Heading off to college to start a new semester or leaving home for the first time can be difficult. Not only are you leaving your family and the town you know behind, but you have to leave behind some of the most important creatures in your life – your pets.
Don’t get me wrong, leaving my family behind was and still is one of the hardest things to do every semester. At least with my family, I can call them every day. I’m able to speak to them on the phone or through a video call. With my dogs, I can’t have any mutual interaction with them. My mom puts the phone in front of them when she video calls me, so I can see them, but my dogs have absolutely no idea I can see them.
This one goes out to all the pets us college students leave behind when we go off to start a new semester.
It’s so hard saying goodbye to them
Although we know it’s only “goodbye for now,” our pets have no clue that we’ll be returning in just a few months. To them, when we head off to college, it’s like we’re leaving them forever. They feel like we’re abandoning them. Obviously, that’s not the case, but they don’t know any better.
When we return they shower us with love
Every time I return home during break, my dogs attack me with love and kisses. I can see it in their eyes that they missed me and are so excited to see me again. Honestly, pets are a special gift humans don’t deserve. They’re just so loyal and so precious.
They’re always thinking about you
Our pets are extremely loving and loyal. I’d assume just from watching the movie The Secret Life of Pets that as soon as we leave, our pets are waiting for us at the door. I believe our pets wait patiently for us to return home.
I’ve actually tested this out on my dogs – although I’m not sure whether or not it would work on other pets. When my brother left home for college, I would always yell his name saying that he was home to trick my dogs (cruel, I know), and they would jump up on the couch, look out the window and start barking ecstatically. Just by hearing my brother’s name, my dogs immediately became excited, hoping for his arrival. Sadly he didn’t return so soon, but at least it’s good to know that my dogs were always thinking of him.
They protect us and are loyal to us
I can’t vouch for everyone’s experiences with their pets, but my dogs have always been extremely protective and loyal to my family and I. When I was younger, I had a German Shepherd named Maxi. She was twice my size, but she was such a sweet doggo. I have a distinct memory of walking towards the street in front of my house; Maxi immediately ran over in front of me and barked to stop me from walking and alert my family. Yeah, I know – you’re probably thinking “how does she remember that?” I remember it mostly because my parents reminded me of it, but somehow I feel like I remember it happening as well. Maxi was such a protective, loyal and loving dog and I’m grateful that she was my childhood best friend.
Shoutout to all our furry and non-furry creatures we had to leave at home on our journey through college. I know it’s hard to be away from them and it’s hard for them to be away from us, but being away from our pets for so long makes it more meaningful when we return home. Appreciate all the love your pets shower you with and never take it for granted. They are in fact members of our family, and although we can’t communicate with them while we’re at college like we can with our human family members, they still deserve to know that we love them and are always thinking about them.
Shoutout to my dogs, Valentina and Simba, who are back home in Pembroke Pines, Florida. I miss them so much. Check out their Instagram @2treatz and follow them for cuteness overload! I can’t wait to see them again over spring break this year. I’m excited for them to shower me with unconditional love and endless kisses.