Missing Mr. Snuggles: Coping with Separation From Your Pets

It’s true that I neglected to clean Mr. Snuggles’ fish tank for 14 months, but now that we’re separated, I really miss him.

My life changed on December 16, 2011. I received Mr. Snuggles, my first pet, a cuddly, warm beta fish. My secret Santa gave me Snuggles and he was immediately welcomed into my family. Never having had a pet before (besides the occasional pet caterpillar or monarch butterfly), everyone was very eager to give this beta the red carpet treatment. Snuggles received seven Christmas presents in total from my parents, my sister, and my friend Lauren. I hung a small stocking for him, and Santa filled it with a Buddha tank toy.

Over time, however, I will admit that the quality of my care decreased. First, the tank light burned out and I never changed it, leaving my precious pet in the dark. Then, I left Snuggles alone for three and a half weeks, without food or a pet sitter. Oh, and I didn’t change the water or clean the fish tank for 14 months.

Somehow, Snuggles survived.

While my poor care would suggest that I am not very concerned with Snuggles’ well-being, absence truly makes the heart grow fonder and I genuinely miss the company of my small purple fish at college. For pet owners, leaving behind beloved animals is difficult. A friend of mine can only finish homework with the help of her dog. For every problem she completes, for every paragraph she writes, her parents send her a video of her poodle. While I’m not sure that the promise of a video of Snuggles would help me do my work (since the tank was so dirty I never really actually saw Snuggles much anyways), I miss his presence very much. I can’t wait to reunite when I’m home over Thanksgiving and, for Snuggles’ sake, I hope my sister is cleaning the tank.

For those of you missing your pets at home, Flyby has a few suggestions for how to cope with the separation.

1) Facetime. While your roommates are video chatting with their long distance boyfriends or girlfriends, don’t be afraid to spend a little time catching up with your pet. No one even has to know that you’re Skyping an animal. Floormmates will just assume that you’re a teen mom if they hear cries of “I miss my baby!” or just another needy girl whining to her sweetheart, saying “Why can’t you just visit me? Is that too much to ask?!”

2) Visit the petting zoo! While no animal may compare to your pet, cuddling with another adorable creature will make you feel better. I got to hold a bunny last week and it reminded me of the time Snuggles slipped from my bare hands and onto the hard marble floor the first (and only) time I cleaned the tank.

3) Don’t be afraid to approach random dog walkers. Buy dog treats to carry in your pockets and you'll make some new animal (and people) friends instantly.