Isolation, financial uncertainty, anxiety and depression created by the Coronavirus pandemic has changed the way we used to live our everyday lives. But one thing that has remained consistent is having our pets. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are many health benefits to owning a pet. They can decrease feelings of loneliness and stress and also increase socialization and exercise.
Because of quarantine and COVID-19 restrictions, for some of us, our pets have been the only ones there for us. My three-year-old golden retriever, Leia, has been my partner in crime throughout quarantine. She gets me up every day, even when I don’t feel like doing so. She enjoys that she gets longer walks, her treats and that I am with her 24/7.
Jo Cunningham, a 20-year-old senior at University of Oregon, has had his bearded dragon, Scooter, for two years. He originally got Scooter to be a service pet to help ease his depression and autism. Cunningham had suicidal depression when he was younger. But by having pets, it encourages him to refrain from self-harm because his pets rely on him. Not only does he have Scooter, but he also has two cats. His cats love to cuddle Scooter in their cat tree and play with each other.
“When I’m feeling bad or needing to stim[ulate] with something I can pick him up and pet him,” Cunningham says. “He keeps my anxiety down.”
In the summer, he would have Scooter wear a harness and sit on his shoulder and take him to Eugene’s Saturday Market. They would hunt for clover field patches when it was warm out because Scooter loves to eat them. Because he loves being outside, they also went on picnics in the park.
Margaret Faliano, 21, has had her black cat, Barly, since she adopted him as a kitten with her roommates from Greenhill Humane Society in November 2019. They had planned to keep him for two years until they graduated from the University of Oregon. But after bonding with him closely, Faliano says she will never give him up.
“During the first part of the pandemic,” she says, “if I didn’t have Barly, I would’ve gone crazy.”
Faliano was living in a small studio apartment with her boyfriend, Dylan, when the pandemic hit. They had opposite schedules, where when she was awake during the day, he would be sleeping after a long night of video games. She felt trapped in her concrete cave and missed having a daily routine that COVID-19 had taken away.
“I missed talking to people and being on campus,” she says. “Barly was something that took my mind off of the pandemic.”
Barly is a registered emotional support animal, and always comforts Faliano. To ease her isolation, she cuddles Barly in bed when she feels upset. His purring relaxes her when he lays on her. They played every day with his laser pointer and toys. She says without him she would’ve felt more depressed and alone.
“When you are confined in a space and torn away from society and all your normal routines that ground your insanity, you feel that life is falling apart,” Faliano said. She believes that pets will love you unconditionally and always comfort you.
A 2020 research study survey conducted by the University of York and the University of Lincoln found that having a pet was linked to maintaining better mental health and reducing loneliness, as opposed to those without a pet. More than 90% of the survey’s respondents said their pet helped them cope emotionally during the beginning of lockdown.
Abby Ryan, a 21 year-old junior at Pacific University, was given her one year-old dog, Cosmo, by her mom during Christmas 2019. Ryan describes herself as a social person and finds comfort in being around the people she loves. When the pandemic hit, she lost her on-campus job and eventually had to move back to Minnesota to live with her parents. She had relied on her support system of friends and family to help get through each day.
“When that was all taken away it was very difficult,” Ryan said.
Ryan struggles with depression, anxiety, body dysmorphic disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder. The stress of the pandemic led her to attempting suicide in April 2020.
“It was a time where I felt out of control,” she says. “I was lonely and depressed. I felt helpless.”
Cosmo became Ryan’s emotional support dog when she moved back in with her parents. “If it weren’t for Cosmo I don’t think I would’ve survived quarantine,” she said.
But Cosmo brought structure and routine back into Ryan’s life. In the early mornings he was her alarm clock, and would help get her out of bed when she didn’t feel like it. They love going on outdoor excursions, such as hiking God’s Thumb in Lincoln City or going to the Wilson River in Portland.
“Having that responsibility gave me something to ground myself in the day,” she said.
It’s been almost a year since quarantine began, and I’m grateful for the joy our pets have brought us. They’ve been one of our only sources of comfort, companionship and amusement. They’re the reason we get fresh air and exercise. And the best part is, once quarantine comes to an end, they’ll still be here for us.
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