Pets and 2021

2020 has been a challenging year for all of us. We’ve had to grapple with uncertainty in many aspects of our lives, and many of us have dealt with loneliness and anxiety. For pet parents, our pets have been the saving grace through all this. They have been our light and joy, and reminded us of how much love there is in the world. But coronavirus has affected them too; their routines were disrupted, their usual walking routes restricted, and their humans were far more anxious and stressed than usual—and pets pick up on that. 2020 has been a strange year for them too.

So it’s safe to say that we’re looking forward to 2021—to putting 2020 behind us and turning our focus to better times. 2021 is still a year of uncertainty but there are so many positive things to look forward to as well. Here’s The Pet Project’s roundup of what 2021 has to offer and how it will affect your pet.

COVID-19 vaccine

One of the biggest things to look forward to in 2021 is the COVID-19 vaccine. Several countries have already started rolling it out end December 2020, but the majority of the world will receive it in this new year. The vaccine will help put an end to an unprecedented time of upheaval and uncertainty, and will help us move closer to more free and unrestricted ways of living.

India has ordered large amounts (100 million) of the AstraZeneca Vaccine. It is expected that the first vaccinations should happen anytime in January and then be rolled out steadily across the country over 2021.

Current vaccines do not use live versions of the virus. This means that you won’t get ill with even a mild form of COVID-19 when you take the vaccine. That being said, some people may have mild allergic reactions to the virus (the percentage is very small) so ensure you have someone on standby to take care of your pet in case you need to visit a doctor. Also remember that the vaccine usually takes a few days to act, so you may be infected with the virus between the time you get your vaccination shot and the time it becomes effective. If you do find yourself with COVID-19 symptoms, all the same rules apply for taking care of your pet:

• Try and minimize contact with them
• Get someone to walk and feed your pet
• Avoid cuddles, hugs and kisses with them

· If you have no one else to take care of your pet, wear a mask and wash your hands before and after interacting with them.

Remember, until the vaccine is rolled out across a sizeable proportion of the population, it is business as usual: you should wear your mask, keep social distance, and be cautious for your own safety and the safety of others. Later in 2021, though, we hope the vaccine will make things much easier and your pet can look forward to all the play dates!

Pet COVID-19 vaccine

Pets can develop coronavirus, although there have only been a handful of cases among domestic pets and it’s clear the virus doesn’t spread among them easily. The cases have also been mild cases. It’s also clear that pets don’t spread the virus to humans, and so less focus has been devoted to developing a pet COVID-19 vaccine—international pressure has kept clinical focus solely on humans.

That being said, Russia is developing a pet COVID-19. The vaccine is in the clinical trial stage, which is due to finish in January and Russia’s Federal Center for Animal Health, which is developing the vaccine, will be seeking regulatory approval in February. The vaccine is said to be for rabbits, minks, cats, and a few other animals, and the authorities believe it may be of interest to breeders.

Domestic Travel

One thing that 2021 took away from us was freedom of movement. People who spent a lot of time cursing buses, trains, or car journeys into work suddenly missed the forced downtime it offered. Freelancers bemoaned the café tables they could have been sitting at. Even introverts began to tire of the four walls of their houses and longed for a change of scenery.

2021 will put travel back on the cards, at least to an extent. International travel will still be tricky. It’s uncertain what travel rules will look like moving forward or how countries will tackle the requirement for vaccinations and quarantine and preventing infection among their communities. Australia’s borders, for instance, look closed for a while except for those Australian citizens stranded abroad and those with exceptional reasons to travel. The United Kingdom was more open with its borders, until late December. It’s impossible to say what the year will look like; we’ll just have to take it as it comes.

But domestic travel has certainly opened up, and this year provides wonderful opportunities to escape somewhere with your pet. Beaches, wilderness, camping, hiking trails—all of these will be a welcome escape for your pet, and an excellent opportunity for you two to bond. Spend some time absorbing a change of scenery, and rediscovering parts of yourself that 2020 left no space for.

Whatever 2021 brings, it will be good to put 2020 behind us. Go hug your pet and celebrate the dawn of this new year with them. May it be a bright one.