Finding Companionship in a Time of Isolation

How a quarantine pet helped me regain a sense of normalcy in a time when there was none

By Renee Mottet

After months of quarantine, I found myself stuck in a cycle of not only doing nothing all day, but also a strong feeling of loneliness. For many, this is a common feeling that the global pandemic has brought this year. Lacking routine, I began searching for weird ways to keep myself busy and, of course, failed at quite a few new hobbies. My roommates and I even started running out of movies to watch after the first month in our apartment. Bored out of our minds, we made an impulsive decision, and decided to adopt a puppy. Within two weeks, my roommate had dropped $800, and we had a 7-pound Pomeranian named Eddy, sharing our apartment with us.

Our mornings now started at 8AM, being woken up by a small puppy whining to be fed. Despite the new lack of sleep, my days slowly began to feel like they had more of a purpose. My endless amount of freetime was now filled with walks outside, playtime, and attempts at teaching the puppy, Eddy how to sit or shake. In my 1000 square foot apartment, he rarely had a moment of alone time from my three roommates and I and quickly became the center of attention in our lives. I began to realize how much better I was feeling about my situation, even though taking care of a new puppy was probably one of the hardest things I had ever done.

Eddy brought us all closer together, even when he drove us crazy with his weird quirks such as hiding all our socks under the bed or walking on his back legs to try and steal food from us at dinner. Although he might be the messiest roommate I’ve ever had, I wouldn’t change a thing.