Whether you’re a dog person, a cat person, a fish person, or even a hedgehog person, we all love our pets to death. Most of us have to leave our pets behind as we pursue higher education and, let’s face it, it’s heartbreaking. But some of us have the privilege of doing college life with our pets (or our roommate’s pet) by our side. If you are not one of the lucky ones that get to spend some of the most stressful times of our lives alongside your bpf (best pet forever), here are some tips on how to cope with the situation.
1. Have FaceTime dates with them.
As crazy as it sounds, it really is a wonderful thing. Technology has become such an important part of keeping long distance friendships and relationships afloat and it can do the same thing with your relationship with your pet(s). They obviously cannot text you back or even talk to you, but you will be able to see them and at least pretend your close. This way you can keep track of how they are growing and how different they are becoming, especially if they were young babies when you left.
Disclaimer: When on FaceTime, your pet will think you are in the same room as it and it will start to look for you. Do not let this make you sad (but it most likely will).
2. Make friends with people that own pet(s).
If you live in a dorm, this could be tricky — but not impossible. If I have learned anything is that people will most likely always talk about their pets to someone they just met, so maybe that could be a conversation starter when you meet someone in class. If you live off campus, this is a lot easier. So, put yourself out there and get to know your peers while also spending time with their awesome pets.
3. Volunteer at the animal shelter.
Make some time during the weekend to go hang out and help out with the animals. You’ll have a lot of fun doing it and helping the community at the same time.
4. Pet-sit.
Many students with pets sometimes need someone to watch over them when they are busy with class or other responsibilities. If you know someone that owns a pet(s), let them know that they can count on you to pet-sit if they ever need it.
Not having our pets around can sometimes drive us off the wall, but worry not: you wont have to be away from them for very long. The best thing to do is to enjoy the time you have with your pets and like any other friendship/relationships, do not take the time for granted. Whenever you get time with your pet(s), it is completely acceptable to take way too many pictures because those are the moments that you can always look back to when you are far away from them.
None of the listed tips can fully help you stop missing your beloved pet(s) because that would be crazy talk. I miss my dogs even when I’m home and I’m at the store, so I get everyone’s pain! We are all probably way too attached to our pet(s) but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. So, when you’re about to lose it because you miss your dog or your cat or (enter your animal of choice), just think about when you will see them again and how happy you will be in that moment. And whether you believe it or not, they miss you too but can’t really communicate it until they see you for the first time in months.
