I'm sure you've come across headlines like the following in 2020 and 2021:
I'm part of that trend: I adopted a kitten, Pina, in May 2020 and another one (my kitten needed a kitten!) in November 2021—Bruma. Here they are:
Pina (left) and Bruma (right)
Here’s a graphic representation of pet ownership during the pandemic, presented as a cute illustration by Mona Chalabi for The Guardian:
I was curious to find out how remote workers were navigating the world of pet ownership. Did the pandemic spark a newfound enthusiasm for them to become "pawrents" (sorry), just like me? Or did it lead them in a completely different direction?
Does working remotely make it easier to take care of pets? And what happens when people are forced to return to the office after working remotely during the pandemic?
So, I asked around on LinkedIn, Slack, and other social media platforms and got some fascinating and sometimes unexpected responses.
I hope their stories bring you as much joy as they brought me.
Balancing Freelance Life and Feline Health
Freelancer Melissa King They began working remotely in 2017 and soon adopted two cats, Morgie and Lizzie. A few years later, both cats developed health problems, requiring additional visits to the vet and treatment at home.
From 2017 to 2020, she worked as a copywriter and blogger for an agency. When the pandemic struck, it gave Melissa the push she needed to go freelance. She explained that she wanted to try something new but was worried about future employers’ return-to-office policies, so she decided to strike out on her own.
Melissa says that, occasionally, both of her cats needed to take their medication twice a day and that it was no trouble for her to adjust her schedule to accommodate that.
She told me that:
Working remotely gives me the flexibility to provide my pets with the care they need.Morgie (left) and Lizzie (right).
From Loss to Adventure
Content Marketer Megan Hettwer She has been working remotely since 2012. Her main reasons for switching to remote work were to spend more time with her young, active Labrador and to travel more. An office job would have made it very difficult for her to give her puppy the attention it needed.
Sadly, Megan’s dog passed away in 2019. She was devastated, but there was one silver lining: she could finally commit to becoming a digital nomad. She ended her lease and sold practically all of her possessions. Then, the pandemic hit.
She couldn't go back to her old life, and she couldn't travel either. Plus, she really missed having pets. She decided to give Woofing She decided to give it a try while working online and spend a month at a horse farm. Then, she learned of Trusted Housesitters.
Two of my most memorable house-sitting assignments were in Boulder, my former home and a place that’s still very close to my heart. One of the houses had the iconic Flatirons right in its backyard, where I would take Toby the Puggle for daily walks on the trails. When I wasn’t hiking, Diego the cat was my work companion. The house had a gorgeous office with mountain views, which I used extensively, but it was hard to resist working from the couch with Diego by my side.Diego, the cat in Boulder, Colorado
Megan credits the Trusted Housesitters community—both pets and people—for helping her stay sane and grounded during the pandemic.
How Pets Helped a Family During Difficult Times
When the pandemic began, Katarina Andrejević, Customer Advocate at User List, I had a dog, a big Akita named Ashi, who sadly passed away last April.
I honestly don't know how I would have gotten through the first few months of the pandemic if I hadn't been able to get out and walk him.
During the pandemic, Katarina and her family took in a tiny kitten named Nynaeve, after a character from *The Wheel of Time*. Katarina was worried about introducing the two because Ashi hadn't been properly socialized by his previous owners and didn't get along with other dogs.
However, when the time came for him and Nynaeve to be together, something incredible happened: despite his initial awkwardness, Ashi became the gentlest big brother to Nynaeve.
During the first two years of the pandemic, Katarina’s family suffered significant losses. On top of that, Katarina was diagnosed with depression in 2021.
Watching their two pets grow closer and bond provided a much-needed escape from their daily challenges, allowing them to enjoy those small, precious moments of cuddles and play.
“I don’t know how I would be able to cope with those levels of loneliness and sadness and find my way back without them,” she admits.
Ashi with his little sister, Nynaeve
The True Benefits of Working from Home
Bevin Gregory, a store manager for Abenity, adopted her cat, Caspian, during the pandemic. Caspian wandered onto her porch one day and never left. Bevin had been working from home since July 2019, but she says she would have taken him in anyway.
