snuggle.
People all over the nation have found this sort of amity with their new furry friends as well. Pet adoptions saw a massive surge nationwide at the beginning of the pandemic and shelters are running out of animals to adopt out, much like grocery stores seeing a shortage in cleaning supplies, according to the Associated Press.
I followed this new trend and almost immediately noticed I wasn’t so stressed out over small things anymore. Not that I wasn’t still stressing, but I had a cuddly kitty who was there to make me feel better. I felt this way because pets reduce stress and anxiety levels for their owners.
Pets provide companionship, motivation, social connections and comfort, according to the Mental Health Foundation.
Dog owners can find their loveable pups motivating them to get out and exercise more, which is especially helpful for people with depression. Pets also provide a way to make social connections because who doesn’t like to show off the new addition to the family, along with all the laughs they cause? Loneliness melts away when you have a furball to love on.
This trend of pandemic pets is one that’s beneficial for everyone. There are fewer animals in shelters and more in a loving home. More people are happy and have a healthy way of coping with the stress and anxiety of the current world we live in.
So go to the shelter and adopt the cute puppy you keep ogling or the kitten who caught your eye. It’s just as beneficial for you as it is for them.
The Humane Society of the Palouse is open by appointment only, Monday through Saturday 1-6 p.m. They are located at 2019 East White Avenue in Moscow.
Anteia McCollum can be reached at arg-opinion@uidaho.edu or on Twitter @antxiam5