Quality time with my pets has always been very important to me. When I go home, I can expect to see my dog Maggie, an adorable little Spaniel with no thoughts behind her perpetually crossed eyes. Our cute rescue cat, Evie, constantly runs around the house or hides when she isn’t swatting at Maggie. Then there’s the elusive Honey, our indoor-outdoor cat who loves cuddling after a long day outside.
Coming home to those sweet critters every day is something I took for granted. When I first moved onto campus, I quickly realized just how therapeutic being able to spend time with animals was for me. On especially bad days, I can no longer come home to the purring of my cats or the snuggles of my dog. This made me think: what other ways can I spend time with animals while at college?
- Campus Cats
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Cats are everywhere. This means, luckily for me, most campuses have at least one campus cat. If you don’t know what a campus cat is, please let me enlighten you about the sweetest animals I have ever interacted with. Campus cats are domesticated outdoor cats that live on college campuses. Most of the time, these cats start as strays that linger around campus for food and shelter. Eventually, a kind faculty member will bring them to the veterinarian and allow them to roam safely about campus.
At FSU, my favorite campus cat has to be Tofu, a small, fluffy, white cat who roams around the Dirac Science Library and always greets me with a rub against my leg. Tofu has helped me through countless exams by being my extra motivation to walk to the library just to see her adorable little face.
- Humane Societies
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If you want to volunteer within your community and be around hoards of the cutest creatures imaginable, working with a humane society is the best of both worlds. Humane societies are organizations that help stray or abused animals that need loving care and safe homes. Volunteering with this type of organization feels so fulfilling. I love being able to see the animals’ eyes light up when I come in to play or seeing them slowly grow more comfortable being around people who truly love them.
I was able to find a local humane society by searching on the Humane Society Of The United States website. The site shows you humane societies near you while also describing what positions you may be able to fulfill. Innumerable organizations need help caring for these animals, so you’ll have your hands full (in the best way)!
- Visit a local park
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If there’s one thing dogs love to do, it’s run up to random people they don’t know at a park. Sometimes, when I really need that dog love, my friends and I will head to the park and sit on the grass to meet the friendly dogs people often bring out to play. Dogs are some of the most extroverted animals in the world. The odds of one not coming up to you are very slim.
Even if you’re somehow not a dog person, people will bring out the most unexpected animals. Once, while strolling along FSU’s Landis Green, I saw someone walking their ferret (I even got to hold it)!
I know that missing your pets can be hard. Homesickness is not only reserved for missing people, after all. Still, there are plenty of ways to keep that pet therapy in your life. Everyone deserves a furry friend.
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