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Courtesy of Mrs. Carlson

Mrs. Carlson's cat, Gato, who is 4 months old and loves to talk and be with his owner 24/7.

Being at home all the time has been a huge change for many communities all over the world. However, many people have found a few silver linings after being home for so long.

Many people are able to spend more time with their family and the people who live with them. For many, this includes their rowdy, but adorable, pets. 

As Mrs. Baldwin said about her 15 week old golden retriever, Sadie, “She has already grown so much that she can stand with her paws on the kitchen counter which is a total nightmare. Everything has to be moved to the center of the kitchen island so she can’t get to it.”

Like most students, teachers have to answer to the needs of their four-legged friends every so often. No matter what size, breed, age, or situation, pets always find a way to interrupt our moments of focus for a little extra love. 

“She would come to my side, and start barking for attention,” Mrs. Galvan said about her Pomeranian, Pythia. “I had to pick her up and sit her on my lap, or she would not stop until I sat her on my chair, behind me. I had to sit at the edge of the chair, so she could take over the sitting portion of my chair.”

Having new tools like Zoom and Google Meet allows students to get to know their teachers just a little more. This includes getting to hear the lovely sounds of a house with everyone stuck inside all day. 

Mrs. Wernet knows all about how loud a house can get, as she said, “My two kids are 7 and 6. My favorite child is the dog.”

However, being with your pet all day has its benefits, especially when they finally decide to sit down and relax. Not to mention how important animals are in helping people emotionally get through everything going on.

“I adore him [Gato] and he has been my companion during difficult times,” Spanish teacher Mrs. Carlson said. “Gato is very mischievous, He is only 4 months old and has that kitten energy. He talks a lot, it is like we can have a conversation.” 

Having “the humans” home all day can be an odd change for our pets just as it is for us. Whether the pet responds more hyper or sleepier now that you are home, they always seem to disappear for a quick nap. 

When asked how her pet is responding to her presence at home, Mrs. Baldwin stated, “She mostly sleeps under my feet while I teach, but occasionally I have had to let her outside to go potty or scold her for chewing on something she shouldn’t be chewing on.”

Although we like to act as though our pets are annoying us everyday, they really are the most entertaining, supportive, and obnoxious best friends one could ever ask for. 

Pets do the silliest things, but now that we get to stay home all day, we get to watch them in their crazy quests around the house.

“I keep Gato outside my office when I am teaching,” Carlson said, “but he insists on sliding his little paws under the door and cries for attention. It really sounds like he is dying. My students already know about him because one time I had to open the door and let him in so I would have some peace. But he jumped into the trash can in my office so I had to go save him.”