Fuzz Therapy at School

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

29 Jan 2009 05:41 PM

There's an old Calvin and Hobbes comic that I've always loved: Calvin comes in after a long, horrible day and finds Hobbes (his stuffed tiger) snoozing on the floor. Calvin buries his face in the tiger's tummy and sits up with a smile on his face. "Ahhhh... fuzz therapy," he says.

Studies have shown that pets are great when it comes to relieving stress. Whether you're old or young, healthy or infirm, a pet can be a huge mood booster and stress reliever. Pets who live in assisted living facilities help residents come out of their shells.

A new study from Ohio State University took a look at pets in college settings and found (once again) that our furry friends are GREAT stress relievers.

College students have a lot of worries to deal with: keeping grades up, deciding on future careers, searching for jobs, and other uncertainties that come with being a grown-up. Researchers found that students with pets leaned on their furry friends for support during stressful times. College students with pets were less likely to report feelings of loneliness or depression when compared to their petless peers.

Only a handful of colleges around the country allow students to keep pets on campus. I can see where it would be a bad idea -- caring for another living creature can add more pressure (timewise and moneywise) to an already stressed-out student. Colleges might worry about pet messes in the dorms and on the grounds. Will pets get bored when their owner is in class? (Bored pets are often destructive pets.) And what happens to pets over vacations?

Study authors seem to think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Pets create an ongoing opportunity for students to take a break and blow off some steam -- whether by taking their dog for a walk or playing with their cat.

When I was in college, I volunteered at a local shelter in order to get my fuzz therapy. I don't know if I would have been able to keep up with pet care and studies if I'd had a pet of my own at college... but then again, I do keep up with work and pet care as an adult. So it's entirely possible that younger Aimee could have handled the extra work just fine.

What do you think? Would you want to attend a college where pets are permitted?

Learn more about Aimee Amodio

Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover...

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