2 minute read

It is no surprise that pandemic-related isolation has, for many, had pathological consequences. Hardly a day passes without some mention in the media of anxiety and depression. What has received less attention is how COVID-19 affected our furry friends. For my cat, Goober, it has been the greatest thing to ever happen to the planet.

When my husband and I relocated from off-site work to home offices, Goober discovered the joys of 24-hour-per-day human contact. How this might affect our productivity was of little concern to him. In the process, we acquired some new office equipment: notably a very large printer that replaced our home laser unit.

The laser printer gasped its final breaths churning out a 250-page document for a doctoral course during the Fall semester. While the new unit occupies about 20 cubic feet of desk space, we are fairly confident it won’t suffer the same fate. The printer has become Goober’s new roost, from which he can survey goings-on in the back courtyard, whoever is sitting at the desk, a second person working in the living room and the kitchen. This, after all, is how a king keeps track of his vassals.

Although the pandemic has been good news for Goober, I can’t help but think of the many animals that have lost their forever homes over the past year. In some cases, owners passed away, or perhaps lost their sources of income due to pandemic-related furloughs. Shelters are full of kitties and pups who are lonesome, frightened and hungry. In a small, stepwise manner, we have the ability to change this.

It is my opinion that God put animals on this earth to show us unconditional love. They ask little, and what they give in return is immeasurable. Animals have an uncanny ability to sense our emotional needs and respond with the warmth and affection we need now more than ever. If you have thought about adopting a furry friend but hesitated because the timing wasn’t right, consider this a window of opportunity.