Keera Hart + Kelly Morgan
Life has looked dramatically different over the last few months.
But for some, the pandemic has been a welcome change – specifically, our pets! With all this at home time, they’ve been enjoying extra snuggles, extra treats, and – of course – extra love.
And while they’re clearly enjoying having us humans around much more often, studies show that we are also benefiting from their presence.
A recent survey from Global Pet Foods found that 92 per cent of Canadian pet parents say their pets have provided emotional support, helped improve their mental health, and helped cope with feelings of isolation during the pandemic.
The pet moms and dads at KLC can definitely relate!
Here’s a few examples of how WFH with pets has impacted our lives over the past few months:
The Cat Crew:
This is my assistant, Adele, hard at work in my office. She’s adept at crashing Zoom and Teams calls with unwanted commentary. When not on the job, she sleeps and sometimes eats, and follows me around all day.
She’s an old gal, 17 in September, so this additional time with her has been a gift. She reminds me to take breaks (to pet her of course) and makes me laugh. Diana
My two cats, Patchouli and Nonna, have been a great support during the pandemic. Actually, I have to admit that the pandemic has been a great opportunity for me to spend more time with them.
I adopted Patchouli when I was a student. Since I have been working, I feel that he really misses the time I used to spend most days studying at home. With WFH, he seems to be the happiest cat in the world! And Nonna never misses a chance to display her cuteness, especially during virtual meetings. Raph
Admittedly, I’m probably our cat’s LEAST favourite person in the house, so I don’t reap as much of the benefits of pet companionship, but I do believe he (the cat) has helped my kids emotionally manage the boredom and restrictions of staying at home. There is a point, each day, where I come across them sitting with their cat quietly and I think he has a very calming effect on them. Janine
Mocha of the Kaiser household gets an honourary shout-out for being fabulous.
The Dog Squad
While I don’t actually have the luxury of living with my dog, he’s played a huge role in my happiness during this time. As the weather has gotten warmer, we started doing backyard visits with my parents and without fail, every weekend that we’ve gone up we’ve been first welcomed by Hershey – who despite being 12, jumps and cries with excitement when he sees us. Every time I see him, I think about the simple life dogs live, and how nice it would be not to know about the worries of the world. It’s a nice reminder to focus on the positive areas of life and not to take anything for granted! Catherine
Gerald has been a HUGE source of support for me during this time. He’s basically a real-life cartoon character and just looking at him provides comic relief. He was also made for quarantine because he spends all day at home doing nothing. So on those tough days when I’m missing my friends and family, looking over and seeing his goofy smile reminds me I’m pretty lucky to have him remind me that happiness lies in all the small things. Jen
Suki has been over the moon to have a little extra company during the pandemic. She’s been a wonderful companion for myself and my daughter. I’m thankful that she’s around to entertain my daughter Mia, who is just shy of two years old, since she doesn’t have siblings and her daycare is still closed. Keera
Team Twice as Nice:
I have loved being able to spend time with them after having been away for the last year and having pets at around is great company- until they invite themselves into my zoom meetings. Gill
It’s great to know that our team’s pets have been a big help during this period of working from home. These furry friends might not be billable but they’ve been working hard to provide support and companionship over these past few months.
If you have a furry WFH assistant who helps you get through the day, we would love to see photos. Feel free to share with us on social.
If you don’t have a pet and find yourself feeling isolated, lonely, or need some guidance on how to best maintain your well-being, check out our recent blog post on Staying ahead of a mental health pandemic.