Our four-legged friends love lockdown
We call them our best friends, our four-legged children or our cuddly companions. That is why we forgive them when they bark during a Zoom meeting or insist on taking a cat nap on our keyboards when we want to work.
Hover on the images to read more.
Yes, they are our beloved pets – those cats and dogs and other members of the animal kingdom that actually think we are all staying at home just to entertain and keep them company.
One such beloved creature is an Irish Wolfhound called Luna, who belongs to Veruschka Pelser-Carstens from the School of Accounting Sciences on the Vanderbijlpark Campus.
Luna loves lockdown
“To say that Luna is happy about the extra attention she is getting during the lockdown period would be an understatement. She absolutely loves it!” says Veruschka.
Luna starts her day by waking her humans up by bringing them a “present”, which ranges from a slipper to a soft toy belonging to their daughter, Alenka. “This is our cue to get up and get ready. At 08:00 sharp she brings her leash and insists on a morning walk, something we happily comply with.
“Apart from her morning walk and cuddles in-between our daily tasks, we also plan our time carefully to ensure that we schedule regular playdates for her with her siblings, Emma and Fleur, who are still with the breeder.”
It is of course perfectly understandable that you have to arrange playdates for you only-child doggy, but when you have 10, they might be just enough to keep each other company.
Dogs by the dozen (almost)
Yes, another Vanderbijlpark colleague, Alma Joubert from Finance and Facilities, and her husband André share their home with no fewer than 10 “loving four-legged children”.
Alma fully agrees that the extra attention during lockdown has them wagging their tails with appreciation. “When André leaves for work at 06:00 in the morning, the dogs who couldn’t find a spot on the bed during the night get their chance to join me for a snooze,” she says.
“When the alarm clock goes off at 07:15 it is time for a cup of freshly brewed decaf coffee – for everyone. Let’s face it: no one can start the day without coffee!”
Alma and the gang then head for her home office. That is everyone except Heidi, the Labrador, who sleeps in until about 10:00.
In the office, everyone has a designated space, with Cheeky on Alma’s lap, Gizmo on the chair next to her and Chopper by her feet under the desk. The rest snuggle up in their baskets.
And what is a Zoom meeting without some excited barking in the background? During these meetings Cheeky sits up straight on Alma’s lap and stares into the camera. “No wonder Prof Lloyd Conley now officially welcomes Cheeky when we have Zoom meetings together!” says Alma.
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The cutie-pie who fell through a roof
Rusty is Prof Dané Coetzee's faithful “colleague”.
Dané says Rusty is a real comfort during lockdown.
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“I know, he’s cute, right?” says Prof Dané Coetzee from the School of Biokinetics, Recreation and Sport Science on the Potchefstroom Campus. The cutie-pie concerned is Rusty, her loyal companion during lockdown.
“Rusty has been nothing but a joy. Sharing my study with me, he rarely ventures far from me.”
Initially she was asked to look after him as he literally fell through the roof of some friends but, as time passed, they asked if she wanted to keep him.
She was hesitant at first because her previous cat passed away in tragic circumstances not that long ago and she wasn’t sure if she was ready for another pet. But then she gave way to cuteness. “Look at that face, how could I say no?”
She is convinced that she made the right decision. “Sometimes, when I’m feeling a little down, I find comfort in his presence. I just need to look at him and my smile returns.”
Rolo is his running buddy
No, Rolo is not a pot plant - he is actually Bophelo's running buddy.
Rolo can't wait to join Bophelo on his morning jog.
Student Bophelo Seleke trained his dog to join him on his morning jogs.
As Mahikeng Campus’s final-year LLB student Bophelo Seleke is now working and studying from home, he spends a lot of time with Rolo, his nine-month old Labrador-Chow crossbreed dog.
“I have discovered that sharing my home space with Rolo is a great way to get some exercise,” he says.
It is very important to him to keep fit. “Exercising leads to weight loss, improves your mood and results in an overall positive outlook, which is something that everyone needs as we are navigating our way through the pandemic.”
No longer being able to go to gym, Bophelo trained Rolo to join him on his morning jogs. “As any runner will attest, it sometimes gets lonely pounding the pavement by yourself, so I am very glad to have Rolo as my running buddy.”
Bertie is the leader of the pack
Members of Bertie Jacob's pack of wildlings vie for his attention.
Wildlings. This is how Bertie Jacobs from Corporate Relations and Marketing describes his pack of dogs.
“Remember that famous quote from physicist Robert Oppenheimer? In 1945, as he witnessed the detonation of a nuclear weapon he helped develop as part of the Manhattan Project, he quoted a piece of Hindu scripture, saying ‘Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds’.
“That is how I would describe Bloekom, Kongo, Ragel and – wait for it – the seven other puppies I had to raise during the lockdown. Yes, Bloekom gave birth to seven of Kongo’s children – a challenge to say the least.”
Bertie says the adult dogs are a handful at the best of times. “They bark at every passerby, they destroy what they see, but they are also a welcome distraction …. well, sometimes.
“Speaking to our executive director for corporate relations and marketing, Clement Manoko, I told him I need to go back to work to get away from my dogs. My cat, Goebs, however, has been an absolute treat,” he adds.
“In all honesty, when normality returns I am going to miss them dearly … just not during the late afternoon when joggers and dog-walkers pass my house and a cacophony of barking ensues.”
Taking care of a whole colony of cats
These cats are part of the cat programme on the Mahikeng Campus.
These cats are part of the cat programme on the Mahikeng Campus.
These cats are part of the cat programme on the Mahikeng Campus.
These cats are part of the cat programme on the Mahikeng Campus.
Dr Madeleen Struwig is the primary caregiver of the cats who call the Mahikeng Campus home.
Not all four-legged friends are fortunate enough to be members of a human family during lockdown. Fortunately, the almost 100 cats forming part of the cat programme on the Mahikeng Campus have an angel called Dr Madeleen Struwig who is their primary caretaker.
Madeleen, who is from Biological Sciences, says she has to buy more food for the cats during lockdown, as they are not able to feed from scraps left behind by students, who are of course now for the most part absent.
She is worried that the cold winter is making it even harder for the cats. “I am in the process of placing small shelters on campus where they can find some warmth,” she says.
Looking after the colony of cats is a time-consuming task. “The water and food bowls at the different feeding stations need to be cleaned, the blankets in the shelters need to be washed, and someone needs to buy the food and distribute it.” Madeleen is very grateful for the help from Protection Services. “The security officers at six of the residences help fill the food and water bowls at those feeding stations, saving me a lot of time.”
She says deputy vice-chancellor Prof Marilyn Setlalentoa made funds available to sterilise the cats in order to stabilise the population. “This will commence as soon as the animal clinic has full staff capacity again.”
Staff members who would like to get involved in the programme or donate cat food, are welcome to contact Madeleen by clicking here.
Click on each of the paw print icons to read more about our other staff members' four-legged friends.
