Carleton pets help students through an online semester

Throughout a school year unlike any other, pets have become an anchor during this time of uncertainty for students.

Carleton students are no exception. In December, many took to Reddit to post pictures of their animals, helping the community get through finals together.

Alexis Robin is a third-year political science student at Carleton. Her dog Casey was 14 years old when she died Jan. 5. Robin said she treasured being able to spend the last few months at home with her—something she wouldn’t have been able to do had classes been in person.

“[Casey] had been old and frail for a while,” Robin said. “I like to think that she was with us the whole time, so that was nice for her.”

Robin said Casey was like a “healing dog”—when you were sick, she comforted you. When you cried, Casey would lick your tears away.

Through the tumultuous and stressful months since March, Casey helped Robin and her family stay grounded.

“If I’m stressed, even if you don’t want to talk to another person, you can always talk to your dog,” Robin said. Casey “was always a constant anchor to get you back to a steady place to keep moving forward.”

Robin also has a pet cat, seven-month-old Solo. He’s energetic and keeps Robin’s house “nice and lively.”

“With him it’s a bit more … not letting us slump down into too much stress or the sad times we’ve been facing,” Robin said.

Sophie Price, a second-year journalism student at Carleton, also has an energetic cat. Price said she got Lincoln, who is currently nine months old, just as the semester started, and quickly discovered an interesting personality trait.

“He acts more like a dog than any cat I know,” Price said.

Living in a small apartment, Price would take Lincoln—who has his own TikTok and Instagram—outside to roam around. Soon, he started crying at the door to go out more and more.

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Lincoln’s Adventures (@lincolnsoutdooradventures)

Now, Price takes Lincoln for walks, during which she says he is eager to meet new people.

“He runs right up to them,” Price said. “He has to turn around and go say hello to whoever just walked by.”

After going for walks, Price said Lincoln is exhausted and sleeps next to her while she does schoolwork.

Going on walks is “a nice distraction,” Price said. “Something to kind of look forward to.”

For Sophia Kamal, a third-year cognitive science student, her pet leopard gecko Yoshi—“38 metric tons of trouble,” she joked—keeps her accountable, as Yoshi depends on Kamal for his survival.

An added bonus is the interest Kamal gets from Yoshi sitting on her shoulder during classes. She said she met a good friend in a Zoom class because they messaged her about the gecko.

 

Despite only being six inches long, Kamal said Yoshi is a handful to take care of. A picky eater, Yoshi refuses to eat anything but crickets with a fancy brand of vitamin powder. With no depth perception, he’ll walk off the side of tables if you don’t stop him.

“He makes my hair fall out,” Kamal said. “I don’t care what he puts me through, he’s such a fun bundle of joy. He’s the best.”

For Robin, her pets are irreplaceable.

“There’s just something unparalleled about how animals can make you feel,” Robin said.