Pets? Work? Coronavirus?

The pandemic has created a lot of headaches since it arrived in full force back in March. Yet one of the major unintended benefits of us all spending more time at home is more quality time with our pets — music to our ears!

A recent survey conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Zoetis Petcare found that 70% of polled pet parents feel they know their animals better since the pandemic. On top of that, over 81% of respondents said the quarantine period made them feel closer to their pet than ever before.

The survey aimed to learn more about how new and seasoned pet owners are feeling and what their experiences have been like at home with their pets.

A little extra playtime

This doesn’t come as a major surprise given the current work/home climate. Humans and their pets will inevitably collide in some form or fashion during pandemic times. It’s good news it appears to be a mostly positive collision!

Pets are certainly loving their extra human time as this provides an extra opportunity to beg for a walk outside, game of tug of war, or snuggle on the couch. Can you blame them?

The cutest pesky friends

As someone who relies heavily on Zoom meetings these days, I can say it has added a bit of flare being able to meet my coworkers’ pets during our video calls.

It has also lead to more casual banter and allowed me to learn more about a person’s personality by how they interact with their pets. It’s interesting how soft a person can become swooning over their precious pet!

A recent example of how a pet can take over a Zoom meeting occurred in the UK between members of Parliament. The meeting inadvertently showcased one of the member’s cats as it waved its tail around in the video’s foreground. This brought about smiles and a few laughs to the rest of the members on the call.

Pets make our lives that much better

It is no secret that pets help us cope during stressful times. They bring a therapeutic sense to our homes and offer a great companionship to our lives. It’s one reason why pet adoptions are up dramatically and some pet shelters across the U.S. are even experiencing empty occupancy.

Working from home allows the ability for you and your new pet to gain rapport more quickly than if you are out of the home working in a more traditional manner. As studies have shown, the more time you spend with your pet the more he or she will trust you.

So, if nothing else, COVID-19 has allowed us the great opportunity to better understand our furry friends and to provide each other with comfort and love (and plenty of cuddles!) while we maneuver through these unprecedented times.