Dogs and cats are a part of many people's lives. They provide comfort and companionship, and many pet owners consider them family members. During the COVID-19 pandemic, some parts of the world have seen a surge in pet adoption.

In the latest episode of CGTN's livestream "The Chat Room," which aired on Sunday, CGTN invited pet owners, stray rescue volunteers and veterinary professionals to share their stories about dogs and cats and how they see the changes that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the relationship between humans and animals.

Live: How do you picture the future with our furry friends?

The impact of the pandemic on pets and their owners

Rita, a stray rescue volunteer living in Beijing, said they all gained weight during the epidemic, as she had to reduce the time spent walking her dogs. “I was so scared in case anyone falls sick because I have a pack of eight dogs, three of them are quite senior, 14, 12 and 10 years old. They all have different kinds of health problems, and one of them has heart disease. I'm really worried that if any of them have emergency, I won't be able to cope," said Rita. To keep her dogs safe, she also refused contact with others during the epidemic.

CGTN host Zhong Shi said he was also worried about who would take care of his dog if he got sick, so he felt very nervous during the epidemic, not just for himself, but for his dog.

Chen Jiahe, a pet owner living in Dali City, China said the biggest problem he had during the epidemic was the lack of pet food because many shops were closed. Their cat even started to hunt around and killed dozens of mice, he said. Luckily the virus is under control, and he has prepared a year's supply of cat food just in case. 

Human-animal bond

Ken, a pet owner who lives in Chicago, United States, said his dog named "Q" is very loyal and quick to respond. He said he did not rescue the dog; Q rescued him.

Chen said cats also bring people together. He has a group of 400 members, and during the holidays and lockdown period, members of the group would help each other take care of each other's cats. "It's the cats themselves rather than me who brought us together; it's the loving feature of the cats," he said. 

He also mentioned a friend of his whose life changed a lot after having a cat. Before, her life was all about work, now she finds the balance of life and work, thanks to the cat.

Liu Yang, director of Clinical Laboratory, China Agricultural University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, said they just did an operation on a cat, and the pet owner stayed up all night with his pet, worried that he wouldn't see his cat again. Liu said she feels very lucky to be able to save pets.

How to say goodbye to pets?

Chen said he has already prepared a tomb for his cat. He is a Buddhist and believes that life is temporary. People will die and never know what happens next moment, so it's also important to enjoy life.

Rita said every animal has its own destiny, and they have their own path of life. We have to say goodbye to them when the time comes.

For more:

The Chat Room: Students talk about their study amid the pandemic

The Chat Room: How does gardening help us relax?

The Chat Room: Love in the time of the pandemic

The Chat Room: How music industry insiders coped with COVID-19?