I am incredibly grateful to be able to work from home and spend time with my favorite little one every day. He makes me laugh and smile all the time and has been a source of comfort on the toughest days. Plus, there’s no doubt in my mind that my working from home makes his life better.
In addition to her full-time remote job, Bevin runs a pet-sitting business. Based on her expertise and personal experience, she says that, contrary to popular belief, cats are also inherently social creatures.
They are prone to feelings of isolation, despondency, and disruptive behavior when they lack the necessary mental and social stimulation.
During her workday, Bevin takes short breaks to play with Caspian, attend to his immediate needs, and check on his well-being.
In turn, Caspian takes naps or hangs out near her (or, more often than not, on her) almost constantly, which not only keeps them both company but also strengthens their bond.
Friends and family consistently comment on how well-behaved and sweet he is, which is directly related to the amount of time and training I’ve been able to invest in him thanks to having this remote job. Yes, he’s a cat, and yes, he knows several tricks and doesn’t scratch furniture or jump on counters. That’s no fluke—it’s the result of consistent training.Caspian, getting ready to start his (remote) workday
Having worked remotely for the past 4 years, Bevin can't imagine going back to the office. She told me that “because I’m an animal lover and deeply bonded with my pets (I have 2 cats now), I can add ‘getting to be with my pets all day’ to the extremely long list of pros of working from home.”
Puppy Love
Addie and Dani Henion They've been together since 2017. Dani says she didn't think it was possible to be even more obsessed with her sweet dog than she already was, but their bond grew stronger after the pandemic hit.
When it was time to work, she would say, ‘Addie, time for work!’ and the dog would lie under her desk and hog the space heater at Dani’s feet.
Three years later, in early 2023, Dani and her husband adopted a puppy named Moose. They thought they knew what they were getting into, but house-training a puppy while working is no joke.
Fortunately, several people on Dani’s team had dogs; even her supervisor adopted a puppy around the same time. So he was extremely understanding about the disruptions to her schedule.
During a recent catch-up call, Dani’s supervisor asked about Moose’s well-being. Dani admitted that there had been a lapse in obedience training but that Moose seemed to be mellowing with age.
I spoke too soon. A few minutes later, I discovered that Moose had chewed up part of the back deck during a bathroom break. Later that afternoon, I sent my husband a video from our security camera showing me chasing and wrestling with Moose around the yard to pry a lizard out of his mouth. I’m now trying to schedule some more walks and obedience training… Moose, looking very innocent (white), and Addie (brown)
Bringing Furry Friends to the Office
At the end of 2020, Courtney Damji (check out her newsletter) adopted a puppy named Spruce. She was working remotely, and her team always welcomed Spruce into their meetings. She admits that getting a dog would have been much more expensive and difficult if she had been required to work in the office full-time.
Later, the company welcomed employees back to the office under a hybrid, office-optional model that was also pet-friendly. So Spruce became a regular fixture whenever Courtney went into the office on Wednesdays, and people would often greet him before her, which she loved.
Her commute was an hour each way; if she hadn't been able to bring him to work with her, it would have been costly and logistically challenging.
Spruce is chilling at the office
Courtney says that it's possible to bring pets to the office because her company has clear guidelines for everyone.
Dogs weren’t allowed in the kitchen or bathrooms. And there were signs that said “pup-free zone,” which helped people feel more comfortable. There were one or two other dogs in the office, but they didn’t interact much since we sat on opposite sides of the office. You had to sign a form vouching for your dog’s behavior before you could bring them into the office, stating that they are well-behaved, potty trained, and haven’t shown aggressive behavior. Also, there was a weight limit for dogs, so large dogs weren’t allowed. I always made sure that the people in meetings were okay with me bringing Spruce into the meeting room, and if they weren’t, I’d ask another colleague to watch him at my desk while I was in the meeting.
Thank you so very much to everyone (and their pets) who contributed to this article with quotes, photos, and videos!
If you'd like to get in touch, you can reach me at vic [at] remotive [dot] com.