I’m sure you’ve come across headlines like these in 2020 and 2021:
I am part of this trend: in May 2020 I adopted a cat, Pina, and in November 2021, another cat (my cat needed a kitten!), Bruma. Here are:
Here’s a graphic representation of pet ownership during the pandemic, in the adorable form of an illustration by Mona Chalabi for The Guardian:
I was intrigued by how remote workers navigate the world of pet ownership. Has the pandemic given them a new enthusiasm to become catchers (sorry) like me? Or did it take them in a completely different direction?
Does remote work make caring for animals easier? What happens when people are forced to return to the office after working remotely during the pandemic?
So I asked on LinkedIn, Slack and other social media platforms and received fascinating and sometimes unexpected answers.
I hope their stories bring you as much joy as they do me.
Balancing independent living and cat health
Freelancer Melisa King she started working remotely in 2017 and soon adopted two cats, Morgie and Lizzie. A few years later, both kittens developed health problems, requiring additional visits to the vet and home treatment.
In 2017-2020, she was involved in copywriting and blogging for an agency. When the pandemic hit, Melissa was motivated to start her own business. She explained that she wanted to try something new, but was concerned about future employers’ return-to-work policies, so she decided to go out on her own.
Melissa says that at times both of her cats needed to be on medication twice a day and that her schedule was easily changed to accommodate this.
She told me that:
Working remotely gives me the flexibility to provide my pets with the care they need.
From loss to adventure
Content marketing Megan Hettwer has been working remotely since 2012. Her main motivation for the long-distance trip was the desire to spend more time with a young and active Labrador and to travel more often. An office job would make it very difficult to give your dog the attention it needs.
Unfortunately, Megan’s dog died in 2019. She was devastated, but there was one piece of good news: she could finally commit to becoming a digital nomad. She terminated the lease and sold virtually all her property. Then the pandemic happened.
She couldn’t go back to her old life, and she couldn’t travel either. Besides, she missed animals very much. She decided to give Hoot try working online and spend a month at a horse farm. Then she found out Trusted caregivers.
Two of my most memorable sittings took place in Boulder, my former home and a place that is still very close to my heart. One house had the iconic Flatirons in the yard, where I would take Puggle Toby on daily hikes along the trails. When I wasn’t hiking, Diego the cat was my work companion. There was a great office at home with a view of the mountains that I used often, but it was hard to resist working on the couch with Diego by my side.
Megan thanks the Trusted Housesitters community, both pets and people, for helping her stay sane and grounded during the pandemic.
How animals helped the family in difficult times
When the pandemic broke out, Katarina Andrejević, Customer Advisor at User listhe had a dog, a large Akita named Ashi, who sadly died last April.
Honestly, I don’t know how I would have survived the first few months of the pandemic if I hadn’t been able to go out and take him out.
During the pandemic, Katarina and her family welcomed a tiny kitten, Nynaeve, named after a character from “The Wheel of Time.” Katarina was concerned about the introduction of the two because Ashi had not been properly socialized by his previous owners and did not get along with other dogs.
However, when it came time for him and Nynaeve to share space, something amazing happened: despite the initial awkwardness, Ashi transformed into the gentlest big brother to Nynaeve.
During the first two years of the epidemic, Katarina’s family suffered significant losses. Moreover, in 2021, Katarina was diagnosed with depression.
Watching the growth and affection between their two pets provided them with a much-needed escape from their daily challenges, allowing them to enjoy those small and precious moments of cuddles and play.
“I don’t know how I would cope with the feeling of loneliness and sadness without them and how I could find my way back,” she admits.
The real benefits of working from home
Bevin Gregory, Store Manager capacity, got her cat, Caspian, during the pandemic. One day Caspian walked onto her porch and never came out. Bevin has been working from home since July 2019, but says she would have taken it anyway.
I am so grateful to be able to work from home and be able to be with my favorite little creature every day. He makes me laugh and smile constantly and is a comfort on the hardest days. Plus, I have no doubt that working from home makes his life better.
In addition to his full-time remote job, Bevin runs a pet care business. Drawing on his knowledge and personal experience, he claims that, contrary to popular belief, cats are also naturally social creatures.
They are prone to feelings of isolation, depression, and destructive behavior when they lack necessary mental and social stimulation.
During the workday, Bevin takes short breaks to engage in play activities, meet Caspian’s immediate needs, and monitor his well-being.
Caspian, on the other hand, naps or sits next to her (or usually on her) almost constantly, which not only provides both of them with company, but also strengthens their bond.
Friends and family constantly comment on how well-behaved and nice he is, which is directly related to the amount of time and training I’ve been able to invest in him through this remote job. Yes, he is a cat and yes, he does a lot of tricks, he doesn’t scratch the furniture or climb on the counters. This is not a coincidence, but the result of consistent training.
Having worked remotely for the past four years, Bevin can’t imagine returning to the office. She told me that “because I am an animal lover and have a deep bond with my animals (I now have 2 cats), I can add “being with my animals all day” to the extremely long column on the benefits of working from home. “
Puppy love
Addie and Dani Henion they have been together since 2017. Dani says she didn’t believe it was possible to be even more obsessed with her sweet dog than she already was, but their bond has strengthened since the pandemic hit.
When it was time to go to work, she said, “Addie, it’s time to go to work!” and the dog was lying under her desk and holding the heater at Dani’s feet.
Three years later, in early 2023, Dani and her husband adopted a puppy named Moose. They thought they knew what they were getting into, but training a puppy while working from home is no joke.
Fortunately, several people on Dani’s team had dogs; even her manager adopted a puppy around the same time. Therefore, he was extremely understanding of the disruptions to her schedule.
During a recent phone call, Dani’s supervisor asked about Moose’s well-being. Dani admitted that there had been lulls in obedience training, but Moose seemed to mellower with age.
I spoke too soon. A few minutes later I discovered that Moose had chewed up part of the back deck during a bathroom break. Later that afternoon, I sent my husband security camera footage of me chasing and wrestling Moose around the yard to rip the lizard out of his mouth. Now I’m trying to schedule more walks and obedience training…
Bringing furry friends to the office
At the end of 2020, Courtney Damji (check her newsletter) adopted a Spruce puppy. She worked remotely, and her team always welcomed Spruce to meetings. She admits that having a dog would be much more expensive and difficult if she was required to work full-time in an office.
The company later welcomed employees back to the office with a hybrid office-option model that was also pet-friendly. So Spruce became a regular meal when Courtney came to the office on Wednesdays, and people often greeted him before her, which she loved.
Her commute to work took an hour each way; if she wasn’t able to take him to the workplace, it would be costly and logistically difficult.
Courtney says pets are allowed in the office because her company has clear guidelines for everyone.
Dogs were not allowed in the kitchen and bathrooms. There were also signs saying “puppy free zone” which made people feel more comfortable. There were one or two other dogs in the office, but they didn’t interact much with each other because we sat on opposite sides of the office.
Before bringing the dog to the office, you had to sign a form confirming the dog’s behavior and stating that it was well-behaved, potty trained and did not exhibit aggressive behavior. Additionally, there was a dog weight limit, so large dogs were not allowed.
I always made sure meeting participants didn’t mind me bringing Spruce into the conference room, and if they didn’t, I asked another colleague to watch him at my desk while I was in the meeting.