Let’s be honest here, leaving your pets behind is the worst part of moving away for college. Whether home is across the country or just a few towns over from where you go to school, you miss your furry companions a lot during the months that you are away- you might even miss them more than your parents. Good news is that while you may not be able to bring your pet to school with you (I wish!), there are still plenty of places to hug, pet and cuddle furry animals in Iowa City. Here are some places you can turn to when you are going through fuzzy animal withdrawal!
For the cat people: The Haunted Bookshop
The Haunted Bookshop on N. Gilbert Street is one of my favorite places in Iowa City. Not only is it a super cool used bookstore, but it is home to two adorable cats: Nierme and Logan. Both of them are pretty friendly and let you pet them if you ask nicely. You can usually find them somewhere around the shop. As a serious cat-lover and mother of two cats (at home, sadly), The Haunted Bookshop is the first place I turn to when I’m missing my kitties.
For the dog people: Petland
For anyone who has never been to Petland before, it is a wonderland filled with the most magical things in the world: puppies, lots and lots of puppies. They sometimes have a few cats and other critters, but most of the animals there are cute-as-a-button puppies. This is a store, but even if you are not looking for a permanent addition to your family, you can ask an employee and take a puppy into one of their little cubicles, where you can play and cuddle to your heart’s content. Be careful though- you might fall in love and have to explain to your roommates why there’s barking coming from your bedroom.
For the people who just loves animals: Iowa City Animal Center
Iowa City Animal Care and Adoption Center is an awesome place to pet animals because you can pet animals and volunteer at the same time! To start the process of becoming a volunteer, you can go to their website (http://icanimalcenter.org/) and complete the online orientation video and quiz. Once you go through the process of becoming a volunteer, you’ll be able to pet animals and give back to the community simultaneously!
Being away from your pets can be hard, but ask your parents to send you lots of pictures, find some places to pet local animals and start counting down the days until you can see your furry friends again.