Amid new normal, pets make life easier
As isolation increases, bonds with animals strengthen
Rachel Ankney estimates she and her husband, Phil Pavlik, have spent 90% to 95% of their time sheltering in place since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States.
But they haven’t been alone, which Rachel believes is key. There’s also Gary. And Katya. And Riddick and Weasley and Princess and Percy. Eenie-meanie, too. For those keeping score at home, that’s six ferrets and a cat (Percy). The couple, both graduate students at the University of Memphis, are among the hundreds of millions of Americans navigating life as we know it in COVID-19’S wake. And they freely admit the new normal would be far more difficult without their four-legged and feline family members.
“It would be awful,” Rachel said with a laugh.
The warm and fuzzy. The scaly and slinky. No matter how furry or feathery, the benefits pets provide are abundant. And now — whether you are faced with more time at home or your home remains a sanctuary when a long day on the job is done — the importance of pets is amplified.
“First of all, they just give you something to do every day,” Rachel said. “It enforces some level of routine. I think the other thing, I was thinking about how (owning pets) is different than having kids. Pets cannot talk back and are completely unaware of what’s going on. So you’re not having to interact with them about the state of the crisis, which I think can help ease some of the tension.”
Among the more recent additions to the household are Percy the cat and one of their six ferrets. Not long ago, the couple’s previous cat died and “we just didn’t feel right without a cat.” In addition, Rachel and Phil’s business of ferrets – a group of ferrets is known as a business – increased by one when the coronavirus hit. A friend of Rachel’s works for Memphis Animal Services, which saw a sudden influx of ferrets.
“I’m sort of the local crazy ferret person to a lot of my circle,” Rachel said. “But it’s not unusual for a ferret owner to have this many. They’re really funny. I like to say they’re a mix between cats and dogs. Cats are funny too, though. Especially Percy, who is running around and chasing everything. He loves pens. If you leave a pen on the table, he’ll bat it off for the purposes of batting it around on the floor.”
Besides whatever emotional lift is offered an owner of a domesticated animal, there are other advantages.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists a number of them on its website, including decreased blood pressure as well as lowered cholesterol and triglyceride levels. According to a survey conducted this year by the American Pet Products Association, 67% of households in the United States own a pet, a figure that is up from 56% in 1988. That percentage probably has risen in recent weeks — even if it’s only temporary. According to reports, the country is experiencing a boom in pet adoption and fostering sparked by the coronavirus outbreak. Memphis Animal Services recently reported all its shelters have hit all-time lows in the number of animals it is currently housing.
There is a downside, however. Eileen Castine and her partner, Ricci Mundy, run Mr. Scruff ’s Pet Care — a small business that specializes in sitting and walking services for those whose schedules are too hectic. They are among the many small business owners feeling the financial pinch caused by COVID-19. More people working from home means fewer clients.
“It’s taken a frightening toll on our business,” said Castine, who moved to the city from Detroit in 2001. “We’ve lost two or three of our bread-and-butter dailies that we do Monday through Friday. In the last two weeks, we’ve had four major cancellations. That right there costs us thousands of dollars. Today I’m home and I have no work. We’re really worried.”
But Castine and Mundy find solace as best they can in their own pets, included among them three dogs (Dobbie, Willow and Roxie) and two cats (Fiona and Lily).
“I’ll sit down with my dogs at night. They’re very loving dogs,” Castine said. “They ground me by just being able to get me out of my own head to feel them. Feel that love.”