For me, one of the weirdest things about heading off to college was arriving on campus and noticing how few animals there are. The biggest differences between college and “the outside world,” such as it were, are that A) seemingly everyone is between 18 and 25 years old, and B) nobody has any pets because they’re not allowed in any of the residence halls or in most apartments, either.
And I missed my cat. I missed petting him and talking nonsense to him. (“Who’s the fluffiest kitty of them all?! YOU ARE!” For the full effect, imagine me saying all this in a super high-pitched voice.) I missed the times when he would wander into my room on particularly difficult days and do something silly that made me laugh and start to destress from my long day. I even missed his annoying habit of chewing the end of my pencil as I attempted to write!
With this in mind, I’ve made a list of three places and/or organizations that you may want to check out if you too miss your pets! If you love animals, you don’t have to wait until you head home for the weekend; sure, these animals aren’t your pets, but they can come close. They’re fuzzy and loveable and right here in Iowa City, waiting for your attention.
1. The Haunted Bookshop
Whenever I have a lot of stuff to read for homework, I love to pack up all my books and head over to the Haunted Bookshop. Located at 219 N Gilbert Street, just a short walk from the east side dorms, the Haunted Bookshop is one of my favorite places to be in Iowa City.
I love books. I love cats. The Haunted Bookshop has over 50,000 books and two cats, so it’s not surprising that I love to spend time there. I think you will, too – it’s quiet, which is perfect for studying, and the staff is very helpful when it comes to recommending something great to read. There are many chairs and couches scattered throughout the two floors of the Haunted Bookshop, which makes it the perfect place to read for an hour. (Or two or three.)
I prefer to sit downstairs, where Logan, the long-haired cat, hangs out. He charms everyone who walks through the door by scampering over to brush up against their legs and beg for a tummy rub or a scratch behind the ears.
You may prefer the upstairs section of the bookstore, though, where Nierme dwells. She’s a short-haired cat and is a bit shyer than Logan, but looks can be deceiving: She once sat on a paper I was trying to write on for half an hour, and just stared at me when I attempted to rescue my homework out from under her.
Either way, I’m certain you’ll find something to love about the Haunted Bookshop. It’s a great place to destress by spending time with our feline friends, and you should definitely buy yourself something fun to read as a reward for acing all your finals!
2. Iowa City Animal Care & Adoption Center
Located at 3910 Napoleon Lane, the Iowa City Animal Care & Adoption Center is a long walk from campus, but totally doable if you have a car. (Or if you have a friend who has a car… then you can convince them to drive you there by promising them that there will be cute animals!)
While adopting a cat, dog or other animal may be out of the question if you live in the dorms or if your apartment complex doesn’t allow pets, you can certainly volunteer at the shelter in order to help take care of these animals before they are adopted.
Attending orientation sessions and volunteer classes allows you to work with the animals. Once you’ve completed these classes, you’re allowed to feed the animals, walk them, play with them and more!
3. UI PAWS
UI PAWS, which is short for Promoting Animal Welfare in Society, is a student organization that meets twice a month in the IMU. Jessie Silva, one of UI PAWS’s co-presidents, told me about the events hosted by this group. If you attended the therapy puppy sessions last finals weeks, you can thank UI PAWS. Recently, the organization also teamed up with Colleges Against Cancer to hold Bark For Life, which will be held in May and helps raise money to fund cancer research.
When I asked Silva what she loved most about being a member of UI PAWS, she said, “I love being able to see all the the animals and help those causes,” adding that she once fed a hot dog to a bear at an animal sanctuary and also had the opportunity to meet Jane Goodall.
While I think I would be too terrified to feed any bears anything, UI PAWS seems like a fun organization, with very enthusiastic members, and I may end up joining it next school year if I have enough room in my busy schedule! Having sat in on one of their meetings, I would recommend UI PAWS for anyone who is interested in volunteering and animal welfare.
I hope you give at least one of these places or organizations a try within the next few weeks! Don’t fret about not being hundreds or even thousands of miles from your dog, cat or other favorite creature. Get involved! Volunteer! Advocate for animals… or find a cozy chair to curl up on in the Haunted Bookshop and let animals become your study buddies! There are definitely options out there if you look hard enough. I wish I’d known about these places and organizations when I arrived on campus last fall!