Pets Can Improve Well-Being for Academics Despite Care Demands

Clinical scientist Grace Hallinan adopted a cat named Franklin shortly after moving from Ireland to the United States in 2018 for a postdoctoral position at Indiana University in Indianapolis. She later added two more cats, Rosie and Vicenzo, and said the animals helped her mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hallinan stated that without the cats she would have been alone in her apartment. She described them as companions that reduced feelings of isolation while she worked long hours.

Plant physiologist Danielle Ulrich adopted a border collie cross named Opie while she was a graduate student at Oregon State University. Ulrich, now at Montana State University, said Opie has remained with her through her PhD, postdoctoral work and current professorship.

Ulrich noted that Opie provides consistent greetings and affection tied to feeding and walking times rather than her daily work stress. She said the steady presence of the dog offers support during uncertain periods in an academic career.

Biomedical engineer María López Cavestany said her five-year-old miniature dachshund Kika helped her maintain work-life balance. The article notes that pets have their own psychological, physical and emotional needs that owners must meet. Combining academic duties such as teaching, conferences and research with pet care can be difficult, the report states.

Some research indicates that dogs and other pets can reduce anxiety and improve well-being for their owners.