10 Things Animal Companions Will Teach You During Quarantine
If you’ve decided to go into quarantine at home with your animal companions, you may find that spending more time together is a great way to learn more about them. Here are 10 things our cats, dogs, rabbits, and other animal companions may teach us while we stay indoors waiting for the COVID-19 pandemic to pass.
They Might Need Some Time Alone
Animals’ sleep schedules may be disrupted because of our extra time at home with them. For instance, extra time with cats might mean that they’re likely to stay awake longer during the day and sleep more at night. While it may be easy for us to pay extra attention to our animal companions while we’re home, they’re probably used to having their own routine during the day. Let them sleep or play with their toys—whatever they prefer—while we go about our day!
They Know How to Choose the Warmest Spot—Including Your Laptop
Animals tend to find the warmest spot to take a nap—whether in the sunlight shining through a window or on top of a radiator—but now that you’re home, the warmest spot may well be on your lap or laptop.
Sometimes You Have to Get Creative
While in quarantine, we can all get restless. Like us, animals need their exercise, but it might be time to get creative. We can still exercise indoors, especially if we can’t take our dogs to the dog park. Maybe you and your animal companion can build an obstacle course or do yoga together. Take animals where it’s safe to walk in your area, even if it’s just up and down your stairs.
Novel Objects Arouse Curiosity
If you’re working from home, your computer and work supplies are likely arousing your animal companions’ interest, enriching their surroundings with something new. You may find that you now have a new “supervisor” as you work!
They Know When You Need a Break
At work, breaks can include anything from getting a snack or taking a walk to checking your phone or catching up on personal e-mail. Sometimes, we might even work through a break. But when we’re working at home, our cats, dogs, and rabbits tend to make sure we stay on track and take regular breaks by nudging us to play with them or making us check up on them by causing a ruckus in the next room.
They Love to Play Games With You
From playing tic-tac-toe to fetch, animals love to play games with us. Find out what your animal companion’s favorite is. It’s a good time to pull out the laser pointer, a tug-of-war rope, or cardboard boxes—or look for enrichment ideas online to fill their days with fun activities.
They Love Crashing Online Meetings
Many at-home workers have noticed that their animal companions have a tendency to crash video conferences. Our animals love to show off to our coworkers, and it’s fun to introduce them to colleagues who might not have had the pleasure of meeting them yet.
Mischief Is a Daily Activity
If spending all day at home is new to you, you might not have noticed all the mischief that your animal companions get into during the day. But in quarantine, you might get to enjoy watching them try to open closet doors, jump into the bathtub, or, if you have multiple companions, chase and wrestle with each other.
They Know When You Need Affection
Cats and dogs always seem to know when we’re sad or distressed, and they’ve been shown to respond to our emotions by trying to comfort us. If being in quarantine starts stressing you out, you’ll at least have a special friend who knows exactly how to cheer you up.
If You’re Stuck Inside, It’s Better With a Friend
We’re grateful for our animal companions, who help keep us sane during these times of social distancing. If you’re looking for a new friend, keep in mind that many animals are in shelters. Now is a great time to consider fostering an animal if you’re in a position to do so. It’ll make this difficult time less lonely for both of you.
If you’re quarantined or social distancing, remember that millions of cats, dogs, rabbits, and other animal companions are looking for loving, permanent homes today. Share the link below to help inform others about the animal-homelessness crisis:
