Recently I moved my excited, 2-year-old Yorkie, Abel, into my college apartment. I never expected this to be a very challenging process, and the first week it wasn't so bad. Abel's first week in Troy was great! He was excited to be reunited with me after two weeks apart and ready to make new friends. Little did I know, the separation anxiety was soon going to kick in. Soon, each day when I left for class, Abel would chase me to the door barking and grabbing my shoes or pant legs to keep me from leaving. Needless to say, he didn't like to be left alone -- even if it was just for 30 minutes. Eventually, I had to call my parents and they had to come get my sweet fur-baby and move him back with them to my hometown. This was a huge challenge and disappointment for me. My entire freshman year, I waited to get an apartment just so I could move him in with me. Having to sacrifice my wants to ensure that he was comfortable and happy taught me more lessons about being a pet owner than anything before. Below are a few things I learned that all pet owners should be aware of.
Enjoy every moment with your pet.
From going on 5 a.m. walks together to being awakened at 2 a.m. because your pet wants to play, soak in every moment. The special bond you have with your pet is like no other bond. When your pet wants to play, take time to play. In the long run, you will regret the time that you didn't spend with your furry child.
Treat your pet like family.
As pet owners, we know that our pets are part of our family. Take your pet on family vacations or family outings. Make your pets feel like they belong.
Make sure your pet is comfortable with its surroundings.
This was one of the hardest lessons I've learned. Leaving Abel alone in an unfamiliar place made him feel very uncomfortable. I went to many extremes trying to make sure that he was comfortable when I had to leave him to go to class or meetings, but nothing worked. Finally, I had to do the toughest thing of all and allow him to go back to live with my parents, where he felt at home.
Don't take the little things for granted.
Many things come with owning a pet, but it is the little things that we should cherish—little things such as the stares you get from your pet while you eat your pizza, the slobbery, sometimes disgusting, pet kisses, and cuddling with your pet to watch tv. I promise, you will miss these things!
Love your pet unconditionally.
Most importantly, in the time you have with your pet, show it unconditional love. Your pet loves you more than it loves itself. One of my favorite quote says:
"To the world you are one person, but to your dog you are the world."
To end this article, I would like to leave you with one last quote:
"Such short little lives our pets have to spend with us, and they spend most of it waiting for us to come home each day. It is amazing how much love and laughter they bring into our lives and even how much closer we become with each other because of them."
-John Grogan
